Arts of Islam

The term arts of Islam indicates the istic production Art having taken place since the Hégire (622 of the Christian era) until the 19th century in a territory extending from the Spain until the India and having lived by populations of culture Islamique.

Islamic art presents a certain stylistic unit due to the displacement of the artists, tradesmen, silent partners and works. The use of a common writing in everyone Islamic and the particular development of the Calligraphie reinforce this idea of unit. Of another elements were emphasized, like the attention paid to decorative and the importance of the geometry and the papering decorations. However, great diversity of the forms and the decorations, according to the countries and the times, often brings to speak more “arts of Islam” that about a “Islamic art”. For Oleg Grabar, the art of Islam can be defined besides only by “a series of attitudes with respect to the process even of artistic creation”.

In architecture, buildings with the specific functions, like Mosque S and Madrasa S, are created in very varied forms but according to often the same basic diagram. If there almost does not exist art of the sculpture, the work of the objects of metal, ceramic Ivoire or frequently reaches a great technical perfection. It is also necessary to underline the presence of a Peinture and a Enluminure present in the crowned and profane books.

Islamic art is not an art properly religieux : Islam is considered here with a capital letter, like a civilization and not like a religion. Contrary to an generally accepted idea, it exists human, animal representations there and even of the Prophète : those are banished only in the religious places or works (mosques, madrasas, Coran S), in spite of some exceptions.

Note: except exception, the terms “Iran” and “Syria” or “Palestine” indicate the Grand Iran (which gathers the Iran, is Iraq, the Ouzbékistan, part of the Turkmenistan, Afghanistan and current Pakistan) and the Grande Syria (Actual positions of Syria, Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, west of the Iraq - Jezirah-)

History of Islamic art

Beginnings of Islamic art (7th-9th centuries)

Before the dynasties

One knows few things on architecture before the dynasty of the Omeyyades. The first and the most important Islamic building are undoubtedly the “Maison of the Prophet” located at Médine. This house, more or less mythical, would have been the first place where Moslems would have gathered to request, although the Islamic religion considers that the prayer can be done in any place.

The house of the Prophet is of considerable importance for Islamic architecture, in the sense that it installs the prototype of the mosque of plane Arabic : a court with a hypostyle room of prayer. This diagram, adapted to the prayer, is not born from nothing: the temple of Husa (Yemen, second century BC) or the synagog of Doura Europos (renovated into 245) could be the inspirers about it. Built out of perishable materials (wood and cob), the house of the prophet did not survive a long time but is described in detail in the Arab sources. The Grande mosque of Médine currently rises on its supposed site.

The first Islamic objects are very difficult to distinguish from the former objects, Byzantine Sassanides and , or already Omeyyades. Indeed, Islam is born indeed in areas where art seems not very abundant but to be surrounded by remarkable empires by their artistic production. This is why, in the first times, the Islamic artists use the same techniques and the same reasons as their neighbors. One knows in particular an abundant production of Céramique not glaçurée, as famous a small bowl preserved at the Musée testifies some to the Louvre whose inscription ensures its dating during the Islamic time. This bowl comes from one from the only archeological sites which makes it possible to follow the passage between pre-Islamic world and islamique : that of Suse in Iran.

Art omeyyade

detailed Article : historical Art omeyyade

Period : Caliphate of the Omeyyades of Damas

major Monuments and works : Dome of the Rock, Large mosque of Omeyyades

Under the Omeyyades, the religious architecture and civil develops with the installation of new concepts and new plans. Thus, the Arab plan, with court and room of hypostyle prayer, becomes truly a plan-type starting from construction, with the site more crowned city of Damas - on the old temple of Jupiter and in the place of the basilica Midsummer's Day Baptiste - Grande mosque of Omeyyades. This major building will be used as reference mark to the builders (and to the historians of art) for the birth of the Arab plan. Nevertheless, recent work of Myriam Rosen-Ayalon seems to indicate that the Arab plan was born a little front, with the first state into hard of mosque Al-Aqsa in Jerusalem.

