What Element in the Painting Above Is Not Usually Seen in Persian Art?

Islamic Fine art

Islamic art encompasses visual arts produced from the seventh century onwards by culturally Islamic populations.

Learning Objectives

Identify the influences and the specific attributes of Islamic art

Key Takeaways

Key Points

• Islamic art is non fine art of a specific religion, time, identify, or of a single medium . Instead it spans some 1400 years, covers many lands and populations, and includes a range of creative fields including architecture, calligraphy , painting, drinking glass, ceramics , and textiles, among others.
• Islamic religious art differs from Christian religious art in that it is non-figural because many Muslims believe that the depiction of the human form is idolatry , and thereby a sin against God, forbidden in the Qur'an. Calligraphy and architectural elements are given important religious significance in Islamic art.
• Islamic art developed from many sources: Roman, early Christian fine art, and Byzantine styles ; Sassanian art of pre-Islamic Persia; Primal Asian styles brought by various nomadic incursions, and Chinese influences appear on Islamic painting, pottery , and textiles.

Key Terms

• Qu'ran: The central religious text of Islam, which Muslims believe to be the verbatim discussion of God (Standard arabic: Allah). It is widely regarded as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language.
• arabesque: A repetitive, stylized pattern based on a geometrical floral or vegetal design.
• idolatry: The worship of idols.
• monotheistic: Believing in a single god, deity, spirit, etc., peculiarly for an organized faith, religion, or creed.

Islam

Islam is a monotheistic and Abrahamic religion articulated by the Qur'an, a book considered past its adherents to exist the verbatim word of God (Allah) and the teachings of Muhammad , who is considered to be the last prophet of God. An adherent of Islam is called a Muslim.

Virtually Muslims are of two denominations: Sunni (75–ninety%),[vii] or Shia (10–20%). Its essential religious concepts and practices include the 5 pillars of Islam, which are basic concepts and obligatory acts of worship, and the following of Islamic constabulary, which touches on every aspect of life and society. The five pillars are:

1. Shahadah (belief or confession of religion)
2. Salat (worship in the grade of prayer)
3. Sawm Ramadan (fasting during the month of Ramadan)
4. Zakat (alms or charitable giving)
5. Hajj (the pilgrimage to Mecca at to the lowest degree in one case in a lifetime)

Islamic Art

Islamic art encompasses the visual arts produced from the seventh century onward by both Muslims and non-Muslims who lived inside the territory that was inhabited by, or ruled by, culturally Islamic populations. It is thus a very difficult fine art to ascertain because it spans some 1400 years, covering many lands and populations. This art is also not of a specific organized religion, time, place, or unmarried medium. Instead Islamic art covers a range of creative fields including architecture, calligraphy, painting, glass, ceramics, and textiles, among others.

Islamic art is not restricted to religious art, but instead includes all of the art of the rich and varied cultures of Islamic societies. It oftentimes includes secular elements and elements that are forbidden by some Islamic theologians. Islamic religious art differs greatly from Christian religious art traditions.

Considering figural representations are generally considered to be forbidden in Islam, the word takes on religious meaning in art as seen in the tradition of calligraphic inscriptions. Calligraphy and the ornament of manuscript Qu'rans is an important aspect of Islamic art as the discussion takes on religious and artistic significance.

Islamic architecture, such every bit mosques and palatial gardens of paradise, are likewise embedded with religious significance. While examples of Islamic figurative painting do exist, and may cover religious scenes, these examples are typically from secular contexts, such as the walls of palaces or illuminated books of poetry.

Other religious art, such equally glass mosque lamps, Girih tiles, woodwork, and carpets unremarkably demonstrate the same style and motifs as contemporary secular art, although they showroom more prominent religious inscriptions.

A calligraphic panel by Mustafa Râkim (late 18th–early on 19th century): Islamic fine art has focused on the delineation of patterns and Arabic calligraphy, rather than on figures, considering information technology is feared past many Muslims that the delineation of the man grade is idolatry. The console reads: "God, there is no god but He, the Lord of His prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the Lord of all that has been created."

Islamic art was influenced by Greek, Roman, early Christian, and Byzantine art styles, as well as the Sassanian fine art of pre-Islamic Persia. Central Asian styles were brought in with various nomadic incursions; and Chinese influences had a formative effect on Islamic painting, pottery, and textiles.

