Jewelry in Islamic Lands Elizabeth Dospěl Williams Synopsis: This presentation explores precious metal jewelry – including rings, bracelets, earrings, and other ornaments – from the Byzantine and early Islamic Middle East. It considers attitudes towards wealth, the role of dress in conveying gender, religious identity, and social status, notions of power and authority, and the…
Tag: Metalware Topics
On a Tinned Copper Bowl and Designs on Paper
On a Tinned Copper Bowl and Designs on Paper Linda Komaroff Synopsis: This presentation explores a deluxe tinned copper bowl at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), which dates from the Timurid period (1370–1506). Its inscribed Persian verses offer a first-hand account about the making of such objects, especially their elaborate and highly…
The Bobrinski Bucket
The Bobrinski Bucket Ruba Kana’an Synopsis: This presentation explores the rich iconography of the Bobrinski Bucket, made in the city of Herat in 559 AH / 1163 CE. It examines the inscription styles and figural scenes that decorate the surface of the bucket, and also explores the twelfth-century innovations in metalwork inlay and decorative techniques…
Islamic Arms and Armor: Dhu’l Fiqar, ʿAli’s Miraculous Sword
Islamic Arms and Armor: Dhu’l Fiqar, ʿAli’s Miraculous Sword Rachel Parikh Synopsis: According to legend, during the Battle of Uhud against the Meccans in 625, the Prophet Muḥammad presented Dhu’l Fiqar, a bifurcated sword imbued with preternatural powers to ‘Ali. The sword is arguably the most important weapon in the Islamic world, and is regarded…