The cupola of the Rock to Jerusalem is without question one of the most important buildings of all the Islamic Architecture, marked by a strong Byzantine influence (mosaic at gold bottom, centered plan which points out that of the the Holy Sepulchre) but already comprising purely Islamic elements like the large plank of inscription. Its model however did not essaimé, and that which Oleg Grabar regards as “the first monument which wanted to be a major esthetic creation of Islam” remained without posterity.

The Châteaux of the desert of Palestine offer to us as for them many information on the civil architecture and military, though their exact function is subjected to guarantee: Caravanserai S, vacation resorts, strengthened residences, palate with political aimings, allowing the meeting enters the wandering caliph and tribes? The specialists have evil to slice, and it seems besides that their use varied according to the site. Anjar was thus a whole city, which still informs us on a type of town planning very near to ancient Rome, with cardo and decumanus, like Ramla.

In addition to architecture, the craftsmen work a ceramic , often not glaçurée, sometimes with green or yellow transparent glaze monochromic, as well as the metal. There remains very delicate to differentiate these objects from those of the pre-Islamic period, the craftsmen re-using of the Western elements (rinceaux plants, sheets of acanthuses, etc) and Sassanides (reasons for wings which takes again those of the helmets).

In architecture as in movable arts, the artists and craftsmen umayyades do not invent a new vocabulary but re-use readily that of Mediterranean and Iranian late Antiquity, that they adapt to their design artistic by replacing for example in the large mosque of Damas the figurative elements of the Byzantine mosaics which are used as models by trees and cities. The “castles of the desert” testify particularly to these loans. By mixing the traditions and by rehabilitating reasons and elements for architecture, they create little by little a palpable typically Moslem art in particular in the esthetics of the arabesque, presents as well on the monuments as the objects or in Corans enluminés.

Abbasid art

detailed Article : Abbasid Art

historical Period : Caliphate of the Abbasid

With the displacement of the centers of being able towards the east, two cities which are used successively as capitals enter on the front of the scène : Baghdad and Samarra in Iraq. The town of Baghdad could not be excavated, because it is covered by the contemporary houses. One knows it by several sources, which describe it like a round city, in the center of which large mosque and palates rise. Samarra, as for it, was the subject of several excavation campaigns, in particular by Ernst Herzfeld and more recently, Alastair Northedge. Created almost ex-nihilo by Al-Mutasim in 836, it extends on about thirty kilometers, and comprises at the same time many palates, two large mosques and quarterings. Given up definitively with died of Al-Mutamid in 892, it offers a reliable chronological stake.

Samarra provided a great number of furniture, in particular of the Stuc S which were used as architectural decoration, and whose reasons allow the dating of the buildings more or less and are found in movable art from Egypt tulunide as far as Iran, in particular in wood.

The art of ceramics knows as for him two innovations majeures : the invention of the Earthenware and that of the metal gloss which will be found a long time after the disappearance of the dynastie.
In Islam, one names “earthenware” a ceramics with argillaceous paste, covered with a glaze opacified with the Oxyde of tin, and decorated on glaze. The Chinese porcelain imitations multiply then, thanks to Oxide cobalt, used as of the 8th century with Suse and which allows blue and white decorations. The repertory of reasons remains rather restricted: vegetable reasons, epigraphy.

The metal gloss, when with him, would have been born at the 9th century, perhaps by ceramics transposition of an already existing product in glass. The chronology of this invention, and the first centuries, is very delicate and gives place to multiple controversies. The first glosses would be polychrome, completely aniconic, then would become figurative and monochromic as from the 10th century, if one believes of it the opinion most usually allowed, which partly bases on the mihrab mosque of Kairouan.

Glass, transparency or opaque, also are produced, decorated by blowing in a mould, or additions of elements. One knows several examples of cut glass, of which most famous is undoubtedly the bowl with the hares , preserved at the treasure of Saint-Marc of Venice, and of the architectural decorations in this material were put at the day with Samarra.