Themes of Islamic Art

At that place are repeating elements in Islamic art, such equally the employ of stylized , geometrical floral or vegetal designs in a repetition known as the arabesque . The arabesque in Islamic art is often used to symbolize the transcendent, indivisible and infinite nature of God. Some scholars believe that mistakes in repetitions may be intentionally introduced equally a bear witness of humility by artists who believe only God can produce perfection.

Arabesque inlays at the Mughal Agra Fort, India: Geometrical designs in repetition, know equally Arabesque, are used in Islamic art to symbolize the transcendent, indivisible, and space nature of God.

Typically, though not entirely, Islamic fine art has focused on the depiction of patterns and Arabic calligraphy, rather than man or creature figures, because it is believed by many Muslims that the delineation of the human form is idolatry and thereby a sin against God that is forbidden in the Qur'an.

However, depictions of the human form and animals can be found in all eras of Islamic secular art. Depictions of the human being grade in fine art intended for the purpose of worship is considered idolatry and is forbidden in Islamic law, known as Sharia law.

Islamic Compages

Islamic architecture encompasses a wide range of styles and the principal example is the mosque.

Learning Objectives

Draw the development of mosques, and their different features during dissimilar periods and dynasties

Fundamental Takeaways

Central Points

• A specifically recognizable Islamic architectural mode emerged soon after Muhammad's time that incorporated Roman building traditions with the addition of localized adaptations of the former Sassanid and Byzantine models.
• The Islamic mosque has historically been both a place of prayer and a customs coming together infinite . The early on mosques are believed to be inspired past Muhammad's dwelling house in Medina, which was the offset mosque.

Central Terms

• mosque: A place of worship for Muslims, respective to a church or synagogue in other religions, often having at to the lowest degree i minaret. In Arabic: masjid.
• mihrab: A semicircular niche in the wall of a mosque, that indicates the qibla (direction of Mecca), and into which the imam prays.
• minaret: The alpine slender tower of an Islamic mosque, from which the muezzin recites the adhan (call to prayer).

Islamic Architecture

Islamic architecture encompasses a wide range of both secular and religious styles. The principal Islamic architectural case is the mosque. A specifically recognizable Islamic architectural style emerged shortly afterward Muhammad's fourth dimension that incorporated Roman edifice traditions with the addition of localized adaptations of the former Sassanid and Byzantine models.

Early Mosques

The Islamic mosque has historically been both a place of prayer and a community coming together infinite. The early mosques are believed to be inspired by Muhammad's home in Medina, which was the first mosque.

The Bang-up Mosque of Kairouan (in Tunisia) is i of the best preserved and most significant examples of early slap-up mosques. Founded in 670, information technology contains all of the architectural features that distinguish early mosques: a minaret , a large courtyard surrounded by porticos , and a hypostyle prayer hall.

Dome of the mihrab (9th century) in the Great Mosque of Kairouan, likewise known as the Mosque of Uqba, in Kairouan, Tunisia: This is considered to exist the ancestor of all the mosques in the western Islamic world.

Ottoman Mosques

Ottoman mosques and other compages first emerged in the cities of Bursa and Edirne in the 14th and 15th centuries, developing from earlier Seljuk Turk architecture, with boosted influences from Byzantine, Persian, and Islamic Mamluk traditions.

Sultan Mehmed 2 would subsequently fuse European traditions in his rebuilding programs at Istanbul in the 19th century. Byzantine styles as seen in the Hagia Sophia served as especially important models for Ottoman mosques, such as the mosque constructed by Sinan.

Building reached its peak in the 16th century when Ottoman architects mastered the technique of building vast inner spaces surmounted by seemingly weightless withal incredibly massive domes , and achieved perfect harmony between inner and outer spaces, besides as articulated light and shadow.

They incorporated vaults , domes, square dome plans, slender corner minarets, and columns into their mosques, which became sanctuaries of transcendently aesthetic and technical balance, as may be observed in the Bluish Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey.

The Blueish Mosque, Istanbul, Turkey: The Blue Mosque represents the culmination of Ottoman construction with its numerous domes, slender minarets and overall harmony.

