Islamic Art Paper

For one thing, these designs have taught a lot about the math in their culture, but not only have they done this they also have taught us about their religion and their traditions. For example, they tell stories, each symbol tells a different story about what they believe. I also think that these affect the pottery because, they do not use people or animals so they use the designs on their majmars. This is another thing that we learned about them. Their majmars can be very complex as the number of hard designs they have. They would not want nothing less, for the item that burns their most prized item, frankincense. Geometrical shapes are a huge part of math, especially in the Middle East. For the simple reason that, they can use them as a great math tool. Another thing, that was amazing to me is the fact that a huge part of their math is from their art, and this it has traveled all over the world. They are very smart people being able to come up with all of this! This project has inspired me to learn how to do art by doing math. I never thought Math would be so

There exist three basic components of traditional Islamic art: calligraphy, geometric patterns, and floral and vegetal motifs. These three stylistic tools are beautifully rendered and masterfully integrated into complex works of art, but there is no question that artistic expression is severely limited under these categorizations. However, this limitation stems from Islamic theology and concept of art. The main reason for the limitation imposed on visual art is the Islamic theological prohibition of figural imagery. Social laws presented in the Hadith prevented the representation of figures because any imitation was deemed idolatrous. Also, art is considered to be decorative and imitative. Script and patterns are used to decorate

In addition to the structure's architectural composition, elaborate Quranic inscriptions further elaborate this message of religious superiority. Carole Hillenbrand alludes to such:

When I visited the Orange County Museum of Art (OCMA), I was mesmerized by the beautiful sculptures, paintings, and many other works of art. This museum introduces many different exhibitions at different times and dates. The exhibition that I chose to visit is called the “Sandow Birk: American Qur’an”. The reason why I was very interested in this type of exhibition was because it displayed Middle Eastern artwork. Another reason was because I am Middle Eastern and that I can relate to it. Although I was so focused on this exhibition only, I did not realize the other works of art. However, as I walked deeper into the museum, another exhibition caught my attention. That exhibition is called the “Olga Lah: Amass and Swell”. If anyone decides to visit the Orange County Museum of Art (OCMA), I would recommend to look online about any appealing exhibitions that are being displayed as well as calling their office to plan a visit. Furthermore, in my opinion, there were some types of art that I did not fully analyze because they were not relatively fascinating as the rest. Moreover, the artworks that I examined displayed unique qualities and their messages were demonstrated in a significant, yet informative way.

The use of line in this piece is also very interesting. The artist employs a high horizontal line to create a plunging effect giving the piece more depth. Another use of lines in the image is to create focal points to attract the viewer. Lines are also used to separate the different sections of the painting. Overall this painting uses lines in dynamic ways that vastly enhance the viewers’ pleasure and admiration of the piece.

As my chosen work of art is the The Mihrab, it was a remarkable experience to visit the The Metropolitan Museum of Art. After a two hour long commute, which includes two train switch and one wrong train, my friend and I were finally able to locate this museum. As lavish as it is on the outside, it also does not disappoints on the inside. The Metropolitan Museum left me spellbinding with its aura of artistic treasures from multiple eras. However, my favorite work of art belongs to the Islamic art period, the Mihrab. The Mihrab is a semicircular niche in the wall of a mosque that indicates the qibla—that is, the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca—and it contains typical patterns and calligraphy from the Islamic art period.

The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, Missouri, is known for its wide variety of architectural artworks, and its collection of Asian art. It also has many works of Medieval and Ancient art, while also showing some present art pieces. My experience through the museum went very well. Throughout the whole museum, there wasn’t any place to look that was boring, or didn’t involve art, which was very cool. I liked how the pieces were labeled with a helpful description, and were categorized in similar sections. All the art pieces having the interesting descriptions, helped me understand the visual, value, and history behind all of the pieces, which I found very helpful relating them to class.

The Umayyad Mosque situated in Damascus, which was the capital of the then Arab Caliphate, makes use of mosaic art to depict heaven in the courtyard of the structure. It is complete with the depiction of pretty flowers, beautiful trees and hills. A continuous depiction is observed in ‘Barada Panel’ which makes use of huge tiles, unlike the former use of small tiles. Being an Islamic structure, the mosque was devoid of any kind of human and animal motifs, even though being heavily influenced by the Byzantium style of mosaic art which essentially incorporated life forms and human and animal forms.

