Educator Resource Guide

Transcription

1 Educator Resource Guide

2 Table of Contents About the Exhibition... 2 Preparing for Your Visit... 2 Curriculum Connections... 3 Seventh-Grade Social Studies Standards... 3 Common Core State Standards... 4 Elements of Design... 5 Principles of Design... 6 Introduction to Islam... 7 Ink, Silk, and Gold... 8 Early Islamic Art: Eighth to Tenth Century... 9 Educator Activity: The Art of the Written Word...12 Art Trunk Activity: Animals in Ink Introduction to Calligraphy...13 A Multicentered Islamic World: Eleventh to Fifteenth Century...15 Educator Activity: Geometric Patterns...19 Art Trunk Activity: Tessellation Mosaics...20 Art Trunk Activity: Tessellations Pattern in Puzzles...21 An Era of Empires: Sixteenth to Eighteenth Century...23 Educator Activity: A Closer Look at the Empires...29 The Modern Age: Nineteenth Century and Beyond...30 Art Trunk Activity: Weaving Warm and Cool Patterns in Paper...33 Art Trunk Activity: Woven Pattern Mini-Rug...35 Timeline of Major Islamic Empires and Dynasties...38 Glossary...39 Dynasties and Empires...42 Resources

3 About the Exhibition Ink, Silk, and Gold: Islamic Art from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston October 9, 2015 January 10, 2016 Ink, Silk, and Gold presents nearly one hundred works of Islamic art spanning the eighth to the twentyfirst centuries from the impressive collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. This exhibition offers a chronological and regional story of the dynamic and complex artistic traditions originating from across the vast expanse of the Islamic world Spain to Indonesia and represents almost all forms of media, including silver inlaid metalwork, Qurʾan pages inscribed with gold, brocaded velvets, and luster ceramics. More than 130 years after the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston began collecting Islamic art, this exhibition marks the first time these objects have been comprehensively studied, restored, and presented to the public. Ink, Silk, and Gold: Islamic Art from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston was organized by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Preparing for Your Visit This Educator Resource Guide is designed to help educators prepare students for their gallery visit and classroom follow-up discussion. This packet contains an Educator Resource Guide, related Art Trunk activities, and art reproductions. Educator Resource Guide This guide focuses on the exhibition Ink, Silk, and Gold: Islamic Art from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Each section highlights works of art from the exhibition and includes questions and activities that encourage your students to look closely and critically. The educator activities are compatible with Tennessee State Curriculum Standards for visual arts, language arts, and social studies. Art Trunk Activities Included in the Educator Resource Guide are extension art activities as part of the Art Trunk program. Art Trunks are mobile educational kits designed for community partners to enrich the appreciation and understanding of present and past art exhibitions at the Frist Center. The Art Trunk program provides unique opportunities for participants to become more informed about works of art, their meanings, and the artists who created them. Participants in the Art Trunk program receive the Educator Resource Guide and the necessary materials needed to complete the guided lesson plans for three activity sessions. 2

4 Curriculum Connections Docent-guided school tours support the Tennessee State Curriculum Standards by introducing ideas relevant to the visual arts, language arts, and social studies curricula. Specific standards are addressed according to grade-appropriate levels. View connections for all grade levels (K 12) at Seventh-Grade Social Studies Standards Islamic World, s AD/CE Students analyze the geographic, political, economic, social, and religious structures of the civilizations. 7.3 Identify the physical location and features and the climate of the Arabian Peninsula, its relationship to surrounding bodies of land and water, including Northern Africa, Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea, Caspian Sea, Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, Nile River. (G) 7.4 Describe the expansion of Muslim rule through conquests and the spread of cultural diffusion of Islam and the Arabic language. (C, E, G, H) 7.5 Trace the origins of Islam and the life and teachings of Muhammad, including Islam s historical connections to Judaism and Christianity. (C, H) 7.6 Explain the significance of the Qurʾan and the Sunnah as the primary sources of Islamic beliefs, practice, and law and their influence in Muslims daily life. (C, H, P) 7.7 Analyze the origins and impact of different sects within Islam, Sunnis and Shi ites. (C, H) 7.8 Examine and summarize the contributions Muslim scholars made to later civilizations in the areas of science, geography, mathematics, philosophy, medicine, art, and literature. (C, G, H) 7.9 Describe the establishment of trade routes among Asia, Africa, and Europe and the role of merchants in Arab society. (E, G, H) 7.10 Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources to examine the art and architecture, including the Taj Mahal during the Mughal period. (C, H) 7.11 Explain the importance of Mehmed II the Conqueror and Suleiman the Magnificent. (H, P) 7.12 Write an explanatory text to describe the Shah Abbas and how his policies of cultural blending led to the Golden Age and the rise of the Safavid empire. (C, H, P) Primary Documents and Supporting Texts to Consider: excerpts from The Hadith, Muhammad; excerpts from The Book of Golden Meadows, Masoudi 3

5 Common Core State Standards This Educator Resource Guide also acknowledges the Common Core State Standards Initiative coordinated by the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and the Council of Chief State School Officers. By aligning the goals of this packet with Common Core State Standards, the Frist Center makes off-site learning effective for students and easy for educators. The following Common Core State Standards are implemented in this Educator Resource Guide: English Language Arts/Literacy Standards CCSS.ELA-Literacy. RF. 1.1, W. 1.1, W.1.2, W.1.5, W.1.8, SL.1.1, SL.1.2, SL.1.3, SL.1.4, SL.1.5, SL.1.6, L.1.1,L.1.2, L.1.4, L.1.5, L.1.6 CCSS.ELA-Literacy. RI.2.1, RI.2.7, W.2.5, W.2.6, W.2.7, W.2.8, SL.2.1, SL.2.2, SL.2.3, SL.2.4, SL.2.6, L.2.1, L.2.2, L.2.3 CCSS.ELA-Literacy. RL.3.1, RL.3.2, RL.3.3, RI.3.3, RI.3.7, W.3.4, SL.3.1, SL.3.2, SL.3.3, SL.3.4, L.3.1, L.3.2, L.3.3, L.3.4 CCSS.ELA-Literacy. W.4.2, W.4.3, W.4.4, SL.4.1, SL.4.4, L.4.1, L.4.2, L.4.3, L.4.5 CCSS.ELA-Literacy. W.5.1, W.5.2, W.5.3, W.5.4, SL.5.1, SL.5.2, SL.5.4, L.5.1, L.5.2, L.5.5 CCSS.ELA-Literacy. RH CCSS.ELA-Literacy. W.6.1, W.6.2, W.6.3, SL.6.1, SL.6.4, L.6.1, L.6.2 CCSS.ELA-Literacy. W.7.1, W.7.2, W.7.3, SL.7.1, SL.7.4, L.7.1, L.7.2 CCSS.ELA-Literacy. W.8.1, W.8.2, W.8.3, SL. 8.1, SL.8.4, L.8.1, L.8.2 CCSS.ELA-Literacy. W , WHST CCSS.ELA-Literacy. W , WHST Mathematics Standards CCSS.MATH. 1.MD.1, 1.MD.2, 1.G.1, 1.G.2, 1.G.3 CCSS.MATH. 2.MD.1, 2.MD.2, 2.MD.3, 2.G.1, 2.G.2, 2.G.3 CCSS.MATH. 3.MD.5, 3.MD.6, 3.MD.7, 3.MD.8, 3.G.1, 3.G.2 CCSS.MATH. 4.MD.5, 4.MD.6, 4.MD.7, 4.G.1, 4.G.2, 4.G.3 CCSS.MATH. 5.MD.1, 5.G.1, 5.G.3, 5.G.4 CCSS.MATH. 6.G.1, 6.G.3, 6.G.4 CCSS.MATH. 7.G.1, 7.G.2, 7.G.4, 7.G.5, 7.G.6 CCSS.MATH. 8.G.1, 8.G.2, 8.G.3, 8.G.4, 8.G.9 CCSS.MATH. G-CO.1, G-CO.12, G-C.1, G-C.2, G-C.3, G-GMD.1, G-GMD.2, G-GMD.3, G-MG.1 4

6 Elements of Design The elements of art are the basic components used by the artist when producing works of art. The elements emphasized in the guided lessons are color, line, and shapes. The other elements are value, form, texture, and space. Elements will be highlighted for each artwork featured in this guide. Color is produced when light strikes an object and is reflected back to the eyes. Various wavelengths produce different colors. Line refers to the continuous mark made on some surface by a moving point. Types of line include: vertical, horizontal, diagonal, straight, and curved. Shape is an enclosed space. Examples of shapes include: circle, oval, triangle, square, and rectangle. Form refers to an element of art that is three-dimensional (height, width, and depth) and encloses volume. For example, a triangle, which is two-dimensional, is a shape, but a pyramid, which is three-dimensional, is a form. Value refers to the lightness or darkness of a color. Value is an especially important element in works of art when color is absent. Texture is the surface quality or feel of an object its smoothness, roughness, softness, etc. Artists can simulate textures through techniques such as painting different areas of a picture. Space refers to the distance or area between, around, above, below, or within things. 5