The medieval period (9th-15th century)

As of the 9th century, the Abbasid capacity is disputed in the most moved back provinces of the Iraqi center. It is the creation of a Shiite caliphate rival, that of the Fatimide S, follow-up of that of Omeyyades of Spain which gives body to this opposition while small dynasties of autonomous governors are born in Iran.

Spain and the Maghreb

detailed Articles : Art of Omeyyades of Spain, Art almoravide and almohade, Art nasride, Art mérinide and hafside

historical Periods : Caliphate of Cordoue, Time of the taifas, Sultanate S of the Almoravides and the Almohades, Nasrides, Mérinides and Hafsides

major Monuments and works : Large mosque of Cordoue, mosque Koutoubia, Alhambra

The first dynasty which settles in Spain (or Al-Andalus ) is that of Omeyyades of Spain. As its name indicates it, this line goes down from that of large Omeyyades of Syria, decimated at the 9th century. It is replaced after its fall by various autonomous kingdoms, the Reyes de Taifas (1031 - 1091) but the artistic production at this period does not differ basically after this political change. At the end of the 11th century, two tribes Berbères take successively the head of the the Maghreb and Spain, then into full Reconquista : Almoravides and Almohades which bring Maghrebian influences in Article Cependant, conquered little by little by the Christian kings, Islamic Spain finishes, at the 14th century, by being reduced to the town of Grenade with the dynasty Nasride which manages to be maintained until in 1492.

In the Maghreb, they are Mérinides which takes again the torch almohade starting from 1196. Since their capital of Fès, they take part in many military forwardings both in Spain and in Tunisia of which they cannot however dislodge Hafsides, a small firmly established dynasty. Mérinides see being able to them to decrease as from the 15th century and are definitively replaced by the Sharif S in 1549. Hafsides undergo as for them the conquest of the Turks Othoman S in 1574.

Al-Andalus is a place of field crop at the medieval period. In addition to large universities as that of Averroès which allow the diffusion of philosophies and unknown sciences of the western world, this territory is also very plentiful for Article One thinks obviously, in architecture, with the Grande mosque of Cordoue but it should not occult other achievements like the Bab Mardum of Tolède or the califale city of Madinat Al-Zahra. At the other end of the period, one finds in particular the palates of the Alhambra in Grenade. Several features characterize the Spanish architecture, of which the shapes of arcs: those in semicircular arch derive from even Roman models wisigothic, but multifoil, also the very used ones, seem more typical Islamic period. The treatment of the Mihrab as a small part is also a feature rather characteristic of Spain.

Among the techniques which are then employed for the clothes industry of the objects, the ivory is very much used for the clothes industry of boxes and boxes. The Pyxide of Al-Mughira in is a chief of work, which presents many scenes illustrated in the delicate iconography to interpret.

Large sculptures in the round, usually rather rare out of ground of Islam, is born also. Out of metal, they are used as Aquamanile S or of mouths of stone fountains, they support for example the fountain with the lions of Alhambra.

The fabrics, Silk trade S in particular, are mainly exportés ; one finds some much in the Western treasures of churches, wrapping the bones of the saints characters. Out of ceramics, the “traditional techniques” are controlled, in particular the metal gloss, used on squares, or in the series of the vases of Alhambra . Starting from the reign of the Maghrebian dynasties, one notes also a taste for the work of wood, carved and peint : the minbar of the Kutubiyya mosque in Marrakesh, gone back to 1137, is one of the best examples.

The architecture of North Africa is ignored enough for lack of research since the Décolonisation. The dynasties almoravides and almohades, which imports innovations into Spain, are characterized by a search for austerity which shows through for example in mosques with the naked walls. The dynasties mérinides and hafsides sponsor an architecture important but very ignored and a remarkable work on wood painted, carved and encrusted.

