Al-Andalus: The Arts of Islamic Spain Short Presentation Assignment

 Present to the class one work of art from the list provided. Your presentation should be based in the visual analysis (not just description) of the object and an exploration of its historical context. Your goal is to teach us about your topic and engender discussion about it in relation to the broader context of the arts of Islamic Spain.

Consider…

·      the purpose of the work and its original context (is it secular or sacred? is it private or public? who was its intended owner/user?)

·      who might have commissioned it

·      the materials used (is it a luxury item or a utilitarian object?)

·      what relationship it might have to broader visual, literary, or performative traditions in Spain

·      how might it compare to other decorative arts prevalent in Spain at the time

·      its incorporation of earlier visual iconographies and motifs prevalent elsewhere in the Islamic world

·      how these concepts are reflected in its visual form

·      if the object has been transported across cultural/geographical boundaries since its creation or integrated into a context for which it was not originally intended

·      how this object reflects aspects of the culture in which it was created

All the works are illustrated and discussed in J. D. Dodds, ed. Al-Andalus: The Art of Islamic Spain (1992). I have listed their catalogue numbers for your convenience. You will find a discussion of the object in the catalogue, as well as a bibliography that will assist you in your research.

Topics and dates for short presentations:

Umayyads (756-1030)            FEBRUARY 18

Pyxis of al-Mughira, 968 (cat. 3; Musée du Louvre, Paris)

Pamplona Casket, 1004-5 (cat. 4; Museo de Navarra, Pamplona)

Cordoba Stag, ca. 950-1000 (cat. 10; Museo Arqueológico Provincial de Cordoba)

Capital with Four Musicians (cat. 40; Museo Arqueológico Provincial de Cordoba)

Veil of Hisham II, 976-1013 (cat. 21; Real Academia de la Historia, Madrid)

Basin, 1002-7 (cat. 43; Madrasa Ben Youssouf, Marrakesh)

Taifa, Almoravid, and Almohad            MARCH 11

Palencia Casket, 1049-50 (cat. 7; Museo Arqueolólogico Nacional, Madrid)

Qu’ran Manuscript, 1143 (cat. 75; Istanbul University Library)

Pisa Griffin, 11^th century (cat. 15; Museo dell’Opera del Duomo, Pisa)

Játiva Basin, 11^th century (cat. 49; Museo del Almudin, Játiva)

Monzón Lion, 12-13^th century (cat. 54; Musée du Louvre, Paris)

Hadith Bayad wa Riyad, 13^th century (cat. 82; Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Rome)

Las Navas de Tolosa Banner, 1212-50 (cat. 92; Monasterio de Santa Maria la Real de Huelgas, Burgos)

Standard Astrolabe of Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Naqqash, 1079-1080 (cat. 120; Germanisches Nationalmuseum, Nuremerg)

Celestial Globe, ca. 1085 (cat. 121; Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris)

Nasrids            APRIL 1

Pyxis, late 13^th century (cat. 52; Cabildo Metropolitano de Zaragoza)

Bucket, 1350-1400 (cat. 59; Museo Arqueolólogico Nacional, Madrid)

Jineta Sword and Scabbard, 15^th century (cat. 61; Bibliothèque Nationale, Cabinet des Medailles Luynes, Paris)

Textile Fragment, 14^th century (cat. 97; The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York)

Alhambra Vases, late 13^th-15^th centuries (cats. 110-112; )

Bowl with Ship, 15^th century (cat. 114; Victoria and Albert Museum, London)

Cupola Ceiling from the Torre de las Damas, Palacio del Portal, Granada, 13^th or 14^th century (cat. 116; Museum für Islamische Kunst, Berlin)