7 Principles of Design The principles of design describe the ways that artists use the elements of art in a work of art. Principles will be highlighted for each artwork featured in this guide. Balance is the distribution of the visual weight of objects, colors, texture, and space. Symmetrical balance is characterized by artwork that, if divided in half, would be exactly the same on each side; asymmetrical balance describes an artwork that looks different on each side but one side does not overwhelm the other because the visual weight is distributed equally; radial balance is the arrangement of elements expanding from a central point. Contrast is the juxtaposition of different elements of design, such as light and dark values, or rough and smooth textures. Harmony is the arrangement of elements to give the viewer the feeling that all parts of the piece form a coherent whole. Movement is the path the viewer s eye takes through the work of art, often to focal areas. Such movement can be directed along lines, edges, shape, and color within the work of art. Pattern is the regular arrangement of alternated or repeated elements throughout a work. Scale is the relationship between objects with respect to size, number, and so on, including the relation between parts of a whole. Repetition works with pattern to make the work of art seem active. The repetition of elements of design creates unity within the work of art. Rhythm is created when one or more elements of design are used repeatedly to create a feeling of organized movement. Rhythm creates a mood like music or dancing. To keep rhythm exciting and active, variety is essential. 6

8 Introduction to Islam Works of art are among the most tangible manifestations of Islamic culture. We can easily see that the tiles used to decorate a mosque or the painted flourishes that enhance a copy of the Qurʾan belong to an Islamic cultural world. But this can also be said of objects made for secular purposes candlesticks, ceramic bowls, and silk garments because Islamic culture is much more than the religion of Islam. It encompasses a wide array of traditions, social practices, and aesthetic conventions. Islam Islam is a major religion practiced by more than a billion-and-a-half people around the world. It arose in Arabia in the seventh century CE, during the lifetime of the Prophet Muhammad. According to Muslim tradition, Muhammad was God s messenger, the final prophet in the lineage of the Abrahamic religions. A monotheistic faith, Islam holds that God s will was communicated to Muhammad in a series of revelations that form the Islamic scriptures, the Qurʾan. Muhammad recounted to others the divine revelations he received, gradually gaining followers, with whom he left Mecca the spiritual center of the Islamic world for the city of Medina in 622. This move, known as the hijra (Arabic, migration ), marks the beginning of the Islamic calendar. Hijra dates are indicated with AH (for the Latin anno hegirae, in the year of [Muhammad s] migration ). The Islamic calendar is strictly lunar, in contrast to the Gregorian calendar, which is mainly solar, and the months have Arabic names. Muhammad founded the first Islamic state in Medina, and by the time he died in 632, Muslim territory encompassed two-thirds of Arabia. Growing quickly beyond these borders, the Islamic world has at times stretched from North Africa to South Asia. There are two main branches of Islam. The Sunni branch, which is the larger, believes that the first four caliphs Muhammad s successors rightfully followed him as the leaders of the Muslims and recognizes their heirs as legitimate religious leaders. The Shiʿa branch believes instead that only the fourth caliph, Ali, and his heirs are the legitimate successors of Muhammad. Islamic mystics, who can be Sunni or Shiʿa, are known as Sufis. Muslim A Muslim is a person who follows the religion of Islam. Muslim is an Arabic word meaning one who submits. 7

9 Ink, Silk, and Gold INK Black ink streams across nearly all Islamic works of art on paper, defining forms and articulating details. Traditionally made by artists and calligraphers from lampblack (finely powdered black soot), gallnuts, or mineral compounds, ink could be applied with a brush or pen, depending on the purpose and the kind of line desired. For a viewer with roots in an Islamic society, the presence of ink might provoke consideration not just of the beauty of its handling or the forms it outlines, but also a range of ideas about ink. Some of these find their origins in religious practices and texts. On the most basic level, ink has sacred associations because of its use in the copying out of the Qurʾan. The Qurʾan and the Hadith (sayings attributed to Muhammad) specifically link ink with Creation; the first thing God created, it is said, was the pen. Ink is also associated with moral, intellectual, and aesthetic cultivation in Islamic culture. Correct and graceful use indicates a mind equipped for careful judgment and understanding. SILK Silk weaving was an important art form in the Islamic world as early as the seventh century, when Muslims conquered silk-producing regions in the Byzantine and Sasanian empires. They adopted some existing uses of and attitudes toward silk, and then shaped them anew through cultural practices like khilʿat (Arabic, robe of honor ), the gifting of a fine robe by an Islamic ruler to a subject, visiting head of state, or envoy as a way to establish the balance of power between them. Such robes were often made of brightly colored silk and sometimes embroidered in Arabic with the name of the ruler or official under whose auspices they had been produced. In religious contexts, one of silk s most important appearances is as a covering for the Kaʿba, the cubeshaped building in Mecca that is considered the holiest place in the Islamic world. In the first centuries of Islam, this covering known as the kiswa (Arabic, robe ) was woven from a range of materials in Yemen, Egypt, and eastern Iran, among other places. Silk eventually became the preferred material, and surviving examples from the early Ottoman period are made of red, black, and green silk with inscriptions embroidered in silver and gold thread. Today the kiswa is black and is produced in Mecca out of silk embroidered with metallic thread. GOLD The desirability of gold is a nearly universal principle. When this precious substance was available in Islamic societies, artists put it to innumerable uses: they cast it to make vessels and jewelry, wove it into textiles, laid it into bronze, and painted it onto the pages of manuscripts. Beliefs about the proper uses and properties of gold were informed by the vicissitudes of fashion and finance as well as by the Qurʾan, the Hadith, and Islamic law. According to the Qurʾan, gold will be a common sight for those who, having been found worthy on the Day of Judgment, will be adorned with bracelets of gold and will dine with dishes and goblets of gold. These sources warn, however, that until that day, excessive use of gold could lead to arrogance, and several Qurʾanic verses explicitly prohibit the hoarding of such precious metals. This sometimes resulted in restrictions on wearing and using gold, but not always. Islamic rulers adorned their palaces and possessions with it and gifted gold objects to favored courtiers. Unfortunately, few such treasures survive today, since the metal could so easily be melted down and returned to circulation. 8

10 Early Islamic Art: Eighth to Tenth Century The first centuries of Islamic art were a time of great political shifts and of the gradual coalescence of an artistic tradition unique to Islamic societies. When the Muslim state emerging in the seventh century conquered lands that had belonged to the Byzantine and Sasanian empires, it absorbed their highly sophisticated cultures. These were perpetuated and transformed in the development of Islamic art. Islamic culture became richer still as the state s frontiers expanded further during the Umayyad ( ) and Abbasid ( ) caliphates (Islamic states ruled by a caliph), under which the first monuments of Islamic architecture were constructed and Arabic was established as the language of state. Early Islamic art was so indebted to the artistic traditions that preceded Islam in the Middle East that it can at times be difficult to determine if a piece of metalwork or a glass vial should be considered Islamic art or not. The most distinctive Islamic art form in this period was the illuminated Qurʾan manuscript. Though in essence an oral communication, the Qurʾan took material form even during the lifetime of Muhammad, when passages were handwritten on scraps of wood, palm leaves, bark, and bone. Codices of the Qurʾan were made soon after his death, probably in black ink on cream-colored animal skins. Over time, calligraphy and even pseudo-script, imbued with the sanctity of the Qurʾan, came to be used on everyday objects as a gesture toward the divine. University of Chicago Center for Middle Eastern Studies 9