Egypt and Syria

detailed Articles : Art fatimide, Art of Egypt and Syria of Fatimides to the Mamelukes, Art Mameluke and Architecture mamelouke

historical Periods : Caliphate of the Fatimides to Kairouan and the Cairo, Ayyoubides, sultanate Mameluke

major Monuments and works : Ewer with the birds, Baptistry of saint Louis

Reigning in Egypt between 909 and 1171, the dynasty Fatimide is one of the rare dynasties Shiite of the Islamic world. Born in Ifriqiya in 909, it arrives in Egypt in 969, where it founds the city califale Cairo, at the north of Fustat, which remains a great economic center. The dynasty gives birth to an important religious architecture and layman, of which remains in particular the mosques Al-Azhar and Al-Hakim, as well as the walls of Cairo realized by vizier Badr Al-Jamali. It is also at the origin of a rich person production of objets d'art in materials more divers : wood, ivory, ceramics glossed and painted under glaze, goldsmithery, metals encrusted, opaque glasses, and especially, rock crystal. Many craftsmen are then Christians, coptes, as many works with Christian iconography testify some. Besides those constitute the religious majority under the particularly tolerant reign of Fatimides. Art is characterized by a rich iconography, which exploits much the figure human and animal, in representations animated, which tend to be released from the elements purely decorative, like the ocelles ones in glossed ceramics. It grows rich, as well techiquement as stylistiquement, by its commercial contacts with the cultures of the Mediterranean basin, and as a paticulier Byzance. The Fatimide dynasty is in addition one of only which gives place to a sculpture in round bump, often out of bronze.

At the same moment, in Syria, atabegs, i.e. the Arab governors of the princes seldjoukides, assume the capacity. Very independent, they exploit the enmities between the princes Turkish and support the installation of the cross mainly frank. In 1171, Saladin seizes Egypt fatimide, putting on the Egyptian throne a transitory dynasty ayyoubide. This period is not very ostentation for architecture, which does not prevent the repair and the improvement of defenses of the city of Cairo. The production of valuable articles does not stop therefore. The ceramics glossed or painted under glaze, and the metal encrusted with great quality continue to be produced and enamelled glass makes its appearance as of the last quarter of the 12th century, in a series of goblets and bottles in particular.

The Mamelouks seize the power in Ayyoubides of Egypt in 1250 and manage in 1261 to be essential in Syria, by beating the Mongols. It is not a question strictly speaking of a dynasty, since the sovereigns do not reign of father in fils : indeed, the Mamelukes are slaves freed Turkish which do without (in theory) the capacity between comrades stamping. This paradoxical government will perdurera nearly three centuries, until in 1517, and will give place to plentiful a stone architecture, made up of great complexes sultaniens or émiraux, in particular in Cairo. Decoration is in general carried out by stone incrustations of various colors, according to the technique of the ablaq, like by an important work on the wood, inlaid in radiant geometrical reasons. The patronage also goes on enamelled glass and, especially, encrusted metal: it is of this period that date the Baptistère of saint Louis, one of the Islamic objects most famous, signed of the dinandier Muhammad ibn Al-Zayn.

Iran and Central Asia

In Iran and in the North of the India, they are the Tahirides, the Samanides, the Ghaznavides and the Ghurides which dispute the capacity at the 10th century. Art is then an average essence to continue vis-a-vis its neighbor. Big cities are created like Nichapur or Ghazna and the current version of the Grande mosque of Ispahan is born. Funerary architecture develops while the potters create parts very different from/to each other with kaleidoscopic decorations on yellow bottom, from the marbled decorations, i.e. made up of run-outs of Glaçure S coloured, or of slip on Engobe under glaze.

Nomads of Turkish origin (i.e. of current Mongolia), the Seldjoukides break on the Islamic world towards the end of the 10th century. They seize Baghdad in 1048 and die out in 1194 in Iran, although the production of object éponymes date completion 12th and beginning of the 13th century and was thus carried out for independent sovereigns, smaller. It is under Seldjoukides that for the first time the plane Iranian appears. The techniques of the ceramics haftrang on siliceous pastes and the noble metal incrustations in the objects out of bronze are also given to the mode by craftsmen of this period.

