Oahu kiki tracks the number of units purchased and sold

Art across Cultures 5

ART ACROSS CULTURES

Student’s Name

Code + Course Name

Professor’s Name

University Name

City, State

Date

Art across Cultures

Introduction

I visited the Victoria and Albert Museum located in London this year to see and learn more about Islamic art, putting my focus on the Jameel collection. This was my second time to visit the museum. I had previously gone with one of my friends, and the two visits were impressive as the presentation of the exhibits is of high quality. Mainly, the Jameel collection, which focuses on Islamic art, is excellent as it has Islamic artifacts going way back to the Islamic Empire era, depicting various regions and periods of rule. The collection has many different pieces that one can choose from, but some of them are not detailed enough. The following report seeks to elaborate more about five specific pieces of art found in the Jameel Collection located inside the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Ardabil Carpet

image1.jpg

The Ardabil Carpet, unknown, 1539-1540, Iran. Museum no. 272-1893. V&A Museum, London

This carpet is the centerpiece of the Islamic collection in the museum. It is laid on the floor and protected by glass. Furthermore, it is covered by a ceiling filled with lights that go off for thirty minutes and stay on for ten minutes. This helps keep the colors vibrant. Before going to the museum I had seen a couple of images on the internet, but seeing the artifact in person gave me the clear picture I have been yearning for since I could now see the actual thing live with all the measurements and everything else . The intricate detail and dimensions of the carpet are interesting, and one has to take a couple of minutes to admire the piece, putting in mind all the time and work put in to have the final piece.

Usually, artifacts placed in museums are typically accompanied by a small sign showing a little detail about the specific piece. In this case, the museum’s management put the artifact’s information differently as the carpet had a small book placed next to it, detailing more information about the piece. The manual indicates that the rug was not done by one artist, but rather a team of craftsmen who weaved the carpet and completed it within a couple of years . The artists used v wool pile that was woven in around 5,000 knots after every ten-centimeter squares, which made it dense and provided room for sophisticated detailing. The carpet has an image portraying the sun in the middle and surrounded by oval shapes which lie against the artifact’s backdrop and is also covered by flowers . There are two lanterns on opposite sides from where the sun is, just next to the frame corners located on the inner part of the carpet. The piece has stunning detail, and one cannot avoid spending a little time admiring the work done by these artists.

Minbar for Sultan Qa’itbay

image2.jpg

Minbar, unknown, 1468-1496, Cairo. Museum no. 1050:1 to 2:1869. V&A Museum, London

This is another beautiful piece on display in the Jameel collection. It is a minbar made for Sultan Qa’itbay of Egypt in the thirteenth century. Before visiting the museum, I had previously studied the minbar of Saladin, and when I saw this piece on display, I almost creamed my lungs out because of the excitement. The piece is huge, and the craftsmanship is exquisite. The piece is taller than the common man, and the wood carvings are all over the panels. The side and top wooden panels are covered with geometric patterns of flowers, stars, diamonds and flowing calligraphy. The piece was originally painted gold but has since faded to specks. Nonetheless, the current look does not hinder one from seeking the beauty or value of the minbar. One can only imagine how the piece looked like when it was new.

One striking characteristic of the minbar is how it was constructed. According to sources on the minbar of Saladin, no nails or screws were used to put the panels together. The craftsmen cut the panels to fit each other seamlessly specifically. Lack of any other material apart from wood makes the artwork priceless . The artist avoided using any foreign material as they wanted the piece to be a reflection of God’s purity. This elevated the art from a simple structure made by human beings to something that was made through inspiration from the most Supreme Being, Allah.

A Crown molding is placed at the top of the minbar, which reminds viewers that the piece was meant for use by the powerful individuals such as a leader of the prayer, Imam, or God. The piece also has small spheres that lead up to curved pieces and meet in the middle, forming a circular shape. The top design is simple and helps in increasing the feeling of the power and presence of God. The devotion of the Islamic faith is well represented in this piece of art. That leads one to conclude that the artists who made this piece were staunch Muslims.

Comparison between Western and Non-Western Art

No-western art such as the ones displayed above is different from western art in terms of the medium used, culture, philosophy, and religion. The artwork is done using different forms of medium. For instance, most of the western forms of art are done on canvas, while Islamic art mostly appears on ivory. Moreover, sculptors in the western world use plastic, stone or metal, while such sculptures as the ones above mostly use ceramic.