11 Calligraphy is an important means of transcribing the Qurʾan and important documents, and also reveals the spiritual and social state of the calligrapher. Being a master or at least a satisfactory calligrapher was a sign of piety, intellect, discipline, and faith. The letters of calligraphy are always proportional even though the language, style, and composition may vary based on time period, location, language, and calligrapher. Because calligraphy was a holy occupation, calligraphers enjoyed the highest status of all artists in Islamic society. Calligraphers, which included both men and women, had to go through long and arduous training and their work often was anonymous. Most Muslims knew the Qurʾan by heart, so the calligraphy of the Qurʾan served only as a memory prompt, allowing calligraphers to focus on elaborate, stylized scripts rather than legibility. Bowl with peacock, Iran (possibly Khurasan), 10th early 11th century. Earthenware with dark brown decoration on buff slip under transparent glaze. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Keith McLeod Fund, Photograph 2015 MFA, Boston In ceramic production, potters who admired the hard white surface of Chinese porcelain and fritware adapted the look to their own materials and aesthetic, reviving an ancient technique: local clay was glazed in white, and then color and sometimes Arabic inscriptions were added. In eastern Iran, between the ninth and eleventh centuries, the production of many ceramic objects seems to have been driven by a local aesthetic that favored bold, dark forms on a white ground. While the dark forms often appear as calligraphy, here they represent a bird perched among tree branches. The animal s body and elongated legs stretch across the bowl, its feet and three tail feathers extending to the rim. Strips of decoration above and below the bird resemble branches or the highly stylized Arabic calligraphy known as pseudo-script. Important Elements of Design Shape Space Line Value Important Principles of Design Contrast of values Repetition of line and shape Asymmetrical balance Movement as lines guide the viewer s eye Identify What characteristics identify this work of art as part of Islamic culture? Describe How would you describe what you see in this image? What kinds of lines and shapes do you see? Examine How has repetition been used in the object s design? How did the artist use contrast for aesthetic effect? 10

12 Qurʾan folio on blue parchment, North Africa or Near East, Ink, gold, silver, and color on indigo-stained parchment. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Samuel Putnam Avery Fund, Photograph 2015 MFA, Boston This leaf is from the Blue Qurʾan, among the grandest of medieval manuscripts. With its gold script on dark blue parchment, the Blue Qurʾan was an aesthetic glorification of the holy text. But it may have had other connotations. Its rich colors emulated and perhaps competed with imperial Byzantine manuscripts of the Bible, written in gold and silver on purple or blue parchment. The gold perhaps symbolized the light of the holy text shining through darkness and illuminating the infinite. More gold was originally visible on the pages of this Qurʾan than we can now see. Beneath the nowtarnished silver medallion in the margin, which may have been added during a medieval refurbishment, is an original gold element. Some traces of red, and occasionally green, pigment remain. Just why the gold was covered up is unknown. Important Elements of Design Value Shape Important Principles of Design Contrast of values Unity Repetition of shape and color Identify What is this object? What is its purpose? Describe How would you describe what you see in this image? Examine How does the contrast between the gold calligraphy and blue parchment reflect the spiritual significance of the text? 11

13 Educator Activity: The Art of the Written Word Objective Students will look closely at the Qurʾan folio on blue parchment and create a text-based drawing or painting that reflects the chosen word or phrase. Introduction The creator of this Qurʾan folio placed gold script on indigo-stained parchment as a glorification of the holy text shining through darkness and illuminating the infinite. These aesthetic choices brought to life the sacred nature of the text. Activity Students will identify an interesting or inspiring word or quote that will be the basis for their own work of art. The words themselves will be the artwork, but decorative elements should also be included. Students must make aesthetic choices that are visually consistent with the idea or feeling associated with the word or phrase. Consider sharing examples such as logo designs for products or title treatments for movies. Lead a discussion about design choices. Talk about why a flyer for a haunted house looks different from a postcard from a dentist s office. 12

14 Art Trunk Activity: Animals in Ink Introduction to Calligraphy All Ages Objective Participants will gain a basic understanding of calligraphy as a decorative element and prepare their own folio in their language of choice. Images Qurʾan folio on blue parchment Bowl with peacock Pathology of Suspension #6 (see page 32) Vocabulary Calligraphy/calligraphic Design Folio Materials Book: Traveling Man: The Journey of Ibn Battuta, by James Rumford Pencil Eraser 8 ½ x 11 sketch paper Animal stencils (three Middle Eastern animals: camel, elephant, and peacock) Calligraphy pens in different colors 4 x 5 calligraphy paper Glue sticks 5 x 11 decorative wallpaper Introduction Refer to both the Qurʾan folio on blue parchment and the bowl with peacock; ask participants how these works are similar or different. Explain to participants the importance and meaning of the Qurʾan folio and how it compares to the bowl with peacock. Read the book Traveling Man: The Journey of Ibn Battuta, to younger participants. Directions 1. Prepare the art-making space by setting out pencils, erasers, animal stencils, and sketch paper. 2. Ask participants to select one animal stencil for their design. Tell them to write the name of the animal across the top of a sheet of sketch paper, then trace their stencil below. Note: Participants may also use their own name, their initials, or a poem. 3. Ask participants to practice writing their word(s) the animal name, their name, their initials, or the poem on the sketch paper to fit and fill the animal shape by stretching or squeezing letters together. Explain that they are creating special lettering that can be called calligraphic. 4. Ask participants to continue filling out the animal shape by adding patterns within or around the text inside the shape. 5. When the participants have finished thinking and sketching out their designs, hand out the 4 x 5 sheets of calligraphy paper. 6. Instruct the participants to trace the designs created in steps 3 and 4 onto the calligraphy paper, in pencil. 7. Hand out calligraphy pens for participants to complete their designs in ink. 13

15 8. Set out wallpaper and glue sticks. Ask each participant to choose a wallpaper for the back of their new artwork. Have them glue their calligraphic folio to the wallpaper. 9. Have an art show! Set a special space aside in your building, hallway, or classroom for others in your community to enjoy! Learn more about the art of Islamic calligraphy by visiting 14

16 A Multicentered Islamic World: Eleventh to Fifteenth Century Lands on the periphery of the Islamic world began to break off into separate kingdoms in the tenth and eleventh centuries. With them, strong regional traditions began to define Islamic art, even while common elements persisted. North Africa was among the earliest regions to become independent, first under the rule of the Fatimid caliphate ( ) and later under the Mamluk sultanate ( ), which ruled a kingdom encompassing Egypt, the Levant, and western Arabia. In Islamic Spain, a caliphate based in Córdoba ( ) was succeeded by a series of shorter-lived dynasties, including the Nasrids ( ), whose rulers built the extraordinary palace known as the Alhambra. Meanwhile, at the eastern edge of the Islamic world, groups of Central Asians began to move westward and to claim territory. The Seljuqs and later the Mongols and Timurids established urban centers in which Islamic culture flourished. University of Chicago Center for Middle Eastern Studies 15

17 Egypt and Syria In the early tenth century the Fatimids, a dynasty claiming descent from the Prophet Muhammad s own family, took control of North Africa and established a caliphate to rival that of the Abbasids in Baghdad. The Fatimid caliphate ( ) was succeeded eventually by the Mamluk sultanate ( ), which controlled Egypt and Syria as well as western Arabia and parts of Anatolia. The rulers of the Mamluk sultanate, powerful military generals with slave-soldier origins, made their capital of Cairo the most important city of the Arab Islamic world. In the Mamluk cities of Cairo, Aleppo, and Damascus, art and architecture blossomed under the patronage of Mamluk rulers made rich by trade. Mosques and tombs were outfitted with elaborate lamps, pulpits, and stands holding monumental Qurʾan manuscripts. Deluxe objects were also made for use at court, many out of brass heavily inlaid with silver and copper. These works often bore the emblems and titles of their royal or noble sponsors, for whom patronage of art was an important way to assert and reinforce personal status. Door, Egypt (Cairo), 14th 15th century with later additions. Wood (ebony, Aleppo pine, abura, boxwood) and ivory or bone. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Gift of Martin Brimmer, Photograph 2015 MFA, Boston Intricately patterned woodwork filled mosques sponsored by the Mamluk rulers, and also appeared as ornate window shutters, doors, and furniture in Cairo s royal halls and religious schools. This door was probably assembled by Europeans in nineteenth-century Cairo out of salvaged Mamluk woodwork. Its design exploits the natural colors of its materials ivory or bone, dark ebony, and wood of other hues to create a dazzling polychromatic effect. The panel across the bottom addresses the sultan al-zahir Barquq (reigned and ): Honor to our master the sultan the king... al-zahir Barquq. God magnify his victory. Important Elements of Design Shape Line Value Important Principles of Design Symmetrical balance Repetition of shape Pattern Identify What is this object, and what is its purpose? Describe How would you describe this object? What kinds of lines, colors, shapes, and values do you see? Refer to the link above and discuss how this door was constructed. Examine How have repeated shapes been used to form patterns on this object? What does the inscription across the bottom tell you about how or where this object might have been used? Learn more about this object by visiting 16