With 13th, a new wave of invaders coming from Central Asia falls down on the Islamic world, going up to the doors of Vienna : they are the Mongolian under the direction of their chief Gengis Khan. With died of this one, its empire is divided between its sons and several branches créent : in China the dynasty of Yuan, in Iran that of the Houlagides or It-khanides while in the North of Iran are the nomads of the Horde of Gold .

It-khanides

detailed Article : It-khanides.

Under these “small khans” in the beginning submitted to the Yuan emperor but quickly independent, a rich person civilization develops. The architectural activity intensifies as the Mongols sédentarisent themselves and remains more or less marked by the traditions of the nomads, which proves the North-South orientation of the buildings. One notes however an important persianisation and the resumption of the types already established like the Iranian plan. The tomb of Oldjaïtou to Soltaniyeh is one of the largest monuments and most impressive of Iran but of many destruction are unfortunately to regret. It is as under this dynasty as from the Persan book through large manuscripts like the Jami Al-tawarikh ordered by the vizier Aldine Rashid is born art. Novel methods appear out of ceramics, in particular that of the lajvardina, and one notes Chinese influences in all arts.

The Horde of Gold

detailed Articles : Horde of Gold, Art of autonomous Iran before Seljoukides, Art of Saljukides of Iran, Art of Mongolian Iran, Art timuride.

historical Periods : Sultanate seldjoukide, Horde of Gold , Empire timuride.

The art of these nomads is extremely badly known. The researchers, who hardly start to be interested in it, discovered that there was a town planning and an architecture in these areas. An important goldsmithery also develops whose majority of the parts show a strong Chinese influence. Preserved at the Museum of the Hermitage of Saint-Petersbourg, they only start to be studied.

It is a third invasion of nomads, that of the troops of Tamerlan, which founds the third great medieval period iranienne&nbp;: that of the Timurides. The development at the 15th century of this dynasty will give place to the apogee of the art of the Persan book, in particular with painters like Behzad, and of many hearths and patrons. Persan architecture and town planning, through the monuments of Samarkand in particular, also know a golden age. The ceramics decorations, the vaults of Muqarnas are particularly impressive. One notes a strong influence of the art of the book and China in all the other fields. It is partly the period timuride which gives its cohesion to the Iranian art allowing later its rise in the great empire Séfévide.

Anatolia

detailed Articles : Art of Saljukides of Anatolia, Art turkmene, Art of Anatolia turkmene and the first Othomans.

historical Periods : Sultanate seldjoukide, Ottoman Empire.

Continuing on their impetus, the Turks seldjoukides continued their conquests until in Anatolia. After the Battle of Manzikert in 1071, they constitute a sultanate independent of that of their Iranian cousins. Their capacity seems to die out as of 1243 after the Mongolian invasions but of the currencies are struck on their behalf until in 1304. Architecture and the objects synthesize various styles, as well Iranian as Syrian, often making attributions delicate. Wood is a major art and one knows a single illustrated manuscript going back to this time.

The Turkmènes, which nomadisent in the area of the Lake Van, are very badly known. One however owes them several mosques like the blue Mosquée of Tabriz and they will have a decisive influence as much in Anatolia after the fall of Seldjoukides de Rum that in Iran, during the Timuride dynasty. Indeed, as from the 13th century, it Anatolia is dominated by small dynasties turkmenes which settle, adapting the Byzantine territory gradually. Little by little, a dynasty émerge : that of the Othomans, whom one calls 1453 “first Othomans” before . The patronage is exerted then mainly in architecture where a research appears on the unification of space by the use of cupolas. Out of ceramics also are posed the stakes of what will become art Othoman itself with the “ceramics of Milet” and the first blue-and-white Anatolian.

India

detailed Article : Art of India of the sultanates.

historical Period : Sultanate of Delhi.

