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| Browse Arts of the Islamic World |
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WHAT
DEFINES "ARTS OF THE ISLAMIC WORLD"?
The phrases “arts of the Islamic World” and “Islamic
art” refer to a variety of artistic traditions that have flourished
since the advent of Islam in the late seventh century across a vast
geographic area ranging from southern Spain and North Africa to
the islands of Southeast Asia. While different regions developed
their own distinctive styles, the resulting artwork shared several
characteristics inspired by their common religion, such as the use
of calligraphy to transform simple objects into works of art and
the use of abstract geometric designs to decorate the Koran, the
holy text of Islam. The Freer and Sackler galleries have one of
the finest collections of Islamic art in the United States, with
particular strengths in ceramics and illustrated manuscripts.
ARTS OF THE ISLAMIC WORLD
Number of objects: more than 2,200
Historical range: early 9th–20th century
HIGHLIGHTS
• An important collection of ceramics from the 9th–13th
century, representing a variety of shapes, techniques, and designs,
primarily from Iran and the Arab world
• Egyptian and Syrian metalwork from the 13th century, including
two pieces decorated with Christian imagery
• A collection of 9th–19th-century Korans (intact volumes
and detached folios) from Iran, the Arab world, and Turkey
• 14th-century Syrian glass
• A distinguished collection of illustrated and illuminated
manuscripts from Iran and the Arab world, including the Divan (Collected
poems) of Sultan Ahmad Jalayir, ca. 1400; Haft Awrang (Seven Thrones)
by Jami, dated 1556–66; and six illustrations from the 14th-century
Mongol Shahnama (Book of Kings), one of the most important illustrated
texts of the Islamic world
• Some one-hundred 19th-century Central Asia ikats from the Guido Goldman Collection
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Gallery Guide
Take a closer
look at the arts of the Islamic World.
Islamic Art Exhibitions
• Arts of the Islamic World
Online Exhibitions
Haft Awrang (Seven Thrones): A Royal Persian Manuscript by Jami
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