18 Spain, Italy, and North Africa In al-andalus (a term for lands ruled by Muslims on the Iberian Peninsula), the caliphate of Córdoba ( ) was succeeded by a series of shorter-lived dynasties. The region reached a cultural peak in the thirteenth century that lasted until 1492, when the united armies of Castile and Aragón brought Muslim rule in Spain to an end. Islamic Spain was linked in this period to southern Italy, North Africa, and the Middle East by a flourishing network of mercantile, diplomatic, and, occasionally, military relations that crisscrossed the Mediterranean. Some aspects of Islamic culture became a common heritage among the Christian, Jewish, and Muslim inhabitants of the Iberian Peninsula, who were continually engaged in political and economic interaction. Silks from al-andalus were among the products highly valued among Christian elites, and many ended up in church treasuries and tombs. Islamic communities north and south of the Mediterranean shared a distinctively rounded form of Arabic script known as maghribi (from the Arabic word for West ) and used for the copying out of the Qurʾan. Fragment of silk lampas with birds and interlace, Spain (possibly Granada), 13th 14th century. Lampas of silk and metallic thread (gilded animal membrane wrapped on a linen core). Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Harriet Otis Cruft Fund, Photograph 2015 MFA, Boston Lampas is a type of luxury textile woven with a compound structure, combining two different yet interconnected sets of threads (one for the ground, another for the pattern). In this length of silk lampas, weft threads of green, yellow, blue, and red traverse warp threads of pinkish red and orange. The textile s colors remain vibrant today, a testament to improved dyeing and weaving techniques, including the floating of red warp threads in a satin weave on the surface of the textile, where they could catch the light. Even more brilliant than the colorful silk threads are the copious metallic ones. Another piece of this same opulent textile, in the Museu Nacional d Art de Catalunya in Barcelona, is in the form of a half chasuble, a Christian clerical garment. Important Elements of Design Shape Line Important Principles of Design Pattern Symmetrical balance Repetition of shape Harmony Identify What is this object? What materials were used to create it? Describe What are its recurring patterns, designs, and motifs? How does the design show visual harmony? Examine How was this and similar textiles regarded among Christian elites? How did churches use them? 17

19 Iran and Central Asia In the eleventh century, Turkic tribesmen from Central Asia began to move westward into Abbasid territory, adopting Islam and establishing independent kingdoms. The Seljuq dynasty ruled Iran, Iraq, and most of Syria between 1037 and The last independent Seljuq outpost was lost in 1243 to Mongol armies who, led initially by Genghis Khan, unified the tribes of the Central Asian steppes and conquered lands to both the west and the east. In 1256 a grandson of Genghis Khan founded the Ilkhanid dynasty, which ruled a kingdom encompassing Iran, Iraq, and parts of Anatolia and the Caucasus, and lasted until At the end of the fourteenth century, yet another Turkic dynasty, known as the Timurids after its founder Timur (Tamerlane in the West), established rule over Iran and Central Asia; it remained in power until Figurine of an elephant, Iran (Rayy), 11th 12th century. Fritware with turquoise glaze. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, University Museum M.F.A. Persian Expedition, Photograph 2015 MFA, Boston This figurine is of an elephant carrying a large platform on its back and wearing heavy armor. It is one of about ten such figurines in collections around the world. Some of them appear to bear musicians, perhaps indicating that they represent a ceremonial procession. Zoomorphic figurines like this one were a popular form of ceramic object during the Seljuq period. They were made for an elite sector of society, though their precise meaning and function remain unknown. Some figurines are hollow and have holes where liquid could be poured in or out, and others may have been used in the bath as scrubbing stones. Many, however, have no obvious function and must have been decorative or ceremonial objects. Important Elements of Design Shape Line Value Important Principles of Design Symmetrical balance Repetition of shape Pattern Identify What is this object? Describe How would you describe this figurine? What materials did the artist use to make this object? Examine Based on this elephant s appearance, what might have been its purpose? Where does the artist use different textures on this figurine? 18

20 Educator Activity: Geometric Patterns Objective Students will look closely at geometric patterns in the door and the silk lampas and create their own complex geometric patterns using tracing paper and a grid. Introduction Geometric patterns are a significant characteristic of Islamic art. Though not prohibited by the Qurʾan, figural rendering was often discouraged, especially in religious contexts, so geometric patterns became a common method of expression. Activity Provide a grid made up of equilateral triangles like the one below or have students make one. As a class, look closely at the grid and identify shapes that can be created and reproduced as a pattern. Students will use the grid lines as a guide. Then, they will use markers or colored pencils to color in their shapes and patterns. Triangle grid Completed example 19

21 Art Trunk Activity: Tessellation Mosaics Pre-K 4 th grade Objective Participants will gain an introductory lesson to tessellations by matching geometric shapes and creating pattern through use of color. Image Mamluk door Vocabulary Tessellation Materials Roylco tessellation mosaics Mosaic shapes Glue Introduction Have participants take a close look at the Mamluk door and ask them to identify as many shapes as they can. Watch the ArtQuest: Art Is All Around You Shapes in Architecture video ( and discuss what shapes they see in the classroom. Ask participants to take another look at the Mamluk door. Are there more shapes that you see in the door? Can you make that shape with your hands? Or draw it in the air? Directions 1. Hand out Roylco tessellation patterns and geometric shapes 2. Have participants match the shapes to the tessellation pattern. 3. See if participants can name the shapes they are using (triangle, rhombus, trapezoid, square, and hexagon). 4. Ask participants to carefully consider what colors they would use for making a pattern with color as well as with the shapes in their tessellation mosaic. 5. Last, hand out glue and have participants glue their shapes to the tessellation mosaic. 6. Have an art show! Set a special space aside in your building, hallway, or classroom for others in your community to enjoy! Conclusion Look closer at the Mamluk door pattern: After making your own tessellation, are there new shapes you can identify? What shapes in your tessellation look similar to the door pattern? Are there shapes that are different but have the same name? (For example: rhombus, trapezoid) 20

22 Art Trunk Activity: Tessellations Pattern in Puzzles 5 th grade Adult Objective Participants will gain knowledge of the term tessellation and develop an understanding of complex patterning through this activity. Images Mamluk door Vocabulary Tessellation Materials 2 x 2 black paper Scissors Gold pencil Tape 9 x 12 red paper Colored pencils Introduction Have participants take a close look at the Mamluk door. What do you notice first? How many shapes or repeating patterns do you see? Can you name all the shapes used in this door? Why do you think these patterns are important to the spirituality of the Islamic world? Explain that tessellations are patterns made of identical shapes that repeat and have no gaps. Go into activity demonstration: Directions 1. Hand out 2 x 2 squares of black paper, gold pencils, scissors, and tape. 2. Ask participants to write the letters P, A, R, and T on the square, with one letter in each corner. 3. Ask participants to do the following: a. Holding the square of paper open (that is, without folding it), cut it in half, making the cut a curvy line. b. Pick up one of the halves. Cut that piece in half, making a zig-zag edge. c. Pick up the other half of the original square. Cut through it with another curvy line. Each participant should now have four pieces of paper, each cut from the original square. 4. Ask participants to connect all the straight corners of their pieces, going clockwise, to spell T-R-A-P. The letters will be in the center of the connected pieces, with the curvy and zig-zag edges forming a new outer shape. This new shape will be the participant s tessellation puzzle piece. Have participants tape the pieces together. 5. Hand out 9 x 12 sheets of red paper and have participants follow these steps: a. To start, find the exact center of the puzzle piece and line it up with a corner of the red paper. Part of the puzzle piece will be hanging off the page. b. Using a gold pencil, trace the outline of the piece onto the paper. c. The goal is to fill the whole page with a pattern formed by the shape of the tessellation puzzle piece, with no gaps between the pieces. Play with your puzzle piece to discover how to connect each tracing to the next. Remember that you may need to move the shape off the page to continue the pattern to the paper s edge. 21

23 6. When the participants have completed covering their sheets of paper with their patterns, hand out colored pencils. Participants should color in the spaces formed by the pattern. 7. Have an art show! Set a special space aside in your building, hallway, or classroom for others in your community to enjoy! Conclusion After the activity, ask participants to take another close look at the door. Do you see any tessellations? If the door or pattern were larger, would these shapes make a tessellation? Are there any similarities between your tessellation and the door s pattern? 22

24 An Era of Empires: Sixteenth to Eighteenth Century Three great empires ruled most of the Islamic world from the sixteenth to the eighteenth century. The Ottoman empire ( ), which originated at the end of the thirteenth century and rose as a world power after its 1453 conquest of Constantinople, spread across vast lands. Under the leadership of Sultan Suleiman (reigned ), it reached from Budapest to Baghdad and from Tunis to Tabriz. In South Asia, the Mughal dynasty ( ) included, at its height, nearly all of present-day India, as well as Bangladesh and Pakistan. East of the Ottoman empire, the lands of the Safavid dynasty ( ) included much of present-day Iran, Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia. Though periodically in conflict with one another, these empires were continually engaged with one another through mercantile and diplomatic networks. They also had a great deal in common, including the use of Persian and Arabic languages, a concept of governance centered on sacred kingship, and a cultural heritage that linked them to the Mongol and Timurid empires. University of Chicago Center for Middle Eastern Studies 23

