Lesson 12: Arab Arts

Question 1

Arts of Pre-Islamic Civilizations (Fertile Crescent & Egypt)

Answer 1

• Music, calligraphy, painting and sculpture
• Traces present in today’s Arab arts
  With Islam:
  Music continued
  Architecture and calligraphy thrived
  Arabesque was born
  Sculpture disappeared for a while

Question 2

Calligraphy Etymology

Answer 2

Greek kalligraphia (art of beautiful writing)

Question 3

Thriving of Calligraphy in Islam

Answer 3

• Inspired by Egyptian hieroglyphs in early days
• Thrived for 2 reasons:

1) Direct: Koran (word of God) should be represented in most respectful/beautiful form

2) Indirect: longtime dominant interpretation of Koran prohibiting painting of living beings (humans and animals) but not plants

Question 4

Development of Arabic Calligraphy

Answer 4

Cannot associate one single place or person to birth of this art

Question 5

Characteristics of Calligraphy

Answer 5

1) Precedence of Beauty (over Clarity)

2) Quest of harmony (in the letters)

3) Combination of arts and mathematics (for proportions of letters)

Question 6

Categories of Arabic Calligraphy

Answer 6

1) Rectilinear or Kufic
=> dominance of angles over curves - besides that artists free to create and innovate
=> clarity not primary criterion
=> height of vertical and horizontal letters can be disproportionate
=> preferred script for writing Koran for a long time and for ornamental decoration of mosques and palaces

2) Cursive
=> meant to be beautiful but also easily read
=> dominance of curves
=> balanced vertical and horizontal proportions
Ex: Thuluti & Diwani

Question 7

Origins of Arabesque

Answer 7

• Inspiration: Greek art of mosaic murals
  => closed circuit - figure glorified but put in closed space (bound by laws of cosmos i.e. Greek sense of tragedy)
  => forms reflect geometric laws (symbolizing laws of universe)
• After they came to Venice in 15th century, they were dubbed “arabesque” by Italians (previously just called azzakhrafa or art of decoration by Arabs)

Question 8

Characteristics of Arabesque

Answer 8

1)Absence of human and divine figures (dominant Koranic interpretation)

2)Omnipresence of plants’ motifs (symbolizing life which can lead to eternity)

3)Curvilinear complex forms (more complex than Greeks’ but still regular)

4) Endless movement (repetition that can continue indefinitely - as opposed to Greeks’ closed circuit)

Question 9

Functions of a Mosque

Answer 9

1) Religious: praying place where man meets God

2) Social: meeting place where Muslims can come together regularly

3) Political: because costly, symbol of builder’s glory and generosity

Question 10

Mandatory Components of a Mosque (3 M)

Answer 10

1) mihrab - niche in wall that indicates direction of Mecca

2) minbar - elevated pulpit where sermons are given by the Imam

3) minaret - tower from which prayer is called and landmark in the city for people to find their way