Architecture flourished in the Safavid Dynasty , attaining a high indicate with the building program of Shah Abbas in Isfahan, which included numerous gardens, palaces (such as Ali Qapu), an immense bazaar, and a large regal mosque. Isfahan, the capital  of both the Seljuk and Safavid dynasties, bears the well-nigh prominent samples of the Safavid compages, such every bit the the Imperial Mosque, which was constructed in the years afterward Shah Abbas I permanently moved the majuscule there in 1598.

Imperial Mosque, Isfahan, Iran: Isfahan, the capital of both the Seljuk and Safavid dynasties, bears the well-nigh prominent samples of the Safavid architecture.

Islamic Glass Making

Glassmaking was the almost important Islamic luxury art of the early Middle Ages.

Learning Objectives

Describe the art of Islamic glass

Primal Takeaways

Key Points

• Between the 8th and early 11th centuries, the emphasis in luxury glass was on furnishings achieved by manipulating the surface of the glass, initially past incising into the drinking glass on a wheel, and afterwards by cut away the background to leave a design in relief .
• Lustre painting uses techniques like to lustreware in pottery and dates back to the 8th century in Egypt; it became widespread in the 12th century.

Key Terms

• luxury arts: Highly decorative goods made of precious materials for the wealthy classes.
• glassmaking: The craft or industry of producing drinking glass.

Islamic Glass

For most of the Middle Ages , Islamic luxury glass was the most sophisticated in Eurasia , exported to both Europe and China. Islam took over much of the traditional glass-producing territory of Sassanian and Ancient Roman glass. Since figurative decoration played a pocket-size part in pre-Islamic drinking glass, the alter in style was not abrupt—except that the whole area initially formed a political whole, and, for example, Persian innovations were now nearly immediately taken up in Arab republic of egypt.

For this reason it is often impossible to distinguish between the diverse centers of production (of which Egypt, Syrian arab republic, and Persia were the nigh of import), except by scientific analysis of the fabric, which itself has difficulties. From various documentary references, glassmaking and drinking glass-trading seems to take been a specialty of the Jewish minority.

Between the 8th and early 11th centuries, the accent in luxury glass was on effects achieved by manipulating the surface of the drinking glass, initially past incising into the glass on a bicycle, and afterward by cutting away the background to go out a design in relief. The very massive Hedwig spectacles, but establish in Europe, merely normally considered Islamic (or mayhap from Muslim craftsmen in Norman Sicily), are an example of this, though they are puzzlingly late in date.

These and other drinking glass pieces probably represented cheaper versions of vessels of carved stone crystal (articulate quartz)—themselves influenced by earlier glass vessels—and there is some bear witness that at this menstruum glass and hard-stone cutting were regarded as the same craft. From the 12th century, the glass industry in Persia and Mesopotamia declined, and the master production of luxury glass shifted to Egypt and Syria. Throughout this period, local centers made simpler wares, such equally Hebron glass in Palestine.

The Luck of Edenhall: This is a 13th-century Syrian beaker, in England since the Middle Ages. For most of the Heart Ages, Islamic glass was the most sophisticated in Eurasia, exported to both Europe and China.

Lustre painting

Lustre painting, past techniques similar to lustreware in pottery, dates back to the 8th century in Egypt, and involves the application of metallic pigments during the glass-making process. Another technique used past artisans was ornamentation with threads of glass of a dissimilar color, worked into the main surface, and sometimes manipulated by combing and other effects.

Gilded, painted, and enameled glass were added to the repertoire, equally were shapes and motifs borrowed from other media , such as pottery and metalwork . Some of the finest work was in mosque lamps donated by a ruler or wealthy man.

As decoration grew more than elaborate, the quality of the basic glass decreased, and it oft exhibited bubbles and a brownish-xanthous tinge. Aleppo ceased to be a major centre afterwards the Mongol invasion of 1260, and Timur appears to accept concluded the Syrian glass industry around 1400 by carrying off the skilled workers to Samarkand. Past well-nigh 1500, the Venetians were receiving large orders for mosque lamps.