25 Ottoman Empire Although the Ottoman dynasty had been established at the end of the thirteenth century by a Turkmen chief, its 1453 conquest of Constantinople, which ended the Byzantine era, marked its rise as a world power. The Sunni Ottomans ruled an empire that, at its greatest height, reached from Budapest to Baghdad and from Tunis to Tabriz, and included the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. Ottoman lands stood at the crossroads of trade between Europe and Asia, benefiting from this position and generating a uniquely syncretistic imperial culture. In addition to their renowned patronage of architecture, which led to the conversion of the Church of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul (the city formerly known as Constantinople) into a congregational mosque, Ottoman sultans and elites supported flourishing textile and ceramics industries. Textiles in particular had an important place in Ottoman court culture, as banners, wall hangings, and floor coverings that enriched the settings of ceremonies, and as clothing worn by rulers and courtiers and imbued with symbolic value. Ceramics, similarly ubiquitous in elite circles, were produced in the town of Iznik, first in imitation of Chinese porcelains and later with distinctive Ottoman motifs and colors. Length of velvet with carnations, Turkey (Bursa), Late 16th early 17th century. Cut and voided silk velvet brocaded with metallic thread (metal strips wrapped on a silk core). Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Gift of Mrs. J. D. Cameron Bradley, a. Photograph 2015 MFA, Boston Silk velvets decorated with large carnation blossoms were used by the Ottomans, mostly for furnishings such as covers or cushions. Wear and time have dulled the silver-wrapped threads and flattened the texture of this velvet, but it once would have dazzled the viewer with the juxtaposition of its silver sheen against the softness and depth of red and blue-green pile. Workshops in the city of Bursa, not far from Istanbul, supplied the Ottoman court as well as western European, Polish, and Russian markets with silks and velvets. Carnations like these bloomed throughout the palaces of Ottoman Istanbul, not only within the patterns of silks but also on glazed tiles and in textiles draped on floors, sofas, and walls. Courtiers used ceramic bowls and wore clothing decorated with the same floral designs. All of this made for a highly unified visual universe enveloping the members of the ruling elite. Important Elements of Design Line Color Shape Important Principles of Design Symmetrical balance Repetition of shape Pattern Identify What characteristic identifies this work of art as part of Ottoman culture? Describe How would you describe what you see in this image? How did the artist use the carnation to create visual rhythm? Examine What material was used to create this object? 24

26 Mughal Empire The Mughal dynasty, founded by a descendant of both the Mongol conqueror Genghis Khan and the Turkic leader Timur, conquered northern India from a base in Kabul in the early sixteenth century. From a capital first in Agra and then in Delhi, his successors soon came to rule nearly the entire subcontinent, using both military tactics and inclusive policies of administration. Though Mughal rulers adhered to the Sunni branch of Islam, they ruled with tolerance for two centuries over a kingdom mainly composed of Hindus, bringing into being an imperial culture that fused elements of Hindu and Muslim cultures. Extensive contact with Europeans contributed further to the richness of Mughal imperial culture. Following in Timurid footsteps, the Mughals were great patrons of the arts of the book. In their patronage, the Mughals proved themselves culturally omnivorous, sponsoring the copying of Persian as well as Hindu texts and creating an imperial style that combined elements of Persian, pre-islamic Indian, and European painting. Portraits of rulers and elites are among the most enduring works of Mughal art, as are the floral and figural carpets and textiles used to embellish palaces. As at the Ottoman and Safavid courts, conventions of dress communicated status and identity, and textile patterns could convey loyalty to the ruling regime. Ascribed to Muhammad ʿAli. Album folio fragment with scholar in a garden, North India, about Ink, color, gold, and silver on paper. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Francis Bartlett Donation of 1912 and Picture Fund, Photograph 2015 MFA, Boston This small painting depicts a gray-bearded man seated in a verdant garden, surrounded by the accoutrements of the scholar s life. To aid him in his work he has a book with a gilded leather cover, a gold pen box, a red portfolio of paper, and a small ceramic pot, possibly for ink. To sustain his energy, he has a bottle of wine (on a gold stand, with a gold goblet nearby) and a flask of water. The image may be emblematic of the intellectual life of the best and brightest at the height of the Mughal empire. Figural Art The Qurʾan does not prohibit the creation of figural art, but warns against idolatry, probably in response to the statues of gods that were worshipped in pre-islamic Arabia. As Islamic art and thought developed, ideas about the potential threat posed by figural imagery were elaborated. One Hadith, or saying of Muhammad, states that those who make pictures will be punished on the Day of Judgment by being told, Make alive what you have created. As humans lack the ability to breathe life into objects or images, they would of course fail this crucial test and be condemned for attempting to usurp a privilege unique to God. Because of beliefs such as these, figural representation is almost entirely excluded from Islamic religious contexts. Nevertheless, it has been an important part of secular Islamic art in nearly every period, region, and medium. Important Elements of Design Line Value Color Shape Space Important Principles of Design Asymmetrical balance Repetition of shape Pattern 25

27 Identify How does the artist use the elements of color, value, line, shape, texture, and space in this painting? Describe Describe this painting, including the subject and his surroundings. Examine What are the objects in the painting and what purpose do they serve? What can the objects tell you about the person in this painting? Interpret How do you think the artist intended the viewer to respond? 26

28 Safavid Empire The Safavid dynasty, founded by the head of a Sufi order based in the Iranian city of Ardabil, controlled Iran and surrounding regions between 1501 and From its inception, the Safavid dynasty made Shiʿa Islam the smaller of the two major branches of Islam, which maintains that authority passed from the Prophet Muhammad to his lineal descendants the official religion of its empire and mandated that the largely Sunni population of its empire convert. Gradually, the Safavids were able to cultivate a regional identity based on Shiʿism and Persian language and culture. They achieved their greatest strength around the start of the seventeenth century, under the rule of Shah ʿAbbas I, whose capital in Isfahan was known worldwide as a beautiful and prosperous city. Nearly all members of the dynasty were generous patrons of the arts, supporting workshops that brought together skilled artists who had served previous rulers of the region. Silk textiles produced in the empire were both used locally and exported to Europe, leading the Safavids into conflict with the Ottomans, who also aspired to control of the silk trade. Using silk for warps, wefts, and even pile, weavers found they could make carpets with increasingly elaborate patterns, sometimes with designs created by accomplished painters and draftsmen. The arts of the book saw great development as more and more artists began producing single-page paintings and drawings in self-consciously cultivated personal styles. Sunnism and Shiʿism Sunnism and Shiʿism are the two major branches of Islam. Sunnis make up about 85 percent of the Muslim population. They believe that the community as a whole can rightfully interpret the Qurʾan and select political and religious authorities, known as caliphs. Many followers of this sect can be found in Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Egypt, Syria, and North Africa. Shiʿis consider Ali, the Prophet s cousin and son-in-law, and his descendants the only true successors to the Prophet. About 15 percent of Muslims worldwide are Shiʿis. While most live in Iran and in Iraq, different Shiʿi communities can also be found in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bahrain, and Yemen. Bottle, Iran, Mid-to-late 17th century, with later addition. Fritware with painted decoration on white slip under transparent glaze; silver top. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. George Washington Wales, Photograph 2015 MFA, Boston About ten bottles nearly identical to this one can be found in museums around the world, and it is likely that some were made within a single workshop. One side shows a hunter shooting a deer, with a crane below, and the other side, a stylishly dressed man carrying a doe toward a kneeling woman. The subjects are painted in reserve over a flattened, pear-shaped clay body molded in low relief. For a vessel with this irregular shape, the clay would have been molded in two halves, a common practice in the Safavid period. Making the mold would have required great skill: a master positive, produced by a specialist, was used to make the negative, the model for the mold. The top of this bottle, like that of many others, has been lost. Based on intact examples, it would have had a tulip shape, with painted decoration. Today, the bottle bears an engraved silver cone, likely made in Iran in the nineteenth century. 27

29 Important Elements of Design Shape Color Line Form Important Principles of Design Repetition of shape Symmetrical balance Pattern Identify What is this object? For what purpose might it have been used? Describe How would you describe this bottle? What is depicted on the bottle s surface? Look at the painted decoration and describe the use of the elements of color, line, and shape. Examine How was this bottle made? What materials were used? Why is the top of the bottle made of different material? 28

30 Educator Activity: A Closer Look at the Empires Objective Students will learn more about the Safavid, Mughal, and Ottoman empires and identify present-day countries located where the territories for those empires used to be. Introduction The Safavid, Mughal, and Ottoman dynasties ruled most of the Islamic world from the sixteenth to the eighteenth century. Their histories involved conflict as well as engagement with one another during this period. Activity Review the histories of the Safavid, Mughal, and Ottoman empires. Investigate to find facts such as the years marking the beginning and end of each reign, and important rulers and events during each period. Also, learn about any cultural similarities and differences as well as any conflicts between these dynasties. Review the map at the beginning of this section to see the expanse of the geographical territory held by each; then list or use a current map to identify the present-day countries that were once part of these empires. 29

