Islamic Art

Great Mosque of Kairouan, Tunisia

• Back wall faces the Kaaba
• Kaaba: Site of a shrine by Abraham and his son, destroyed idols, rededicated to God
• Verses and praises to God on the banner

Jug with Sphinxes and Harpies, Iran

• Also known as Macy Jug (named after donor)
• Contains Persian love poems
• Celebrates consummation of marriage
• Depicts Harpies: Bird body, Woman head

Textile (The Shroud of St. Jose), Silk Samite

• Covers items dedicated for St. Jose
• Found by a French soldier during crusades
• Probably dedicated to a soldier

Sinan, Mosque of Sultan Selim, Turkey

• Taller than Hagia Sophia, Constantinople
• Significance due to Sultan's funding

Illuminated Tugra of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, Turkey

• Signature for document authentication
• Made by experienced artists, difficult to replicate
• Monogram includes his father's name and title "The eternally Victorious"

Great Mosque of Isfahan, Iran

• Persian mosque with fractal pattern decor
• Government protected

Romanesque Art

Last Judgement, Church of St. Faith, France

• Right: Hell and sins
• Left: Heaven and angels
• St Peter with keys to heaven
• St Faith praying, converted many people

Reliquary Statue of St. Faith, Church of St. Faith, France

• Holy Robbery story, cleric stole the relic
• Contains bones of St. Faith

Cathedral Complex, Pisa, Italy

• Created from war spoils, includes Tower of Pisa and Baptistery
• Tower of Pisa could have been straightened

Crucifix (Italian Volto Santo), Spain

• Known as Holy Face Crucifix
• Story: Angels finished carving overnight

Bayeux Embroidery, Norman, Romanesque

• Messengers Signal the Appearance of Halley’s Comet: Indicates divine disapproval of Harold
• Harold’s Oath: Harold's illegitimate rule due to broken oath

Gothic Art

Characteristics

• Stained Glass, Flying Buttresses, Deep doorways (Portals) with artwork, Pointed arches

Interior, Saint-Denis, France

• Credited with stained glass and flying buttresses
• Abbot Suger funded by King

Chartres Cathedral, France

• Different tower styles, funded by relic sales
• Dedicated to Virgin Mary and Jesus

Interior, Sainte-Chapelle, Paris

• Commissioned by Louis IX
• Large reliquary for relic collection

Art in Europe

Cimabue, Virgin and Child Enthroned, Italian, Gothic

• Master of Byzantine style, less dimensional

Giotto, Virgin and Child Enthroned, Italian, Gothic

• Student of Cimabue, realistic style leading to the Renaissance

Ivory Chest with Scenes from Courtly Romances, French, Gothic

• Casket with romantic stories, likely owned by a noblewoman

Pieta Sculpture, German, Gothic

• Recognizes the Black Plague

Ancient Chinese Art

Ritual Vessel, Shang Dynasty, China

• Combines animals and mythical creatures

Terracotta Soldiers, Mausoleum of Emperor Shihuangdi, Qin Dynasty

• Commissioned for tomb protection
• Foundation of modern Chinese government

Banner for Lady Dai, Han Dynasty

• Covers her casket with cosmological imagery

Seated Buddha

• Representation of the Enlightened Buddha, pilgrimage site

Standing Buddha, Bamiyan, Afghanistan

• Destroyed by the Taliban, now replaced by a hologram projection