Byzantine mosaics contain many characteristics that distinguish them from the rest. The typical gold background of a Byzantine mosaic creates a sense of weightlessness within the figures, as if they are floating. Byzantine artists depicted sacred figures with halos, separating them from the other figures. With nude images having been forbidden, one can hardly make out the anatomy of the fully clothed figures. Though it is evident that symmetry was greatly appreciated, it is also evident that the mosaics lack perspective. The figures depicted in the mosaics are flat and frontal facing with linear details. They are often slim with almond shaped faces and large eyes. The images depict little to no movement, creating a sense of stillness. These highly stylized Byzantine mosaics show disregard for Greco-Roman ideals.

1. set in the kibla was a mihrab (niche) that contained a ddecorated panel pointing to Meccan and representing Allah

First of all, the life line is represented through Arabic calligraphy/script which intentionally has “consistent proportionality” to mimic the readings of a heartbeat monitor. (Komaroff) This is a unique approach to Arabic calligraphy and Islamic artwork; so, it is classified as modern Islamic artwork because it differs to the conventions of Islamic. The fact that the calligraphy is presented as a heartbeat reading refers to modernism because of technological advancements. Therefore, the artwork is literally showing an aspect from the modern world. As well, the use of the space within the artwork is different to the approach of traditional Islamic art. This is because, again, there are not intricate designs or patterns included, yet the simplicity of the piece represents the meaning behind it. It can also be deducted that this specific piece relates to the expression of culture identity in the Gulf. This is due to the fact that the readings from the heart beat monitor could allude to how modernization has changed the heartbeat and culture of the Gulf and the start of modern Islamic

When I saw this work, I thought about Chinese "blue and white wares"(blue and white porcelain) immediately, so I googled it on wiki. And I found out that Chinese blue and white wares did have influences on Islamic pottery.

My first impression upon arriving at the mosque was that it was very drab and plain inside, as compared to how it looked on the outside. The religion I grew up in had beautifully decorated churches; while I wanted to ask why the mosque was so drab inside, I felt it would sound rude and unkind. Furthermore, I was disappointed to see the only chairs available to sit upon in the mosque were for pregnant, disabled, and elderly people. The religion I grew up in had nice, plump, padded pews for its members to sit upon. Again, I did not question why there were no pews as I felt it would be unkind.

The illuminated Qur’an on display in the Asian Art Museum’s Art of the Islamic World section has no known author, nor does there appear to be much information on the piece itself. This Qur’an was either found or crafted in Iran, Shiraz, but there is no explanation in the description as to whether the Iran is for the location of origin, or simply the location that the piece was found. Somewhat peculiar, the piece is clearly labeled as having been created in 1560-1570, which when paired with the location, would suggest that more information could be extrapolated about the piece’s origins and purpose. Yet the description simply gives a generic explanation of the purpose of a Qur’an, but does not mention any details about the Qur’an on

Qur’anic inscriptions in Islamic art and architecture are common use to honor the words of God. These features not only illustrate the direct relationship between Allah and the Muslims, but they also represent a set of rules that seek to unify different religious groups under Islamic caliphate and design a reminder for citizens to pass on Islamic traditions to future generations. This set of rules defines the authoritarian importance of Islamic law disapproval of iconography of any kind. The Qur’an is believed to be used as reference in every public monument and object because it glorifies the words of Allah and keep alive the Islamic faith. The decoration of these buildings with quotations from the Qu’ran makes the poetry to be beautiful and thus proof of its divine origin. In this document, I will study the use of Qur 'anic engravings in Islamic art and architecture such as the Dome of the Rock, Umayyad aniconic coins, and Tiraz textiles to illustrate the importance of the sacred passages in Islamic world. I will demonstrate how these carvings not only represent purity, convey glory, and preserve the words of God that were recited orally until the death of Prophet Muhammad at the end of the 7th century, but also hint historians about the importance of the existence and historical context of these buildings and objects by providing significant details on its date and place of manufacture.