31 The Modern Age: Nineteenth Century and Beyond Until recently, Islamic art was often treated as if its production stopped abruptly at about the year 1800, as if the people and places where Islamic art thrived had suddenly disappeared. The reasons for this abrupt halt have to do with confusion about whether material from the early nineteenth century should be seen as art or ethnographic material, and with ambivalence among scholars about the status of Islamic art once it had begun to change through interaction with the West. Today, however, it has become clear that Islamic art s history continued into the nineteenth century and beyond, and that contemporary art made by artists with roots in the Islamic world constitutes the latest chapter. The Nineteenth Century Although the Ottoman empire persisted into the early twentieth century, the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries saw the weakening of centralized power. Meanwhile, movements for Turkish nationalism emerged. The power of the Mughals in India was also in decline over the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The dynasty s end came in 1858 when the subcontinent was incorporated into the British empire. Safavid rule in Iran persisted until the early eighteenth century and was followed for about fifty years by the Zand and Afsharid dynasties. These were succeeded in 1785 by the Qajar dynasty, which ruled Iran as well as parts of the Caucasus and Central Asia until the early twentieth century, while other areas of Central Asia came largely under Russian rule. To a certain degree, artistic practices of this period continued along lines established during the era of the great early modern empires. At the same time, however, increased contact with the West brought about European influence on trends that inspired artists to explore new imagery, techniques, and modes of representation. Patronage also underwent changes. For example, in India, artists in the waning years of the Mughal empire began working for both Court and Company that is, Mughal courtiers and officers of the East India Company, many of whom became colonial officials after University of Chicago Center for Middle Eastern Studies 30

32 Wall hanging (pardha), Uzbekistan, about Silk and cotton plain weave, warpikat. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Marshall H. Gould Fund, Photograph 2015 MFA, Boston Ikat, from the Malay word meaning to bind, is a type of resist-dyed (specifically, tie-dyed) textile produced in many parts of the world. In the region that is today Uzbekistan, ikat production seems to have taken root only in the early 1800s, but the results are celebrated. To create this wall hanging s colorful design, bundles of warp threads had to be tied in different configurations and immersed in dye. Its six-color palette probably took weeks, if not longer, to produce. What would have been a relatively simple composition of stripes was made more interesting by staggering the warp threads on the loom to create a chevron (v-shaped) pattern. Important Elements of Design Line Value Color Shape Important Principles of Design Symmetrical balance Harmony Repetition of shape and color Pattern Identify What is the dyeing technique used to create this wall hanging? Describe Describe the use of color, line, shape, texture, and value in this wall hanging. Examine How does this wall hanging maintain harmony while using a broad range of colors? 31

33 Modern and Contemporary Art The great changes of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries new economic and political circumstances, the prominence of the West, and the emergence of national identities had a dramatic impact on Islamic art, leading to new forms of art as well as new forums for its production, appreciation, and exchange. In the twentieth century, artists from the Middle East (those who continued to live in the Islamic world and those who emigrated) contended with a whirlwind of change, including the end of European colonialism and the birth of many new nations and nationalisms. Over the course of the century, some of these nations became wealthy and powerful, leading to yet another restructuring of economic and political relations within and beyond the Middle East. Many artists whose roots are in the Islamic world responded to this altered landscape by developing forms that were abstract, modern, and new, while connecting to or commenting on Islamic arts of the precolonial past. Some discovered in calligraphy, for example, a form of expression that was identifiably Islamic (or Arab, or Turkish) yet could be rendered modern through changes in scale or technique. Today some artists who identify personally with the Islamic world choose to work with styles, subjects, and techniques that have little or nothing to do with Islamic art, but are international. Others engage with both international styles and artistic traditions of their country or region of origin. Shahzia Sikander. Pathology of Suspension #6, Ink and gouache on prepared paper. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Barbara Lee Endowment for Contemporary Art by Women and Charles Bain Hoyt Fund, Photograph 2015 MFA, Boston In this work Shahzia Sikander s recognizable forms dissolve and transform before our eyes. The peach-colored ground is covered in gestural marks that approximate calligraphic letters of the Urdu alphabet but are neither formed of ink nor legible. Other forms depict gopis (female cowherds devoted to Krishna) or yoginis (female ascetics) from the painting traditions of northern India. They hover between full and partial figuration (some appear as floating torsos) and range from opaque to translucent. By excerpting and layering forms, Sikander reconstitutes canonical imagery in uncanny ways, calling into question the temporal and cultural fixedness of figural imagery as well as categories of identity, gender, statehood, and religious affiliation. Important Elements of Design Shape Space Line Color Important Principles of Design Radial balance Repetition of shape Describe How would you describe this work of art? Examine Look closely at the marks radiating from the center of the paper. What kinds of marks and images do you see? How did the artist apply the elements of design listed above? Interpret The artist uses elements of traditional cultural imagery in an unusual way. What does the artist want the viewer to think about? 32

34 Art Trunk Activity: Weaving Warm and Cool Patterns in Paper Pre-K 4 th grade Objective Participants will gain an understanding of warm and cool colors, discovering a wax resist dyeing process, and create their own woven patterns in paper. Image Wall hanging Vocabulary Warp Weft Weave Materials Book: Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns: A Muslim Book of Colors by Hena Khan and Mehrdokht Amini Videos: ArtQuest: Art Is All Around You Color Temperature and Color Theory (available at fristkids.org) Multisensory kit: silk pod, raw silk ikat, and cotton 8 ½ x 11 paper 1 x 8 paper strips (9 strips for each participant), in a variety of warm and cool colors Watercolors White crayon Paintbrushes Water cups Pencil Ruler Scissors Glue sticks Color wheel Introduction Start by looking at the image of the wall hanging from Uzbekistan. Explain to participants that this artist used the ikat process to dye their weaving. Ikat (pronounced ee-k-aw-t ) is similar to our American tiedyeing, as is binding textiles to resist a liquid dyeing process. Ikat means to bind. Pass out multisensory boards that display the various textures and patterns of twill cotton, ikat raw silk, and silk cocoons with a plain weaving. Explain that the wall hanging is a blending of two fibers, cotton and silk. Watch the ArtQuest: Art Is All Around You Color Temperature and Color Theory videos ( Once the videos are over, share the color wheel with the group. Read Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns: A Muslim Book of Colors to the class and ask the students to identify the warm and cool colors in the book while you read. Revisit the wall hanging image and ask: How many warm colors can you find on the wheel? In the weaving? How many cool colors can you find on the wheel? In the weaving? 33

35 Directions 1) Prepare the art-making space by covering and protecting surfaces in the room. Hand out 8 ½ x 11 paper, white crayons, water cups, paintbrushes, and watercolors. 2) Have participants use a white crayon to draw a pattern onto the 8 ½ x 11 paper. This paper will be their warp for the weaving. 3) Next, participants must dye their warp in warm colors (reds, yellows, oranges) or cool colors (blues, greens, and purples). They must pick only one set. 4) Paint over the paper with the chosen warm or cool colors. 5) While the paper dries, put away the watercolors, brushes, crayons, and water cups. 6) Once the paper warp is dry, hand out rulers and pencils. 7) Fold the warp in half shortways ( hamburger style). 8) Use the ruler to measure and then use pencil to make a mark one inch from each long open edge, opposite the fold. 9) Use the ruler to draw a straight line connecting the one-inch marks across the open edge of the warp. This line will be the guideline for drawing and cutting. 10) Continue measuring and marking one-inch spaces along the guideline and have participants draw a line from each mark from the guideline toward the folded end of the paper. (That is, not toward the open ends). TIP! The lines may be straight or curved, but make sure they are no less than 1 wide. 11) While paper is folded, cut along the lines from the fold to the guideline. 12) Unfold the paper to see the warp for their weaving. 13) Last, instruct participants to choose nine paper strips that are the opposite type of color from their previously dyed warp (i.e., warm-colored strips for a cool-colored warp, and cool-colored strips for a warm colored warp). These strips will be the weft in their weaving. 14) Using the nine weft strips, have participants weave across the warp, using one of the following patterns: Ages 5 7 Plain weave Using the weft, begin weaving an over-one, under-one pattern into the warp of your paper. Once the whole weft strip is in place, tap tightly to make sure it is straight. Begin the second row of weft, using the opposite weaving method with under-one, over-one. Continue this, alternating throughout each row. Alternating the beginnings of each row, along with leaving no gaps in the weft, will also help make the weaving stronger. When the final row has been woven, have participants glue down each row at its ends to secure the paper. Ages 8 and up Basket weave This is similar to the plain weave process, but instead of an over-one, under-one pattern, basket weave uses an over-two, under-two pattern. 15) Have an art show! Set a special space aside in your building, hallway, or classroom for others in your community to enjoy! 34