Some of the finest work was in mosque lamps donated by a ruler or wealthy human being. As ornament grew more elaborate, the quality of the bones drinking glass decreased, and information technology oftentimes exhibited bubbles and a dark-brown-xanthous tinge. Aleppo ceased to be a major center after the Mongol invasion of 1260, and Timur appears to take ended the Syrian industry effectually 1400 by carrying off the skilled workers to Samarkand. By nigh 1500, the Venetians were receiving large orders for mosque lamps.

Mosque lamp: Produced in Arab republic of egypt, c. 1360.

Islamic Calligraphy

Calligraphic design was omnipresent in Islamic fine art in the Eye Ages, and is seen in all types of art including architecture and the decorative arts.

Learning Objectives

Explicate the purpose and characteristics of Islamic calligraphy

Fundamental Takeaways

Fundamental Points

• In a religion where figural representations are considered an human activity of idolatry , it is no surprise that the give-and-take and its creative representation became an important aspect in Islamic art.
• The primeval class of Arabic calligraphy is Kufic script .
• Besides Quranic verses, other inscriptions include verses of poetry, and inscriptions recording ownership or donation.

Primal Terms

• Kufic script: The primeval class of Arabic calligraphy, noted for its angular form.
• calligraphy: The art of writing letters and words with decorative strokes.

In a faith where figural representations are considered an act of idolatry, it is no surprise that  the give-and-take and its artistic representation became an of import aspect in Islamic art. The virtually important religious text in Islam is the Quran, which is believed to be the discussion of God. There are many examples of calligraphy and calligraphic inscriptions pertaining to verses from the Quran in Islamic arts.

9th century Quran: This early on Quran demonstrates the Kufic script, noted for its angular form and equally the earliest form of Arabic calligraphy .

The earliest form of Arabic calligraphy is Kufic script, which is noted for its angular form.  Arabic is read from correct to left and only the consonants are written.  The blackness ink in the epitome above from a 9th century Quran marks the consonants for the reader.  The cerise dots that are visible on the folio notation the vowels.

All the same, calligraphic design is not limited to the book in Islamic art. Calligraphy is establish in several different types of art, such as architecture. The interior of the Dome of the Rock (Jerusalem, circa 691), for example, features calligraphic inscriptions of verses from the Quran besides equally from additional sources. As in Europe in the Middle Ages , religious exhortations such as Quranic verses may be included in secular objects, specially coins, tiles, and metalwork .

Interior view of the Dome of the Stone: The interior of The Dome of the Stone features many calligraphic inscriptions, from both the Quran and other sources; information technology demonstrates the importance of calligraphy in Islamic art and its use in several different media.

Calligraphic inscriptions were non exclusive to the Quran, but besides included verses of poetry or recorded ownership or donation. Calligraphers were highly regarded in Islam, which reinforces the importance of the word and its religious and artistic significance.

Islamic Book Painting

Manuscript painting in the tardily medieval Islamic world reached its height in Persia, Syria, Iraq, and the Ottoman Empire.

Learning Objectives

Talk over the origin and development of Islamic manuscript painting

Primal Takeaways

Central Points

• The art of the Persian book was born nether the Ilkhanid dynasty and encouraged by the patronage of aristocrats for large illuminated manuscripts .
• Islamic manuscript painting witnessed its first golden age in the 13th century when information technology was influenced past the Byzantine visual vocabulary and combined with Mongol facial types from 12th-century volume frontispieces.
• Under the rule of the Safavids in Islamic republic of iran (1501 to 1786), the art of manuscript illumination achieves new heights, in particular in the Shahnameh of Shah Tahmasp, an immense copy of Ferdowsi's epic poem that contains more than 250 paintings.
• The medieval Islamic texts called Maqamat were some of the earliest coffee-tabular array books and among the first Islamic fine art to mirror daily life.
• Masterpieces of Ottoman manuscript illustration include the two books of festivals, one from the end of the 16th century and the other from the era of Sultan Murad III.

Key Terms

• Mongols: An umbrella term for a big group of Mongolic and Turkic tribes united nether the rule of Genghis Khan in the 13th century.
• illuminated manuscripts: A book in which the text is supplemented by the add-on of decoration, such as decorated initials, borders (marginalia), and miniature illustrations.
• miniature: An illustration in an ancient or medieval illuminated manuscript.
• muraqqa: An anthology in book form containing Islamic miniature paintings and specimens of Islamic calligraphy, normally from several different sources, and perhaps other matter.
• Maqamat: The plural for Maqāma, an Arabic literary genre of rhymed prose with intervals of verse that often ruminates on spiritual topics.

