ISLAMIC ART

Lecture 1A: Introduction to Islam

The Basic Components of Islamic Ornament

Sacred vs. Secular Art

2

THE ISLAMIC WORLD IN THE MEDIEVAL PERIOD

KEY CONCEPTS OF

ISLAM

• Islam: Submission to the

will of Allah

• Muhammad: the last

prophet of God

• Qur’an (Koran): the

sacred book of Islam;

revelation of God to

Muhammad from the

angel Jibril (Gabriel)

Opening folio of Volume 26 of the "Anonymous Baghdad Qur'an", (1206–

1353), A.H. 706 /A.D. 1306–7

Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper

FIVE PILLARS OF ISLAM

1. Shahada: Declaration of faith.

Monothesim.

2. Salat: Prayer is to be offered 5 times a day; On Fridays males must purify themselves and pray in the direction of Ka’ba from a Mosque.

3. Zakat: Tithes

4. Sawm: Fasting; To subjugate the body and spirit through abstinence of toxins during Ramadan, the ninth lunar month of the Muslim year.

5. Hajj: To undertake a pilgrimage to Mecca, the place of Muhammad’s birth, once in a lifetime.

1. Art does not show any divine figures or multiple gods; no human or animal figures in religious art in particular.

2. Mosques are a very important feature in a community; objects used in worship also beautiful..

3. Tithes used to support religious activities and art production in the communities.

4. Not associated with the visual arts.

5. Visit the Ka’ba, a holy shine and visual object in which the devoted can focus upon.

HAJJ: Masjid-al-Haram, the Sacred Mosque, and the Ka’ba. Mecca.

The Ka’ba. Mecca.

THE SECOND COMMANDMENT AND

SACRED ISLAMIC ART

• “Thou shalt not make to thyself a

graven thing (idol), not the likeness

of anything that is in heaven above,

or in the earth beneath, nor of those

things that are in the waters of the

Earth” (Exodus 20:4)

• Graven images: 2D or 3D

representations of God, humans, or

animals in religious art.

• What then can an Islamic artist

represent in a sacred context?

Mosque lamp,

16th century; Ottoman Empire

VEGETAL PATTERNS…

Folio from the Kevorkian

Album, ca. 1540

Bukhara, Uzbekistan

Calligraphy signed by Mir cAli

Haravi

Ink, gold, and colors on paper

Fragmentary loom width with wavy-

vine pattern, Ottoman period (ca. 1299–

1923), ca. 1565–80

Turkey, probably Istanbul

Silk, metal-wrapped thread

CALLIGRAPHY….

Mihrab (prayer niche), Ilkhanid period (1206–

1353), A.H. 755 / A.D. 1354–55. Iran,

Mosaic of polychrome-glazed cut tiles on stonepaste body; set

into mortar

Folio from a Qur’an on vellum, 9th

century. Fig. 2.13

GEOMETRIC PATTERNS…

THE SACRED ART OF ISLAM: TERMS TO KNOW

• Combination of vegetal patterns, calligraphy, and geometric patterns is often called arabesques.

• Aniconic: without icons. Terms used to describe art that prohibits representation of the human figure.

LUSTER-PAINTED BOWL. HISPANO-MORESQUE, SPAIN. C. 1400. HEIGHT 5-1/2", DIAMETER 17-4/5".

• What is the opposite of something that is sacred?

• Secular: pertaining to worldly things, the opposite of

that which is spiritual or religious.

THE SECULAR ART OF ISLAM

• Early Islamic rulers established large political Empires.

• Art was used to decorate palaces, record historical events, illustrate stories, and underscore political power.

• Secular Islamic art was oftentimes figurative.

Sultan-Muhammad, the Court of

the Gayumars, from the

Shahnama. Ink and gold on paper,

13”x9”. 1525-35. Fig. 2.20

How has the artist focused our

attention onto Gayumars?

AFTER LECTURE 1A YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO:

• Define the key concepts of Islam.

• Explain how the second commandment impacted the form and appearance of Islamic religious art.

• Distinguish between the three types ornament found in sacred Islamic art.

• Define secular and the types of subjects seen in secular Islamic art.

• Identify the types of media that Islamic artists were known for throughout the western and non-western worlds.