The India, conquered by the Ghaznévides and the Ghurides at the 9th century, becomes autonomous only starting from 1206 when Muizzî, or king-slaves, seizes the power, marking the birth of the Sultanat of Delhi. Later, other competitor sultanates are born with the Bengal, with the Cachemire, the Gujarat, Jawnpur, the Mâlvâ and in the North of the Deccan (Bahmanides). They move away little by little from the traditions Persians, giving rise to an architecture and a town planning originals tinted of syncretism with Hindu art. The production of objects is almost not studied at present but an important art of the book is known. The period of the sultanates is completed with the arrival of the Moghol S which seize all the area little by little.

The three empires (15th-19th centuries)

Othomans

detailed Article : Art of the Ottoman Empire.

historical Period : Ottoman Empire.

The Ottoman Empire, born at the 14th century, will continue until the shortly after the First World War. Very wide in time and space, this empire has an art prolifique : at the same time a plentiful architecture, a mass production of ceramics (ceramics of Iznik in particular), an important activity joaillière and an art of the exceptional book to the multiple influences. Many exchanges with the Eastern countries (Iran, China) but especially Western, in particular Venice, take place at that time.

The Othoman plan of the mosques is at the same time inspired by the plan of the church Holy-Sophie that the Moslems discover after the conquest of the city by Mehmet II and by former research of the first Othomans. It is necessary to announce in particular the figure of the architect Sinan, who lived extremely a long time (approximately hundred years), and carried out several hundreds of buildings.

In the art of the book, one can announce for example both books of the festivals created, one at the end of the 16th century, the other for the sultan Murad III, and which comprise many illustrations. The miniatures are extremely influenced by Iran Séfévide, known after the catch of many objects like spoils of war at the beginning of the 16th century, and the arrival of several paintings Iranian.

The Othomans are also the first to obtain a bright red, known as “red of Iznik”, out of ceramics. The appearance of this color, very particular by its relief, intervenes about 1557 as a lamp of the Suleymaniyyé mosque proves it, currently preserved at the Victoria and Albert Museum of London.

Moghols

detailed Article : Architecture moghole and Art moghol.

historical Period : Empire moghol.

The Moghols reign in India between 1526 and 1858, moment when the Britanniques seize the country to make a protectorate of it. Architecture is put at the honor with the final installation of the moghol plan for the mosques, the creation of famous the Taj Mahal and the art of the jewelry and the work of the hard stones like the Jade. Several series of hard stone daggers, like those with head of horse, are in particular carried out. The installation of particular techniques of goldsmithery, like the kundan, allows fine incrustations, like the rubies, the emeralds and diamonds, which form floral reasons in general.

Under the reign of Humayun, an art of the book is born under the cane of Persan artists who return with him of exile. But one sees there for the first time a strong Western influence due to use of the prospect and the inspiration for European engravings. Hindu features are also found, in particular in the provincial centers.

One can also announce the invention of the bidri, a technique allowing to create pieces of metal, boxes with bétel, “spittoons”, bases of huqqa at the black bottom very chechmate, which contrast with brilliant reasons of money and gold.

Séfévides and Kadjars

detailed Articles : Art safavide and Art kadjar.

historical Periods : Séfévides, Dynasty Kadjar

Iran, between Moghols and the Othomans, resists after a fashion with at its head a dynasty of Chi' ites Duodécimains which perdure of 1501 with 1786. Art séfévide sees little by little a strong evolution of ceramics and art of the metal which, as of the medium of XVIe century, is not encrusted any more with precious substances but with coloured pastes. Certain specialists speak even about decline in art about metal in XVIe century. The Chinese porcelains, very appreciated, lead to imitations in blue and white with reasons very sinicizing which develop in addition in the art of the book and that of the carpet. A flourishing architecture is set up and a new city with Ispahan is created by Shah' Abbas : it contains many gardens, palates of pleasure like the Ali Qapu, immense a Bazar and large the Mosquée of the Shah.

The art of the book reaches tops with in particular the Grand Shah Nama de Shah Tahmasp , an immense manuscript containing more than 250 paintings. At the 17th century, a new type of painting développe : the painting of album ( muhaqqa ). They are single sheets painted, drawn or calligraphiées by various artists then brought together by amateurs. Riza 'Abbasi is one of largest the representative of this new shape of Article.

