Flask with Zodiac Medallions First half of 14th century with additions from the first half of the 20th century Kashan, Iran Stonepaste, glaze, gilded Metropolitan Museum of Art This uniquely shaped pilgrim flask features the twelve zodiac signs, modeled in relatively large medallions and glazed with dark blue. The shape of the flask is […]
Inkwell
Inkwell Eastern Iraq of Afghanistan. c. 1200 Bronze inlaid with silver and copper The David Collection, Denmark The small cylindrical inkwell is decorated with a thick band of figural and interlaces decoration, made out of bronze and copper with inlaid silver. Around the sides there is small, faux-handle like rosebuds that peel off at […]
Pen-Box
Pen-Box Mosul, Iraq, 1230-1250 Silver, copper, brass British Museum The decoration encompasses the entire surface area of the slender rectangular pen-box from Mosul, Iraq. The copper, brass and silver inlay pen-box was made around 1230-1250. Lifting up the small latch that holds the lid shut reveals multiple compartments. A large […]
The Vaso Vescovali
The Vaso Vescovali Khurasan, Iran. 1200 Silver and bronze British Museum The Vaso Vescovali is an extravagantly decorated lidded bowl made out of tin bronze and inlaid with silver. The bowl and lid were made somewhere in Iran, most likely in the Khurasan province around 1200. The decoration is arranged in a series of […]
Bowl With Astronomical and Courtly Motifs
Bowl With Astronomical and Courtly Motifs Islamic Late 12th – early 13th century Attributed to Central or Northern Iran The Metropolitan Museum of Art When you look at the Bowl with Courtly and Astronomical Motifs, it is as if you are entering into another exotic world. This bowl was most likely created in Central […]
Roxburgh Persian Manuscripts
In Roxburgh’s discussion of Persian manuscripts he addresses the issue of comparing the authorship of Western post-Renaissance art and the works of Persian manuscript painter, Bizhad. In western art we often identify authorship with a certain style that is almost always used by an artist. For example artwork made by one painter can always use […]
Abbasid Ceramics
The curators of the on-line Abbasid exhibition claim that, “It is not until the Abbasid period that a distinct type and style of ceramic ware emerged that can be distinguished technically as ‘Islamic’.” I believe that the ceramics featured in the exhibition support this claim. The exhibition shows multiple different types of ceramics from the […]
Oleg Grabar
I agree with most of Grabar’s statement, “This point is important in defining an essential aspect of early Islamic culture, the conscious attempt to relate meaningfully to the conquered world, by Islamizing forms and ideas of old” (68-69). There are multiple examples of Islamic art that uses different characteristics, styles and artistic motifs that were […]
Umayyad Architecture
The online exhibit on the art and architecture of the Umayyads states that the art is a combination of different art styles and motifs from other cultural traditions. The exhibit combines a brief paragraph on the historical background of the period and pictures of different buildings, artistic motifs, and objects such as pottery. The art […]