1. Islamic Art Gallery Assignment Steven George December 5, 2013

2. Sasanian Crown http://www.lacma.org/islamic_art/eia.htm Los Angeles County Museum of Art Accessed 11/10/2013 The Sasanian crown, once an insignia of royal power, was an important motif in early Islamic art. The image above has the crown within a ninth-century ceramic bowl.

3. Jewelry http://www.lacma.org/islamic_art/ema.htm Los Angeles County Museum of Art Accessed 11/10/2013 Jewelry demonstrates the artistry and luxury of Islamic goldworking techniques in the Fatimid period. Bracelets of this type were worn in pairs and served as an indicator of a woman’s wealth and social standing.

4. Ceramic Tiles http://www.lacma.org/islamic_art/lma.htm Los Angeles County Museum of Art Accessed 11/10/2013 Glazed ceramic tiles were used to emphasize important monuments. This example of a tile was assembled like a mosaic and fixed with mortar. This star-shaped pattern would join other tiles as part of a more complex design.

5. Gilt Glass Oil Lamp http://www.lacma.org/islamic_art/lma.htm Los Angeles County Museum of Art Accessed 11/10/2013 Produce in either Syria or Egypt. Has distinctive decorations. Inscriptions used to inform and to decorate. Inscription is from a verse in the Qu’ran – which reflects it was created for a religious setting.

6. Enhancement of Calligraphy http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/c/calligraphy-in-islamic-art/ Victoria & Albert Museum Accessed 11/16/2013 Qu’ran manuscript from Iran around about 1370 A.D. Is an example of enhancing elegant writing by adding decoration. The words themselves could be written in gold, or in colors other than black. Letters and words could also be outlined or could lie against a background pattern. It shows how calligraphers could make functional details of formatting and punctuation into beautifully designed elements. The decorated frames and background patterns do not interfere with the clarity of the script, or distract from the content of the text. This is very important because the Qu’ran is considered to be the word of God.

7. Use of Geometric Patterns http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/geom/hd_geom.htm#slides how4 http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/geom/hd_geom.htm#slides how4 Metropolitan Museum of Art Accessed 11/16/2013 Bowl. 12-13 th century Afghanistan. Geometric patterns were combined, duplicated, interlaced, and arranged in intricate combinations, thus becoming one of the most distinguishing features of Islamic art.

8. Vegetal Patterns http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/10.218 Metropolitan Museum of Art Accessed 11/16/2013 Wooden (teak) Stand for a Qur'an manuscript, Muzzafarid period (1314–93), dated 1360 A.D. This beautifully carved decoration, which includes the motif of a flowered bush within a niche surrounded by calligraphic blessings upon the Prophet and the Twelve Imams, reveals a Shi c i association.

9. Taj Mahal http://islamicart.com/library/empires/india/taj_mahal.html Harvard University Press (1991) Accessed 11/24/2013 Constructed in India in 1632, this mausoleum took 20 years to build. Comprised of white marble sitting on a raised platform, this beautiful structure is known for its symmetry, its interior mosaics and intricate inlaid patterns of precious stones.

10. Use of Light in Architecture http://islamicart.com/main/architecture/light.html Shah-Hamza Ali mausoleum at Shiraz Accessed 11/24/2013 Development and multiplication of muqarnas cells beneath the domes can be understood by their function in reflecting and refracting light.

11. Qur’an Recitation http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedde d&v=jivNz_i9QTU http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedde d&v=jivNz_i9QTU Amin Pouya of Iran competes in the International Qur'an Competition in 2006. Accessed 12/5/2013 Shows the role of music and sound within the Muslim world.

12. Voices and Instruments http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_ embedded&v=WpAuJyGjkVw http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_ embedded&v=WpAuJyGjkVw Sher Miandad performing Qawwali Accessed 12/5/2013 Audio arts within the Muslim world.