New Galleries for Islamic Art at the Art Institute of Chicago

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10th Century A.D., Agra, Art Institute of Chicago, Bowl with calligraphic decoration, c. 1475-1500, c. 1561, c. 1600, c. 1820, Eastern Iran, Folio, India, Iran, Isfahan, Islamic Art, Iznik, Khamsa of Nizami, late 17th century, Mosque of Rustam Pasha, Ottoman period, Qayrawan, Qur'an manuscript, The Ascent of the Prophet to Heaven, tile, Tomb of I'timad-ud-Daula, Transoxiana, Tunisia, Turban Helmet, Turkey, Western Iran

Bowl with calligraphic decoration, 10th century. Eastern Iran or Transoxiana (primarily Uzbekistan). Gift of Harvey and Beth Plotnick.

CHICAGO, IL.– The vast and varied Islamic world—at times stretching from Spain and northern Africa to India and Central Asia—produced an equally dazzling diversity of works of art. For the first time in years, the Art Institute is able to present a more comprehensive picture of this diversity with new galleries devoted to Islamic art, appropriately scaled for larger architectural works that help tell the complex story of Islamic cultural production.

The Ascent of the Prophet to Heaven, page from a copy of the Khamsa of Nizami, c. 1600. Iran. Lucy Maud Buckingham Collection.

Tile from the Mosque of Rustam Pasha, c. 1561. Turkey, Iznik, Ottoman period. Samuel M. Nickerson Fund.

A selection of key objects from different cultures and time periods introduces visitors to the history, religion, and artistic traditions of Islam. From this introduction, the installation proceeds both chronologically and geographically, with displays that contain, for example, early and medieval objects covering the full expanse of the early Islamic world in one section, while another section features the later great empires of Ottoman Turkey, Safavid Iran, and Mughal India. One display focuses on an especially rich area of the collection: art produced under the Mongols in Iran between the mid-13th and mid-14th centuries. Multiple themes are developed across sections, such as Islamic ornament, including the familiar arabesque; the art of the book; and the surprisingly widespread use of figural decoration.

Tomb of I’timad-ud-Daula, Agra, c. 1820. India, Agra. Restricted gift of the Friends of Indian and Islamic Art of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Turban Helmet, c. 1475-1500. Western Iran. George F. Harding Collection.

The installation will be continually refreshed with rotating displays of painting, calligraphy, textiles, and carpets, and visitors will be gratified to see an emphasis on architecture and architectural fragments—tile spandrels from Iran, wooden doors and beams from Morocco—that are so characteristic of Islamic art yet are difficult to display. Works of art from the museum’s own holdings are augmented by important pieces on loan from a number of public and private collections, presenting the richest story possible of the amazingly diverse and robust world of Islamic art.

Folio from a Qur’an manuscript, 10th century A.D. Probably Tunisia, Qayrawan. Logan-Patten-Ryerson Collection.

Four Tiles, Late 17th century. Iran; Isfahan, Persian. Mary Jane Gunsaulus Collection.

Black Rose

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Black Rose, Halfatty, Turkey

Black Rose.

The Black Rose is found in a region in Turkey called « Halfatty ». They are very rare. Extremely rare.

Two Ottoman coral and turquoise-set Daggers , Turkey, 18th-19th Century

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18th-19th Century, coral and turquoise-set Dagger, Ottoman, Turkey

Two Ottoman coral and turquoise-set Daggers , Turkey, 18th-19th Century. Estimate £2,000 – 3,000 (€2,600 – 3,800). Photo Bonhams

each with double edged blades of tapering form, decorated to the fortes in gold inlay with cartouches containing inscriptions and foliate motifs, the waisted hilts and scabbards decorated to one side with turquoise and coral inlay and to the other in repoussé with floral and foliate motifs, each 24.5 cm. long(2)

Notes: Inscriptions: ola sende daima zevk, ‘May you always have delight‘.

Bonhams. ISLAMIC & INDIAN ART, 5 Nov 2014 10:30 GMT – LONDON, KNIGHTSBRIDGE

Asian Art Museum offers West Coast audiences a first look at recent archaeological discoveries

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100 BCE–200 CE, 1635–1636 CE, 1st century CE, 1st–3rd century CE, 2.6–1.8 million BCE, 200–300 CE, 4000–3000 BCE, 400–100 BCE, 400–200 BCE, 4th-1st century BCE, 500–300 BCE, 600–300 BCE, 600–800, 75–125 CE, 800–900, al-Rufayah village, Al-Ula site, altar, approx. 2250–2000 BCE, approx. 2500 BCE, Chalice, Chopper, Cylindrical vessel with palm tree, Date-shaped flask, Doors of the Ka'ba, Early Lower Paleolithic period, El-Maakir city, Funerary inscription in Old Arabic, Funerary mask, Funerary stele, Head of a man, Head of a statue, Heracles, Incense burner, Iraq, JAR, late 1st millennium BCE, Necklace with cameo, Neolithic period, Ottoman dynasty, Part of a horse, Pedestal, possibly 7000 BCE, Qaryat al-Faw site, Qaryat al-Kaafa site, Relief with a lion, Roman Empire, Saudi Arabia, Shuwayhitiyah site, Statue, Statue of a man, Tarut island, Tayma city, Tell al-Zayer site, Thaj city, Turkey