Islamic Book Painting

Book painting in the late medieval Islamic world reached its height in Persia, Syria, Iraq, and the Ottoman Empire . The art form blossomed across the different regions and was inspired by a range of cultural reference points.

The evolution of volume painting start began in the 13th century, when the Mongols, under the leadership of Genghis Khan, swept through the Islamic world. Upon the death of Genghis Khan, his empire was divided among his sons and dynasties formed: the Yuan in Red china, the Ilkhanids in Iran, and the Golden Horde in northern Iran and southern Russia.

The Ilkhanids

The Ilkhanids were a rich civilization that developed under the little khans in Iran. Architectural activeness intensified as the Mongols became sedentary however retained traces of their nomadic origins, such as the north–south orientation of buildings. Farsi, Islamic, and E Asian traditions melded together during this menstruation and a process of Iranization took identify, in which construction co-ordinate to previously established types, such every bit the Iranian-programme mosques , was resumed.

The fine art of the Persian book was born under the Ilkhanid dynasty and encouraged past the patronage of aristocrats for large illuminated manuscripts, such as the Jami' al-tawarikh by Rashid-al-Din Hamadani. Islamic book painting witnessed its kickoff gilt age in the 13th century, mostly inside Syria and Republic of iraq.

Miniatures

The tradition of the Persian miniature (a small painting on newspaper) adult during this period, and it strongly influenced the Ottoman miniature of Turkey and the Mughal miniature in India. Because illuminated manuscripts were an art of the court, and not seen in public, constraints on the depiction of the human figure were much more relaxed and the human course is represented with frequency within this medium.

Influence from the Byzantine visual vocabulary (blueish and aureate coloring, angelic and victorious motifs, symbology of mantle) was combined with Mongol facial types seen in twelfth-century book frontispieces. Chinese influences in Islamic book painting include the early adoption of the vertical format natural to a book. Motifs such every bit peonies, clouds, dragons, and phoenixes were adapted from People's republic of china likewise, and incorporated into manuscript illumination.

Mongol soldiers, in Jami al-tawarikh by Rashid-al-Din Hamadani: The Jāmi al-tawārīkh is a work of literature and history, produced past the Mongol Ilkhanate in Persia. The breadth of the work has caused information technology to be called the showtime earth history and its lavish illustrations and calligraphy required the efforts of hundreds of scribes and artists.

The largest commissions of illustrated books were usually classics of Persian poetry, such as the Shahnameh. Under the rule of the Safavids in Iran (1501 to 1786), the fine art of manuscript illumination achieved new heights. The almost noteworthy case of this is the Shahnameh of Shah Tahmasp, an immense copy of Ferdowsi'due south epic poem that contains more than than 250 paintings.

The Courtroom of Gayumars, from the Shahnameh of Shah Tahmasp: Illuminated manuscripts of the Shahnameh were often commissioned by royal patrons.

Maqamat and Albums

The medieval Islamic texts chosen Maqamat that were copied and illustrated by Yahya ibn Mahmud al-Wasiti, were some of the earliest coffee-table books. They were among the commencement texts in Islamic fine art to concur a mirror to daily life, portraying humorous stories and showing little adherence to prior pictorial traditions.

In the 17th century a new type of painting developed based effectually the album (muraqqa). The albums were the creations of connoisseurs who spring together single sheets of paintings, drawings, or calligraphy by various artists; they were sometimes excised from earlier books and other times created every bit independent works.

The paintings of Reza Abbasi figure largely in this new grade of book art. The form depicts one or ii larger figures, typically idealized beauties in a garden setting, and oftentimes use the grisaille techniques previously used for background border paintings .

Mughal and Ottoman Manuscripts

The Mughals and Ottomans both produced lavish manuscripts of more recent history with the autobiographies of the Mughal emperors and purely war machine chronicles of Turkish conquests. Portraits of rulers developed in the 16th century, and after in Persia, where they became very popular.

