Islamic art

Shah Jahan 's 1648 memorial to wife Mumtaz Mahal , would, in 1983, be cited as "the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage ." Embroidered panel, 18th to 19th century, from the Caucasus , possibly Karabagh . These colorful textiles of the Caucasus region were a domestic art made for home use and local commerce, and may have inspired the better-known Caucasian rugs made for export. Islamic art encompasses the visual arts produced from the 7th century onwards by people (not necessarily Muslim ) who lived within the territory that was inhabited by culturally Islamic populations. It includes fields as varied as architecture , calligraphy , painting , and ceramics , among others. Typically, though not entirely, Islamic art has focused on the depiction of patterns and Arabic calligraphy, rather than on figures, because it is feared by many Muslims that the depiction of the human form is idolatry and thereby a sin against Allah , forbidden in the Qur'an .

Detail of arabesque decoration at the Alhambra in Spain The Ardabil Carpet , probably the finest surviving Persian carpet , Tabriz , mid-16th century Hunters at a Stream - Riza `Abbasi, c.1625 Brooklyn Museum Islamic art encompasses the visual arts produced in the Islamic world . Islamic art is difficult to characterize because it covers a wide range of lands, periods, and genres, including Islamic architecture , Islamic calligraphy , Islamic miniature , Islamic glass , Islamic pottery , and textile arts such as carpets and embroidery . It comprises both religious and secular art forms. Religious art is represented by calligraphy, architecture and furnishings of religious buildings, such as mosque fittings (e.g., mosque lamps and Girih tiles ), woodwork and carpets. Secular art also flourished in the Islamic world, although some of its elements were criticized by religious scholars . Early development of Islamic art was influenced by Roman art , Early Christian art (particularly Byzantine art ), and Sassanian art, with later influences from Central Asian nomadic traditions. Chinese art had a formative influence on Islamic painting, pottery, and textiles. Though the concept of "Islamic art" has been criticised by some modern art historians as an illusory Eurocentric construct, the similarities between art produced at widely different times and places in the Islamic world, especially in the Islamic Golden Age , have been sufficient to keep the term in wide use by scholars. Islamic art is often characterized by recurrent motifs, such as the use of geometrical floral or vegetal designs in a repetition known as the arabesque . The arabesque in Islamic art is often used to symbolize the transcendent, indivisible and infinite nature of God. Mistakes in repetitions may be intentionally introduced as a show of humility by artists who believe only God can produce perfection, although this theory is disputed. Some interpretations of Islam include a ban of depiction of animate beings, also known as aniconism. Islamic aniconism stems in part from the prohibition of idolatry and in part from the belief that creation of living forms is God's prerogative. Muslims have interpreted these prohibitions in different ways in different times and places. Religious Islamic art has been typically characterized by the absence of figures and extensive use of calligraphic , geometric and abstract floral patterns. However, representations of Islamic religious figures are found in some manuscripts from Persianate cultures , including Ottoman Turkey and Mughal India . These pictures were meant to illustrate the story and not to infringe on the Islamic prohibition of idolatry, but many Muslims regard such images as forbidden. In secular art of the Muslim world, representations of human and animal forms historically flourished in nearly all Islamic cultures, although, partly because of opposing religious sentiments, figures in paintings were often stylized, giving rise to a variety of decorative figural designs. This is a European construct of the 19th century that gained wide acceptance following a display of Les Arts Musulmans at the old Trocadero palace in Paris during the 1889 Exposition Universelle. The idea of "Islamic art" has even less substance than the notion of "Christian art" from the British Isles to Germany to Russia during the 1000 years separating the reigns of Charlemagne and Queen Victoria might have. The future of art in a digital age: from Hellenistic to Hebraic consciousness . Islamic and Geometric Art . What Everyone Needs to Know about Islam (2nd ed.). The Metropolitan Museum of Art .

