early islamic art and architecture

8/3/2019 Early Islamic Art and Architecture

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Early Islamic Art andArchitecture

By: Joshua Rosenthal


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Art in General

Early Islamic art is known for being non-figurative (not depicting humans) andcontaining a lot of Arabic script.

It is very similar to Byzantinian and Sassanianart.

Religious figures were not be depicted. Umayyadian art was heavily influenced by

Jewish and Christian art.


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Modes of Decoration

Vines, grape leaves, androsettes were verycommon in woodwork.

Walls were often

decorated with glassmosaics.

Early Islamic Woodwork: In it, one canclearly see patterns of vines and grapeleaves.

Early Islamic mosaic: Notice thatthe entire piece is symmetrical.


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Pottery

There were two main categories of pottery:Palace Ware (also known as Coptic GlazedWare) and Khirbet al-Mafjar Ware.

M

ost early pottery was not glazed. As time went on, different color glazes as well assimple geometric designs were used.

Later in the Early Islamic Period, more elaboratedesigns were used.


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Palace Ware

Only a small amount ofthese have beenrecovered.

Decorated with blackfloral, zoological, andgeometric themes.

Some of these vesselshave been found in

Byzantine-periodbuildings.This vessel is a classic example ofPalaceWare. Its painted black and has geometricalthemes.


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Khirbet al-Mafjar Ware

First appeared in the eighth century. Had buff color (yellow-brown). Had geometric and floral patterns.


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Coins (Arab-Byzantine)

These were based off ofByzantinian coins.

Coins minted by Justin II in thelate Byzantine period were usedas prototypes for Early Islamic

coins. Sassanian patterns and Persion

script were also used. Often depicted anthropomorphic

designs. Most coins had the letter "M" on

the back, which was there tostate the coin's value.

These coins had the Romanname for Jerusalem (Iliya)printed on them.

All three examples above havesimilar designs with the letterM on the back.


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Coins (Post-Reform)

Coins changed around theyear 692CE, when 'Abd al-Malik ruled.

A new unified system wascreated based on three maincoin types: The dinar (gold),the dirham (silver) and thefals (copper).

The early designs andsymbols were replaced with

Arabic inscriptions, thedominant being the first partof the shahada: There is noGod but Allah. Original designs were replaced with

Arabic inscriptions.


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Glass

Glass (proto-Islamic) In the Early-Islamic period, glass was made

using the same methods as Roman-Byzantineglass. It is therefore hard to tell the differencebetween glass vessels from the two periods.

Pre-Abassid and Abbasid-Period)

o In the eighth century CE, Egyptianartisans discovered how to stain glasswith metallic stains.

o This became the most prominentcharacteristic of Early-Islamic glass inthe Near East.

o From the ninth century on (Abbasid-Period), the decoration of glass wasinfluenced by the Sassanian craftsmen.

o Glass was decorated either in relief or in

cold-cutting techniques, applied onmonochrome or colorless glass, or onvessels made of two layers of different-colored glass to create a cameo effect.

Glass was both free blown and blown into molds. There weretwo main categories of glass: Proto-Islamic and Abbasid-Period).

Glass vessel from

the Abbassid-Period


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Dome of the Rock

Constructed on the Temple Mountaround the foundation stone.

Built by Abd al-Malik. Completed in 691 CE. We know of its years of construction

and it's builder because of an

inscription that reads "Hath built thisdome the servant of Allah Abdallahthe Imam Al-Mamuncommander ofthe faithful dal malik c [] in theyear two and seventyAllah acceptof him."

The building is constructed in an

octagonal shape around the rock. A golden dome encloses the

building. The building is accessed by means

of four entranceways, facing thefour cardinal points in the externaloctagon.

Exterior of the Dome of the Rock

Interior of the Dome of the Rock


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Basic Layout of the Dome of theRock

Notice that on the insideof the intermediateoctagon is a centralcircle around the rock.

Also, note that there arefour entrances.


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Decoration of the Dome of the Rock

The motifs of the designs derivefrom classical-Byzantine and Sassaniantraditions. This references Islam's victory over

its neighbors. Although several changes and modifications

have been made to the building, it remainsvery similar to its original state.

The walls of both the interior and exteriorwere covered with glass mosaics.


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Mosaics

Mosaics covered the interior and exteriorwalls.

Most mosaics on the exterior weredestroyed over time.

The exterior of the intermediate octagonwas decorated in a floral design, derivedfrom the Sassanian tradition. It's primarycolors consist of blue, green, and gold.There is also some red, brown, andwhite. Above these mosaics areinscribed passages from the Qur`an.

The interior of the intermediate octagonhad very similar designs and used thesame colors as the exterior of theintermediate octagon.

The exterior of the central circle wasdecorated with scroll motifs groupedsymmetrically.

The interior of the central circle wascovered with marble panels.

Examples of mosaics on the exterior ofthe dome. Note how the primary colorsconsist of blue, green, and gold.


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Marble Decorations

The marble columns were ofthe same design as the onesconstructed during theSecond-Temple period.

Marble panels had originallycovered both the interior andexterior walls. The veins ofthese panels createdpatterns. Most of the exteriorpanels had been destroyed,but later repaired during theOttoman period.

Columns found in andaround the dome were verysimilar to those constructedduring the Second-Templeperiod.

Marble panelswere placedaround both theinterior and theexterior of theDome of theRock

early islamic art and architecture

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