Mughal portraits, normally in profile, are very finely drawn in a realist fashion , while the all-time Ottoman ones are vigorously stylized . Anthology miniatures typically featured picnic scenes, portraits of individuals, or (in Bharat especially) animals, or idealized youthful beauties of either sex.

Masterpieces of Ottoman manuscript illustration include the two books of festivals, one from the finish of the 16th century and the other from the era of Sultan Murad Iii. These books incorporate numerous illustrations and exhibit a strong Safavid influence, perhaps inspired past books captured in the form of the Ottoman–Safavid wars of the 16th century.

Islamic Ceramics

Islamic art has notable achievements in ceramics that reached heights unmatched past other cultures.

Learning Objectives

Discuss how developments such as tin-opacified glazing and stonepaste ceramics made Islamic ceramics some of the most avant-garde of its time

Key Takeaways

Key Points

• The first Islamic opaque glazes engagement to around the 8th century, and some other significant contribution was the development of stonepaste ceramics in 9th century Iraq.
• Lusterwares with iridescent colors were either invented or considerably developed in Persia and Syria from the 9th century onward.
• The techniques, shapes, and decorative motifs of Chinese ceramics were admired and emulated by Islamic potters, especially afterwards the Mongol and Timurid invasions.
• The Hispano–Moresque style emerged in the 8th century, with more than refined production happening afterward, presumably by Muslim potters working in areas reconquered by Christian kingdoms.

Key Terms

• Hispano–Moresque style: A fashion of Islamic pottery created in Al-Andaluz, or Muslim Spain, which continued to be produced nether Christian rule in styles that blended Islamic and European elements.
• lusterware: A blazon of pottery or porcelain having an irised metallic glaze.
• glaze: The vitreous coating of pottery or porcelain, or a transparent or semi-transparent layer of paint.
• ceramics: Inorganic, nonmetallic solids created past the action of heat and their subsequent cooling. Most common ceramics are crystalline and the earliest uses of ceramics were in pottery.

Islamic Ceramics

Islamic art has notable achievements in ceramics, both in pottery and tiles for buildings, which reached heights unmatched by other cultures . Early pottery had usually been unglazed, but a tin-opacified glazing technique was developed by Islamic potters. The outset Islamic opaque glazes tin can be found equally blue-painted ware in Basra, dating to around the 8th century.

Another significant contribution was the development of stonepaste ceramics, originating from 9th century Iraq. The kickoff industrial circuitous for glass and pottery production was built in Ar-Raqqah, Syria, in the 8th century. Other centers for innovative pottery in the Islamic world included Fustat (from 975 to 1075), Damascus (from 1100 to around 1600), and Tabriz (from 1470 to 1550).

Lusterware

Lusterware is a type of pottery or porcelain that has an irised metallic glaze. Luster first began as a painting technique in glassmaking , which was then translated to pottery in Mesopotamia in the 9th century.

10th century dish: Islamic art has very notable achievements in ceramics, both in pottery and tiles for walls, which reached heights unmatched past other cultures. This dish is from East Persia or Fundamental Asia.

The techniques, shapes, and decorative motifs of Chinese ceramics were admired and emulated past Islamic potters, particularly after the Mongol and Timurid invasions. Until the Early on Modern period, Western ceramics had niggling influence, simply Islamic pottery was highly sought afterward in Europe, and was often copied.

An example of this is the albarello, a type of earthenware jar originally designed to concord apothecary ointments and dry out drugs. The evolution of this type of pharmacy jar had its roots in the Islamic Middle East. Hispano–Moresque examples were exported to Italy, inspiring the earliest Italian examples, from 15th century Florence.

Hispano–Moresque Style

The Hispano–Moresque style emerged in Al-Andaluz, or Muslim Spain, in the eighth century, under Egyptian influence. More refined product happened much later, presumably by Muslim potters who worked in the areas reconquered by the Christian kingdoms.

The Hispano–Moresque style mixed Islamic and European elements in its designs and was exported to neighboring European countries. The style introduced ii ceramic techniques to Europe:

1. Glazing with an opaque white tin can-glaze.
2. Painting in metallic lusters.

Ottoman Iznik pottery produced well-nigh of the finest ceramics of the 16th century—tiles and large vessels boldly decorated with floral motifs that were influenced by Chinese Yuan and Ming ceramics. These were still in earthenware, since porcelain was not made in Islamic countries until modern times.

