Middle Eastern section of the Objects of Instruction exhibition
For the last 1400 years the artistic production of the Middle East has been predominantly that of Islamic societies. There are, consequently, certain uniformities, for example the centrality of the mosque to architecture, or the enduring importance of calligraphy. But there are also, through time an...
| Full title: |
Middle Eastern section of the Objects of Instruction exhibition [electronic resource]. |
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| Format: | |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2007.
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| Series: |
SOAS Digital Library.
ISOAS. |
| Subjects: | |
| Online access: |
Click here to view record |
| Summary: |
For the last 1400 years the artistic production of the Middle East has been predominantly that of Islamic societies. There are, consequently, certain uniformities, for example the centrality of the mosque to architecture, or the enduring importance of calligraphy. But there are also, through time and space, immense varieties of style and types of output. Here two contrastive strands have been highlighted, the ones best represented in the SOAS collections, ceramics and the arts of the book. -- On ceramics, designs and calligraphic motifs characteristic of Islamic art begin to appear by the ninth century. Thereafter, a continuous evolution results in a proliferation of types, some reflecting outside influence, others being indigenous developments that may utilize new technologies such as lustre painting. -- The manuscripts displayed include Turkish, Persian and North African examples, with further items representing the traditions of non-Muslim minorities. The arts of the book involve not just calligraphy but also illumination, illustration, and binding, and the SOAS collections offer fine examples of all these features. |
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| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2007.
|
| Subjects: | |
| Series: |
SOAS Digital Library.
ISOAS. |