The fall of the Séfévides under the Afghan invasions leads to one century of disorder stopped by the rise with the capacity of a tribe turkmene established since the Mongolian time on banks of the Caspian Sea : the Kadjars. They give place to an art very influenced by Occident : the large portraits painted with oil on fabric of the Shahs kadjars have to little see with painting Persian even if certain codes of the miniature are found there. Under their reign, monumental architecture begins again with the urban development of Teheran. Novel methods as the work of steel are implemented in Article.

Techniques of Islamic art

Town planning, architecture and its decoration

detailed Article : Islamic Architecture.

The architecture takes many specific forms in the Islamic world, often in connection with the religion musulmane : the Mosquée is one but the Madrasa, the places of retreat, etc are as many typical buildings of the countries of Islam adapted to the worship.

Typologies of the buildings vary much according to the periods and the areas. Before the 13th century, in the cradle of the Arab world, i.e. in Egypt, in Syria, in Iraq and Turkey, the mosques follow almost all the same plan known as Arab with a large court and a hypostyle room of prayer but vary much in their decoration and even in their formes : the Maghrebian mosques adopt a plan in “T” with naves perpendicular to the Qibla while in Egypt and Syria, the naves are parallel for him. Iran has its own specificities like the use of brick and the decorations of stucco and ceramics as well as the use of particular forms resulting often from the architecture Sassanide like the Iwan S and the Persan arc. The Iranian world is also with the birth of the madrasas. In Spain, one rather finds the taste for an architecture coloured with the use of arc S varied (out of horseshoe, multifoil, etc). In Anatolia, under the influence of Byzantine architecture but also of the evolutions specific to this area in the Arab plan, of large Othoman mosques with single and disproportionate cupola are built whereas India moghole develops particular plans, moving away little by little from the Iranian model and emphasizes the bulbous domes.

The art of the book

detailed Articles : Miniature Persian, Art of the Arab book, Art of the miniature in India.

The art of the book gathers at the same time the Peinture, the Reliure, the Calligraphie and the Enluminure, i.e. the arabesques and the drawings of the margins and the titles.

One traditionally divides the art of the book into three distincts fields;: Arab for the manuscripts Syrian, Egyptian, of Jezirah, and Maghgreb even Othoman (but those can also be considered separately), Persan for the manuscripts created in the Iranian especially as from the Mongolian period and Indian field, for works mogholes. Each one of these fields has its own style divided into various schools with their own artists, their conventions, etc the evolutions are parallel even if it seems obvious that influences took place between schools and even between geographical fields with the political changes and frequent displacements of the artistes : the Persan artists essaimé thus much at the Othomans and in India, in particular.

Arts known as “minor”

detailed Articles : Art of Islamic metal, Art of ground ceramics of Islam.

One calls in Europe “minor arts” of the fields which belong to decorative arts. However, out of grounds of Islam as in many non-European or old civilizations, these media were largely used at ends more artistic than utility and were carried at a point of perfection which prohibits to classify them like craft industry. Thus, if the Islamic artists are not interested in the sculpture for mainly religious reasons, they make sometimes proof, according to the times and the areas, of an inventiveness and a control remarkable on these various grounds with arts of the Métal, of the Céramique, the Verre, the cut stone (Rock crystal in particular but also hard stones like the Sardoine), of carved wood and the Marqueterie, of the Ivoire,…

Reasons, topics and iconography of Islamic art

When the Islamic term of art is evoked, one often thinks of an art aniconic made up only of geometrical reasons and arabesques. However, there also exists of many representations illustrated in arts of Islam, in particular in all that does not concern the field of the monk.

Art and the religion

detailed Article : Islamic Art and religion.

The religions thus play a big role in the development of Islamic art, this one being often intended for crowned ends. One thinks of course of the Islamic religion however the Islamic world became with Moslem majority only in the course of the 13th century and other beliefs also played a part not négligeable : the Christianity in particular in a zone running of the Egypt until the current Turkey, the Zoroastrisme in particular in the world Iran IEN, the Hindouisme and the Buddhism in the Indian world and the Animism mainly with the the Maghreb.