36 Art Trunk Activity: Woven Pattern Mini-Rug 5 th grade Adult Objective Participants will gain a better understanding of Middle Eastern weaving by using a shed stick and cardboard loom to create a colorful patterned mini-rug. Image Wall hanging Vobaculary Warp Weft Shed Materials Book: Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns: A Muslim Book of Colors by Hena Khan and Mehrdokht Amini Video: ArtQuest: Art Is All Around You Warm and Cool Colors (available at fristkids.org) Multisensory kit: silk pod, raw silk ikat, and cotton Sketch paper Pencils Colored pencils Cardboard loom Scissors Blue tapestry needles Ruler Pencil Tape 2 cardboard strip For the warp: natural cotton, cut into one 12.5 length per participant For the weft: thick, soft yarn in various colors, cut into one-yard strands Color wheel Introduction Start by looking at the image of the wall hanging from Uzbekistan. Explain to participants that this artist used the ikat process to dye their weaving. Ikat (pronounced ee-k-aw-t ) is similar to our American tiedyeing, as is binding textiles to resist a liquid dyeing process. Ikat means to bind. Pass out multisensory boards that display the various textures and patterns of twill cotton, ikat raw silk, and silk cocoons with a plain weaving. Explain that the wall hanging is blending of two fibers, cotton and silk. Watch ArtQuest: Art Is All Around You Color Temperature and Color Theory videos ( Once the videos are over, share the color wheel with the group. Read Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns: A Muslim Book of Colors to the class and ask the students to identify the warm and cool colors in the book while you read. Revisit the wall hanging image and ask: How many warm colors can you find on the wheel? In the weaving? How many cool colors can you find on the wheel? In the weaving? 35

37 Directions Beginning the process 1) Share with participants the sample weaving and explain that they will each create their own minirug. 2) Hand out sketch paper, pencils, and colored pencils. 3) Ask participants to sketch a simple pattern, consisting of stripes in different colors, for a rug that will be 4 5 inches long. This sketch will help them think about the design of the rug and act as a map as they weave. Warping the loom 1) Hand out cardboard looms, warp thread, tape, and scissors. 2) Have participants warp the loom by taping one end of the thread to the back of the cardboard. They should then loop the thread back and forth across the front of the loom. There should be 12 lines of thread across the front when they are done. 3) Have participants tape the loose end of the thread to the back side of the cardboard and, if necessary, cut off the excess. Using a shed stick 1) Participants can use a ruler as a shed stick, which will help them weave faster. First, show them how to weave the ruler over and under through the warp. 2) Ask each participant to twist their ruler on its side to raise every other thread. Doing so will create a diamond-shaped opening. This opening is called the shed. 3) Ask participants to double-check their threads, to make sure they have woven their shed stick correctly into the warp. Make corrections as needed. 4) Hand out needles and weft yarn. 5) Beginning with a shed stick on its side, demonstrate to participants how to pass the needle between the warp threads. Explain that the shed stick only raises one shed (i.e., one set of threads), and then show them how to return it to its flat position and how to weave the needle under and over the second shed (i.e., the next set of threads) to create the next row of the rug. Explain that they will be alternating between raising the shed stick (passing the needle between the threads) and laying it flat (weaving the needle over and under the threads). Weaving the rug 1) Hand out the 2 cardboard strips. Have participants position the strip at the bottom of the loom as a spacer. Participants should start their weaving above the top edge of the strip. The unwoven space created by the strip will reserve enough warp thread to tie into knots later (in Completing the Rug ). 2) Have each participant follow these steps: a. Look at your sketch to see what color the first stripe should be. b. Select a strand of weft yarn that is the same color (or close to it). c. Thread the yarn through the tapestry needle. Do not tie any knots into the thread. Just bring the thread through the eye of the needle until it overlaps with itself by two or three inches. d. Begin weaving by turning the shed stick onto its side, which should raise every other thread in the warp. e. Pass the needle through the shed (the diamond-shaped opening), pulling the weft yarn through until there is only a two- or three-inch-long tail hanging over the edge of the loom. f. Turn the shed stick back to its flat position. Create the next row of the rug by weaving the weft yarn back through the warp, using the under-and-over pattern demonstrated in Step 5 of Using a shed stick. Pack this row snugly against the row below it by using the ruler or needle to push the yarn down. 36

38 Note to teachers: Remind participants to avoid weaving too tight or too loose, and to keep the warp threads parallel to one another, being careful not to pull the weft yarn in too tight along the sides of the weaving (known as the selvage edges). Paying close attention to this will help participants produce a more even fabric. 1) Have each participant continue to weave with the first color until there are only 6 inches of yarn left on the needle. 2) Instruct participants to remove the needle from the yarn, leaving the 6-inch tail hanging off the side of the loom. 3) Have participants look at their sketches again, to see what the color of the next stripe should be. Ask them to follow these next steps: a. Select a strand of weft yarn that is the color (or close to it) of the next stripe on your sketch. b. Thread the needle with it and begin weaving as before, remembering to leave a 2- or 3- inch-long tail hanging over the side of the weaving when you start. c. Follow your sketch, changing weft colors when each stripe is as wide as the stripe on your sketch. Don t forget to leave a 2- or 3-inch-long tail when you start each new color! d. When your rug is as long as your sketch (4 5 inches), you are done with the weaving part. Completing the rug 1) Demonstrate to participants how to use their tapestry needles to weave the weft tails into the stripes of the rug, using the under-and-over pattern they learned above. 2) After all the tails have been woven into the rug, ask each participant to release the warp from the loom by cutting the threads at each end. 3) Participants will finish their rugs by tying pairs of warp threads together, making six knots at the bottom and six knots at the top. They can use scissors to even out any ends that are too long or even. 37

39 Timeline of Major Islamic Empires and Dynasties 38

40 Glossary Abrahamic religions: Monotheistic religions that trace their common origin to the patriarch Abraham or recognize a spiritual tradition identified with him. The three largest Abrahamic religions were founded in the following chronological order: Judaism (1st millennium BCE), Christianity (1st century CE), and Islam (7th century CE). al-andalus: Also known as Muslim Spain, this term is applied to the portions of the Iberian Peninsula under Islamic rule between the years 711 and 1492, especially the region corresponding roughly with present-day Andalusia in southern Spain. caliph: A deputy or commander of the Islamic community whose role combines both religious and political functions. The first four rightly guided caliphs Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali were companions of Muhammad and served collectively from 632 through 661 CE. caliphate: A form of Islamic government led by a caliph. calligraphy: The art of producing decorative handwriting or lettering with a pen or brush. codex (plural codices): A book constructed of a number of sheets of paper, vellum, papyrus, or similar materials, with handwritten content. design: The organization or composition of a work; the skilled arrangement of its parts. An effective design is one in which the elements of art and principles of design have been combined to achieve an overall sense of unity. dynasty: A sequence of rulers from the same family, stock, or group. East India Company: A company chartered in 1600 by the British government to trade in the East Indies. After being driven out by the Dutch, it developed trade with India until the Indian Mutiny (1857), when the British took over the administration. The company was dissolved in empire: An extensive group of states or countries under a single supreme authority. folio: An individual leaf of paper or parchment, occurring either loose as one of a series or forming part of a bound volume. fritware: A type of pottery produced to mimic Chinese porcelain. Earthenware vessels are coated with a mixture of white clay, quartz, and soda that fires into a brittle white material, which is then covered with a thin transparent glaze. geometric: Refers to any shape or form made up of straight lines or angles, including circle, ovals, triangles, rectangles, squares, and other quadrilaterals, along with such polygons such as pentagons, hexagons, etc. Gregorian calendar: The calendar introduced in 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII and still commonly used in the West today. Hadith: A collection of traditions containing sayings of the prophet Muhammad that, with accounts of his daily practice (the Sunna), constitute the major source of guidance for Muslims apart from the Qurʾan. 39