Visual art forms associated with Muslims This article is about the concept of visual arts in art history . Detail of arabesque decoration at the Alhambra in Spain The Ardabil Carpet , probably the finest surviving Persian carpet , Tabriz , mid-16th century Hunters at a Stream - Riza `Abbasi, c. 1625 Brooklyn Museum Islamic art is a part of Islamic culture and encompasses the visual arts produced since the 7th century CE by people who lived within territories inhabited or ruled by Muslim populations. Referring to characteristic traditions across a wide range of lands, periods, and genres, Islamic art is a concept used first by Western art historians in the late 19th century. Public Islamic art is traditionally non- representational , except for the widespread use of plant forms, usually in varieties of the spiralling arabesque . These are often combined with Islamic calligraphy , geometric patterns in styles that are typically found in a wide variety of media, from small objects in ceramic or metalwork to large decorative schemes in tiling on the outside and inside of large buildings, including mosques . Other forms of Islamic art include Islamic miniature painting, artefacts like Islamic glass or pottery , and textile arts, such as carpets and embroidery . The early developments of Islamic art were influenced by Roman art , Early Christian art (particularly Byzantine art ), and Sassanian art, with later influences from Central Asian nomadic traditions. Chinese art had a significant influence on Islamic painting, pottery, and textiles. From its beginnings, Islamic art has been based on the written version of the Quran and other seminal religious works, which is reflected by the important role of calligraphy, representing the word as the medium of divine revelation. Religious Islamic art has been typically characterized by the absence of figures and extensive use of calligraphic , geometric and abstract floral patterns. In secular art of the Muslim world, representations of human and animal forms historically flourished in nearly all Islamic cultures, although, partly because of opposing religious sentiments, living beings in paintings were often stylized, giving rise to a variety of decorative figural designs. Both religious and secular art objects often exhibit the same references, styles and forms. These include calligraphy, architecture, textiles and furnishings, such as carpets and woodwork. Secular arts and crafts include the production of textiles, such as clothing, carpets or tents, as well as household objects, made from metal, wood or other materials. Further, figurative miniature paintings have a rich tradition, especially in Persian , Mughal and Ottoman painting . These pictures were often meant to illustrate well-known historical or poetic stories. Some interpretations of Islam, however, include a ban of depiction of animate beings, also known as aniconism. Islamic aniconism stems in part from the prohibition of idolatry and in part from the belief that creation of living forms is God's prerogative. MSN Encarta: Islamic Art and architecture . The Oxford companion to the book . The Metropolitan Museum of Art . The other group of miniaturists preferred naive genre scenes illustrating folk characteristics, as in the Toḥfat al-aḥrār of the 1670s." "History of art in Iran. viii. What Everyone Needs to Know about Islam (2nd ed.).

Visual art forms associated with Muslims This article is about the visual arts in art history . Detail of arabesque decoration at the Alhambra in Spain The Ardabil Carpet , probably the finest surviving Persian carpet , Tabriz , mid-16th century Hunters at a Stream - Riza `Abbasi, c. 1625 Brooklyn Museum Islamic art is a part of Islamic culture and encompasses the visual arts produced since the 7th century CE by people who lived within territories inhabited or ruled by Muslim populations. Referring to characteristic traditions across a wide range of lands, periods, and genres, Islamic art is a concept used first by Western art historians in the late 19th century. Public Islamic art is traditionally non- representational , except for the widespread use of plant forms, usually in varieties of the spiralling arabesque . These are often combined with Islamic calligraphy , geometric patterns in styles that are typically found in a wide variety of media, from small objects in ceramic or metalwork to large decorative schemes in tiling on the outside and inside of large buildings, including mosques . Other forms of Islamic art include Islamic miniature painting, artefacts like Islamic glass or pottery , and textile arts, such as carpets and embroidery . The early developments of Islamic art were influenced by Roman art , Early Christian art (particularly Byzantine art ), and Sassanian art, with later influences from Central Asian nomadic traditions. Chinese art had a significant influence on Islamic painting, pottery, and textiles. From its beginnings, Islamic art has been based on the written version of the Quran and other seminal religious works, which is reflected by the important role of calligraphy, representing the word as the medium of divine revelation. Religious Islamic art has been typically characterized by the absence of figures and extensive use of calligraphic , geometric and abstract floral patterns. Nevertheless, representations of human and animal forms historically flourished in nearly all Islamic cultures, although, partly because of opposing religious sentiments, living beings in paintings were often stylized, giving rise to a variety of decorative figural designs. Both religious and secular art objects often exhibit the same references, styles and forms. These include calligraphy, architecture, textiles and furnishings, such as carpets and woodwork. Secular arts and crafts include the production of textiles, such as clothing, carpets or tents, as well as household objects, made from metal, wood or other materials. Further, figurative miniature paintings have a rich tradition, especially in Persian , Mughal and Ottoman painting . These pictures were often meant to illustrate well-known historical or poetic stories. Some interpretations of Islam, however, include a ban of depiction of animate beings, also known as aniconism. Islamic aniconism stems in part from the prohibition of idolatry and in part from the belief that creation of living forms is God's prerogative. MSN Encarta: Islamic Art and architecture . The Oxford companion to the book . The Metropolitan Museum of Art . The other group of miniaturists preferred naive genre scenes illustrating folk characteristics, as in the Toḥfat al-aḥrār of the 1670s." "History of art in Iran. viii. What Everyone Needs to Know about Islam (2nd ed.).