Art and literature

However, all Islamic art is not monk, far from there, and other sources are used by the artists, in particular literary. The literature Persian, like the Shâh Nâmâ , the national epopee made up at the beginning of the 10th century by Firdawsi, the Five poems (or Khamsa ) of Nizami (12th century), is thus an important source of reasons which one finds so much in arts of the book than in the objects (ceramics, carpet, etc). Works of the mystical poets Saadi and Djami give also place to many representations. The Jami Al-tawarikh , or universal Histoire , composed by the vizier It-khanide Aldine Rashid at the beginning of the 14th century is the support many representations in everyone Islamic and this as of its drafting.

The Arab literature is however not remains about it and the fables of Indian origin of the Kalîla wa Dimna or the Maqamat of Al-Hariri and other texts are frequently illustrated in the workshops of Baghdad or Syria.

The scientific literature, like the treaties of Mechanical Astronomy or , also gives place to illustrations.

Abstract reasons and penmanship

detailed Articles : Arab calligraphic Styles, decorative Reasons for Islamic art, Concept of module

The decorative reasons are legions in this form of art and extremely varied, since the geometrical reasons until the arabesques. The penmanship out of ground of Islam is regarded as a major activity, even Sacré E, since the sourates of the Coran are regarded as divine words. Moreover, the representations of living beings are excluded from the places and the works religieux ; penmanship is thus the very particular care object, in the religious field but also in profane works.

Illustrated representations

detailed Article : Representation illustrated in arts of Islam.

One often thinks that Islamic art is entirely aniconic, nevertheless one can only note the many human and animal figures present in ceramics. Religious figures of the Prophet S, like Mahomet but also Jesus and those present in the Old Testament, as well as the Imam S can give place besides to representations having, according to the times and the places, the face veiled or not. The question of the illustrated representation is thus complex more especially as its evolution makes it still more difficult to include/understand.

The knowledge of arts of Islam in the world

History of the history of Islamic art

detailed Article : History of the history of Islamic art.

Islamic art is known for a long time in Europe thanks to the many invaluable material imports (silk, rock crystal) to the Moyen-âge. Many of these objects, become reliquaries, was or is currently preserved in the treasures churches western world. However, the history of Islamic art as a science is a very recent discipline in comparison, for example, with that of the Antique arts. Moreover, on the fields of excavation Islamic art was often victim of the archeologists eager to reach at the ancient levels and which for that ransacked most recent.

Born at the 19th century and pushed by the movement orientalist, this discipline knows a marked evolution of many bumps, which had with the political and religious events world. The Colonisation in particular supported the study of certain countries - as well as the blossoming of the collections European and American - but of the whole periods were neglected. In the same way, the Cold war considerably slowed down the study of arts of Islam by preventing the diffusion of the studies and the discoveries.

Large collections of Islamic art

detailed Article : Collections of Islamic art in the world.

As often, the large collections of Islamic art are located rather in the western world, with the Musée of Louvre, Metropolitan Museum off Art, British Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum in particular. However, there exist collections elsewhere, in particular that of the Islamic Musée of Cairo or National museum of Qatar. The Foundation Gulbenkian of Lisbon and the collection Khalili also preserve many parts. The American museums, like the Freer Gallery off Art of Washington, often have a rather important bottom, as well for the objects as the manuscripts. The Corning museum off Knell of New York has one of the funds of the Islamic glasses most important in the world. For the manuscripts, it is also necessary to announce large libraries, like the British Library or the National library of France, whose Eastern funds are developed enough but the museums preserve also illustrated pages and manuscripts.

Great sites of Islamic art

detailed Article : Islamic Archeology.

For the oldest productions, as well of architecture as of objects, an important Islamic archeology had course, in particular in Iraq, with Samarra or Suse for example, or with the Cairo. In spite of the current context, great sites are still excavated in everyone Islamic since the Pakistan until the the Maghreb.

Appendices

Random links: