Belt of Shah Isma’il I, steel and gold, Iran c.1500 AD.
Week Two: The Arabesque, Geometric Patterns and Figural Art
James Allan, Emeritus Professor of Eastern Art, University of Oxford, and former Keeper of Eastern Art at the Ashmolean Museum, leads this three lecture course which aims to introduce Islamic art and architecture to non-specialists. The first two talks will focus on Islamic art and design, and the third on the most important architectural monuments of Islam, mosques.
In Week Two we shall look at interwoven geometric patterns and the arabesque, following the latter into the range of floral designs current in later Islamic art. We shall see how designs combine to make highly intricate, but deeply satisfying, decorations in a range of media including valuable textiles and vibrantly coloured tiles. There is another element to Islamic art, however, figural art. It is often mistakenly believed, both by Muslims and non-Muslims, that Islamic art is non-representational. We shall explore Islamic art’s figural side, and see how widespread this really is, even in some religious settings.
Proceeds from our ticket sales benefit museums, galleries and other arts-based organisations and projects.
This is an online event hosted on Zoom which can be watched live, or on-demand for three weeks afterwards. You will receive your link to access the event in your email confirmation and the on-demand link after the event ends.