The weavings of the Bedouin (????), a term that generically applies to nomadic desert dwelling people of the middle east, are apparently finally getting some valuable appreciation. This article says that the rich and famous of Israel are buying them up quite quickly.
The Three princes of Serendip is an ancient Indian/Persian story about three brothers who go on various quests. It is from this story that Horace Walpole originally coined the term “serendipity”.
In these stories the three princes use small and seemingly insignificant clues to discover things about the nature of events. Their technique is akin to […]
Isfahan province is situated in the approximate center of Iran. In the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries this area prospered as part of Safavid Persia. The city of Isfahan was the seat of their monarchy and is well known for its architectural beauty. During the safavid dynasty both the weaving of rugs and other forms […]
Arabesque has a very important spiritual meaning in Islamic society. This repetition is intended to represent an infinite pattern that extends beyond the material world. By symbolizing the infinite these patterns symbolize the uncentralized nature of the creation of God (Allah).
Due to the significant spiritual meaning of arabesque it is often used in mosques.
Here […]
Arabesque is the term applied to the elaborate repetition of geometric forms in Arabic art. These forms often echo forms in nature such as plants or animals.
Here is an image that shows the use of arabesque. This image is of the Tomb of Shah Nematollah Vali in Iran.
Expression is not always the primary role of art. Throughout history there have been many situations where art is created with the main goal of astonishing and amazing people. Such art can play important political and diplomatic roles and act as a display of the power of certain leaders or organizations.
For example here is a […]
The Fatimid court in Cairo was itself a show of power. The court was located within a ten-gated large well. Inside that, the palace area was cordoned off by chains and protected by a large clear space (which was constantly patrolled by guards).
The palaces themselves were a location of great splendor that was able to […]
In 1068 the fabled treasury of the Fatimid caliph’s palace was pillaged by troops whose lack of adequate pay had motivated them to mutiny. The pillaging revealed the amazing collection that the caliph had amassed and dispersed this collection to the world. In some cases these objects found their way to the Christian west (the […]
When the ‘abbasid dynasty came to power they were greatly aided by the shi’a minority in the Middle East. This was at least partially because the ‘abbasid dynasty based their right to power in part on bloodlines to Mohammed. However, once the dynasty was in power they embraced Sunni Islam and shunned shi’a beliefs. This […]
An islamic prayer rug, or sajada, is generally a rather small rug. It’s size ranges from 3’x5’ to 4’x6’. Sometimes they are extremely fine rugs with extra attention paid to details. However, the vast majority of prayer rugs are simply made in a factory setting and often with the same patterns.