Basin with Zodiac signs and royal titles Late 13th early 14th century, Egypt or Syria, Brass; engraved and inlaid with silver and black compound. On display at the Metropolitan Museum (91.1.553) Dimensions: Height 4/1/2 in. (11.4 cm) Diameter 12 ¾ in. (32.4 cm) Originally part of a set with a matching ewer, this basin is lavishly […]
Celestial Globe
Celestial Globe, 1430-1431, brass engraved with silver inlay, Muhammad ibn Jafar ibn Umar al-Asturlabi, Iran. Currently in the collection of the British Museum (1896.0323.1) This Celestial Globe made of brass and engraved with silver inlay is an excellent example of early celestial globes produced in the style of Al-Battani’s first globes, which were not used as […]
Dial from an astronomical instrument
Dial from an astronomical instrument, 17th century, copper engraved, punched and gilded, Iran. Currently on display at the Victoria & Albert Museum (1577-1904) Presumed to have originally been part of an astrological clock, this dial was once the base upon which three dials were affixed in order for the instrument to operate. Astrological clocks were […]
Candlestick
Candlestick, 1200-1250, cast brass engraved and silver inlay, Iran. Currently in the collection of the Victoria & Albert Museum (775-1892) Made out of cast brass and decorated with engravings and silver inlay, this 13th century candlestick depicts the twelve signs of the zodiac in roundels surrounded by various bands of inscription in naskh script. The […]
Bronze Box
Box, 12th century, Islamic, Bronze and Copper inlay, Khurasan found in Iran. Currently in the collection of The British Museum (1967,0724.1) This cylindrically shaped box and matching lid with slightly flared top and base measuring roughly 9” in diameter is cast in bronze and decorated with engraving and copper inlay. The box’s decoration consists of […]
Roxburgh Persian Manuscripts
Roxburgh discusses authorship in reference to identifying Bihzad’s works in the lens that is typically used in the context of Western post-Renaissance art. He points out many reasons why it is ineffective and honestly quite inappropriate to use these sets of standards when in reference to Persianate painting as many of their criteria don’t even […]
Basin with Zodiac signs and royal titles
Tessa Sarr • ARTH 275 • 02/09/2017 Basin with Zodiac signs and royal titles Late 13th–early 14th century, Egypt or Syria, Brass; engraved and inlaid with silver and black compound. Dimensions: Height 4/1/2 in. (11.4 cm) Diameter 12 ¾ in. (32.4 cm), Accession Number 91.1.553. Currently on display in Gallery 453 of The Metropolitan Museum. […]
Abbasid Ceramics
“It is not until the Abbasid period that a distinct type and style of ceramic ware emerged that can be distinguished technically as ‘Islamic’.” The curators argue their point by illustrating the shift from pre-Islamic characteristics in art and more specifically ceramics to the style that we today consider to be “Islamic.” First discussing the […]
Oleg Grabar
“The 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 ideals of old,” (68-69). I agree with Grabar’s argument which I think he strongly illustrates with his closing statement being that “one aspect of early Islamic art – […]
Umayyad Architecture
This claim that “Umayyad art is a combination of decorative styles and motifs drawn from different artistic traditions,” makes a lot of sense in the context of Islamic art, as we have seen comes in many different shapes and forms and often eludes being described by a single characteristic or tendency. In a broader sense, […]
The Message
What first struck me as a defining factor of the film The Message was the fact that essentially the main character, Muhammad, was not visually depicted given filmmaker’s respect for the Islamic tradition which forbids any direct representation of any religious figures. When this was stated in the opening credits of the film I was […]