41 hijra: The migration of Muhammad and his followers from Mecca to Medina in 622 CE to escape persecution. The year 622 marks the beginning of the Islamic calendar. ikat: A technique used to pattern textiles. A dye-resistant substance is put on the warp fibers or the weft fibers prior to dyeing and weaving, leaving select areas of the textile undyed. The front and back of an ikat textile look the same. Islam: The religion revealed to Muhammad that entails the complete acceptance of the wisdom of God. The word Islam is derived from the Arabic root word for peace. Islamic calendar: Also known as the Hijri calendar, this is a lunar calendar consisting of 12 months, with 354 days in a year. Kaʿba: A cube-shaped stone structure seen as Islam s most sacred building. The faithful turn toward it when they pray, and circumambulate it during the rites of the hajj. It stands in the middle of an immense mosque complex in Mecca. khan: A title given to rulers and officials in central Asia, Afghanistan, and some other Muslim countries. lampas: A heavy fabric similar to satin, often elaborate and multicolored. Since the pattern is floated against a stable diagonal background, the wrong side is often as attractive as the right side. Mecca: A city in southwestern Saudi Arabia and the Prophet Muhammad s birthplace. It is considered the holiest Islamic city and is the pilgrimage destination for Muslims from all over the world. monotheistic: The belief in a single all-powerful god, as opposed to the belief in multiple gods. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are widely practiced forms of monotheism. mosque: A Muslim place of worship. Muhammad: Arab prophet and founder of Islam. Muslims regard him as God s messenger through whom the Qurʾan was revealed. Muhammad established a theocratic state at Medina after 622 and began to convert Arabia to Islam. Muslim: A follower of the religion of Islam. Literally one who submits. pseudo-script: The decorative imitation of a style of inscription. Qurʾan: The body of divine revelations transmitted orally to the Prophet Muhammad and written down by his followers after his death. Muhammad received God s message in Arabic, so it consequently became the language of the Qurʾan. satin weave: A basic weave structure characterized by four or more weft yarns floating over a warp yarn or vice versa. shed: In weaving, the temporary separation between upper and lower warp yarns through which the weft is woven. The shed is created to make it easy to interlace the weft into the warp and thus create woven fabric. Shiʿa: One of the two major sects of Islam, followed especially in Iran. Shiʿites consider Ali, the Prophet s cousin and son-in-law, and his descendants the only true successors to the Prophet. About 15 percent of Muslims worldwide are Shiʿites. 40

42 Sufi: Member of an ascetic, contemplative Muslim sect founded in Iran in the eighth century. sultan: The political leader of some Islamic states, specifically those under Turkish control. sultanate: The office or authority of a sultan. Sunni: One of the two major sects of Islam. Sunnis make up about 85 percent of the Muslim population. They believe that the community as a whole can rightfully interpret the Qurʾan and select political and religious authorities, known as caliphs. tessellation: A collection of shapes that fit together to cover a surface without overlapping or leaving gaps. Urdu alphabet: The right-to-left alphabet used for the Urdu language, the official language of Pakistan and India. It is a modification of the Persian alphabet, which is itself a derivative of the Arabic alphabet. warp: The first threads positioned on a loom, which form the lengthwise threads in a woven fabric. weave: To make (fabric, baskets, or the like) by passing threads or strips over and under each other; also known as interlace. weft: The thread or yarn that alternately crosses over and under the warp in a woven material; also known as the woof. zoomorphic: Having or representing the form of an animal. 41

43 Dynasties and Empires Abbasid caliphate ( ) The second major Islamic dynasty, which significantly expanded the Islamic empire. Its members claimed to be descendants of Abbas, uncle of Muhammad. Afsharid dynasty ( ) The founder of this empire was Nader Shah Afshar, and Afsharid kings originated from an area northeast of Persia. The Afsharid empire was the greatest Iranian dynasty after Islam. Byzantine empire ( ) After the Roman emperor Constantine converted to Christianity, he shifted the capital of the Roman empire to the east, making Constantinople the seat of the new Byzantine empire. The Byzantine empire ultimately lost Constantinople to the Ottoman empire in Fatimid caliphate ( ) This was the fourth and final Arab caliphate. The Fatimids ruled North Africa and established the Egyptian city of Cairo as their capital. They were descended from Fatima, daughter of Muhammad, and her husband. Ilkhanid khanate ( ) A khanate (principality or kingdom ruled by a khan) established by the descendants of the Mongol conqueror Genghis Khan. Mamluk sultanate ( ) The Mamluks emerged from Turkic military forces who served the preceding Egyptian dynasty and overthrew their masters, establishing their own rule with an unusual political system in which slaves held positions of great power and were recruited into leadership. Mongol empire ( ) An empire founded by Genghis Khan in 1206 when he brought together the Mongol tribes. When their territory reached its greatest extent in the thirteenth century, it encompassed the larger part of Asia and extended westward to the Dnieper River in eastern Europe. Mughal empire ( ) Founded by Turkic prince Bābur, a descendant of Genghis Khan. Mughals ruled most of northern India. Nasrid dynasty ( ) The Nasrids, whose capital was Granada, were the last of many Islamic dynasties to rule in Spain. Their reign ended in 1492, when most Muslims and Jews were cast out of Spain by the Castilian king and queen, Ferdinand and Isabella. Ottoman empire ( ) A Turkish empire based in the capital city of Istanbul (i.e., Constantinople). It controlled the eastern and southern lands around the Mediterranean Sea. The empire collapsed after World War I. Qajar dynasty ( ) A ruling Turkic dynasty of Iran founded by Āghā Moḥammad Khān. Safavid dynasty ( ) This dynasty ruled in Iran and traced its lineage to an important Sufi mystic. Sasanian empire ( ) A Persian empire founded by Ardashir I, which at its greatest extent encompassed what is now Iran, Iraq, Eastern Arabia, the eastern Mediterranean, the Caucasus, Egypt, parts of Turkey, Central Asia, Yemen, and Pakistan and is considered the last great Iranian empire before the Muslim conquest. Seljuq dynasty ( ) The Seljuqs were a Turkic people from Central Asia who ruled Iran, Iraq, and most of Syria during their reign. 42

44 Timurid empire ( ) Named for the founder of the dynasty, Timur (called Tamerlane in the West), the Timurids were Turks who conquered much of Greater Iran and Central Asia. They were important patrons of the arts, commissioning architectural monuments as well as fine illustrated manuscripts. Umayyad caliphate ( ) It was the largest empire in the world at the time, and the fifth largest empire in history. It was ruled by the Umayyad dynasty, whose members came from Mecca. Damascus was their capital from 661 to 744, Harran from 744 to 750, and in exile their capital was Córdoba ( ). Zand dynasty ( ) An Iranian dynasty of Lurish or Kurdish origin founded by Karim Khan Zand that initially ruled southern and central Iran in the eighteenth century. It later quickly expanded to include much of the rest of contemporary Iran, as well as Azerbaijan and parts of Iraq and Armenia. 43

45 Resources Books for children Ahsan, M. M. Muslim Festivals. Vero Beach, FL: Rourke Enterprises, Ghazi, Suhaib Hamid. Ramadan. New York: Holiday House, Gordon, Matthew S. Islam. New York: Facts on File, Husain, Shahrukh. What Do We Know about Islam? New York: P. Bedrick Books, Khan, Hena, and Mehrdokht Amini. Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns: A Muslim Book of Colors. San Francisco: Chronicle Books, Monaghan, Kathleen, and Hermon Joyner. You Can Weave! Projects for Young Weavers. Worcester, MA: Davis Publications, Reidy, Hannah, and Emma Dodd. All Sorts of Shapes. Minneapolis, MN: Picture Window Books, Rumford, James. Traveling Man: The Journey of Ibn Battuta, Boston: Houghton Mifflin, Books for adults Bloom, Jonathan, and Sheila Blair. Islamic Arts. London: Phaidon Press, Douglass, Susan L. Beyond a Thousand and One Nights: A Sampler of Literature from Muslim Civilization. Fountain Valley, CA: Council on Islamic Education, Douglass, Susan L., and Karima Diane Alavi. The Emergence of Renaissance: Cultural Interactions between Europeans and Muslims. Fountain Valley, CA: Council on Islamic Education, Irwin, Robert. Islamic Art in Context: Art, Architecture, and the Literary World. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Weinstein, Laura. Ink, Silk and Gold: Islamic Art from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Boston: Museum of Fine Arts, Online resources for teachers Smithsonian Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery. Arts of The Islamic World: A Teacher s Guide. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution, Teaching about Islam and Muslims in the Public School Classroom. Fountain Valley, CA: Council on Islamic Education,

46 October 9, 2015 January 10, 2016 Platinum Sponsor Silver Sponsor Supporting Sponsor Hospitality Sponsor 2015 Education and Outreach Sponsor Lynn and Ken Melkus Teacher and School Program Sponsor Supporting Sponsor Art Trunks Sponsor The Frist Center for the Visual Arts is supported in part by Accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, the Frist Center for the Visual Arts is a 501(c)3 nonprofit art exhibition center dedicated to presenting and originating high-quality exhibitions with related educational programs and community outreach activities. The Frist Center offers the finest visual art from local, regional, national, and international sources in a program of changing exhibitions that inspire people through art to look at their world in new ways.