The medieval Islamic earth likewise painted pottery with brute and homo imagery . Examples are found throughout the medieval Islamic earth, particularly in Persia and Egypt.

Islamic Textiles

The well-nigh of import textile produced in the Medieval and Early on Modern Islamic Empires was the carpet.

Learning Objectives

Discuss the making and designs of Islamic textiles

Key Takeaways

Fundamental Points

• The production and trade of textiles pre-dates Islam , and had long been important to Middle Eastern cultures and cities, many of which flourished due to the Silk Road .
• When the Islamic dynasties formed and grew more powerful they gained command over cloth production in the region, which was arguably the about important craft of the era.

Key Terms

• fabric arts: The production of arts and crafts that use plant, animal, or synthetic fibers to create objects.

Islam and the Textile Arts

The textile arts refer to the production of arts and crafts that use plant, creature, or synthetic fibers to create objects. These objects tin be for everyday utilize, or they can be decorative and luxury items. The production and trade of textiles pre-dates Islam, and had long been important to Middle Eastern cultures and cities, many of which flourished due to the Silk Road.

When the Islamic dynasties formed and grew more powerful they gained control over fabric production in the region, which was arguably the virtually important craft of the era. The most important fabric produced in Medieval and Early Modern Islamic Empires was the carpet.

The Ottoman Empire and Carpeting Product

The art of carpet weaving was particularly important in the Ottoman Empire. The Ottoman state was founded by Turkish tribes in northwestern Anatolia in 1299 and became an empire in 1453 after the momentous conquest of Constantinople.

Stretching across Asia, Europe, and Africa, the Empire was vast and long lived, lasting until 1922 when the monarchy was abolished in Turkey. Within the Ottoman Empire, carpets were immensely valued as decorative effects and for their practical value . They were used not just on floors simply also as wall and door hangings, where they provided additional insulation.

These intricately knotted carpets were made of silk, or a combination of silk and cotton, and were often rich in religious and other symbolism. Hereke silk carpets, which were made in the coastal town of Hereke, were the most valued of the Ottoman carpets because of their fine weave. The Hereke carpets were typically used to furnish imperial palaces.

Rug and interior of the Harem room in Topkapi Palace, Istanbul: The Ottoman Turks were famed for the quality of their finely woven and intricately knotted silk carpets.

Persian Carpets

The Iranian Safavid Empire (1501–1786) is distinguished from the Mughal and Ottoman dynasties by the Shia faith of its shahs, which was the majority Islamic denomination in Persia. Safavid fine art is contributed to several artful traditions, especially to the fabric arts.

In the sixteenth century, carpet weaving evolved from a nomadic and peasant arts and crafts to a well-executed industry that used specialized design and manufacturing techniques on quality fibers such as silk. The carpets of Ardabil, for example, were commissioned to commemorate the Safavid dynasty and are now considered to be the best examples of classical Persian weaving, particularly for their use of graphical perspective.

Textiles became a big export, and Persian weaving became one of the most popular imported goods of Europe. Islamic carpets were a luxury particular in Europe and there are several examples of European Renaissance paintings that document the presence of Islamic textiles in European homes during that time.

The Ardabil Carpet, Persia, 1540: The Ardabil Carpeting is the finest example of 16th century Persian carpet production.

Indonesian Batik

Islamic textile production, notwithstanding, was not express to the carpet. Imperial factories were founded for the purpose of textile product that too included cloth and garments.

The evolution and refinement of Indonesian batik material was closely linked to Islam. The Islamic prohibition on certain images encouraged batik design to get more than abstract and intricate. Realistic depictions of animals and humans are rare on traditional batik, but serpents, puppet-shaped humans, and the Garuda of pre-Islamic mythology are all commonplace.

Although its existence in Indonesia pre-dates Islam, batik reached its high bespeak in the royal Muslim courts, such equally Mataram and Yogyakarta, whose Muslim rulers encouraged and patronized batik production. Today, batik has undergone a revival, and cloths are used for other purposes besides wearing, such as wrapping the Quran.

Javanese court batik: The development and refinement of Indonesian batik cloth was closely linked to Islam.

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Source: https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-arthistory/chapter/introduction-to-islamic-art/

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