Funerary mask, 1st century CE. Saudi Arabia; Thaj city, Tell al-Zayer site. Gold. Courtesy of National Museum of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh , 2061.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA.– In the shifting sands of Saudi Arabia outside the city of Thaj, archaeologists discovered the tomb of a young royal girl buried nearly 2,000 years ago, uncovering exquisite jewelry, a haunting gold mask and other objects—all made of gold. These funerary treasures are just a few of the surprising discoveries on display in the fascinating exhibition Roads of Arabia : Archaeology and History of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , opening Oct. 24, 2014 through Jan. 18, 2015 at the Asian Art Museum.

Head of a man, 100 BCE–200 CE. Saudi Arabia; Qaryat al-Faw site. Bronze. Courtesy of Department of Archaeology Museum, King Saud University, Riyadh, 119F13.

The Asian Art Museum will offer West Coast audiences a first look at Roads of Arabia , a traveling exhibition originating from Arthur M. Sackler Gallery in 2012, featuring recent archaeological discoveries that have radically transformed our understanding of Saudi Arabia. The exhibition includes more than 200 objects, revealing the peninsula’s role as a cultural crossroads through trade and pilgrimage over thousands of years.

Doors of the Ka’ba, 1635–1636 CE. Turkey; Ottoman dynasty (1299–1922). Gilded silver on wood. Courtesy of National Museum of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, 1355/1–2

Highlights of the exhibition include mysterious stone steles, monumental statues and finely forged bronze figures. A set of gilded doors that once graced the entrance to the Ka‘ba, Islam’s holiest sanctuary, is also featured.

Date-shaped flask, approx. 75–125 CE. Roman Empire. Molded glass. Courtesy of National Museum of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, 2240.

“Roads of Arabia offers a rare look at arts and artifacts from Saudi Arabia, with the oldest artifact dating more than a million years old,” said Jay Xu, director of the Asian Art Museum. “This exhibition will alter your perceptions of the Arabian Peninsula’s ancient history by providing a glimpse into its largely unknown past, before the region emerged as the spiritual center of an expanding community especially important to Muslims around the world.”

Cylindrical vessel with palm tree, approx. 2250–2000 BCE. Saudi Arabia; Tarut island, al-Rufayah village. Chlorite. Courtesy of National Museum of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, 3171.

Saudi Arabia’s richly layered past begins more than a million years ago. Research has emerged that identifies the presence of early indigenous cultures across the peninsula.

The exhibition showcases stone tools that date back more than one million years—some of the oldest excavated evidence of human history.

Chalice, 200–300 CE. Saudi Arabia; Qaryat al-Faw site. Silver, partly gilded. Courtesy of Department of Archaeology Museum, King Saud University, Riyadh, 34F16.

Another turning point in the peninsula’s ancient past is the development of incense trade roads. As early as 1200 BCE, the use of camels revolutionized Arabian commerce, enabling transport of highly valued incense. The region had a near monopoly on the cultivation and trade of the frankincense and myrrh incense that grew in the southern regions. The lucrative trade encouraged the creation of a complex network of roads that supplied the incense across the peninsula and beyond, allowing for a vibrant commercial and cultural exchange to distant civilizations. With the rise of Islam in the 7th century, the well-traveled incense roads were gradually replaced with pilgrimage roads converging on Mecca. Roads of Arabia first examines the impact of the incense trade on ancient Arabia and then showcases the development of pilgrimage trails during the early centuries of Islam that led from major cities, such as Damascus, Cairo and Baghdad, to Mecca, the spiritual heart of the new religion.

Funerary inscription in Old Arabic, late 1st millennium BCE. Saudi Arabia; Qaryat al-Faw site. Limestone. Courtesy of National Museum of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh , 887.

Head of a statue, 400–100 BCE. Saudi Arabia; Tayma city. Sandstone. Courtesy of Tayma Museum, 489.

Chopper, 2.6–1.8 million BCE. Shuwayhitiyah site; Early Lower Paleolithic period. Quartzite. Courtesy of National Museum of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, 10/19.

Anthropomorphic stele, 4000–3000 BCE. Saudi Arabia; Qaryat al-Kaafa site, El-Maakir city. Sandstone. Courtesy of National Museum of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, 998.

Anthromorphic stele, 4000–3000 BCE. Saudi Arabia; Qaryat al-Kaafa site, El-Maakir city. Sandstone. Courtesy of National Museum of Saudi Arabia, Riyad

Bowl, 800–900. Iraq. Earthenware painted in polychrome lustre. Courtesy of National Museum of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, 2294.

Necklace with cameo, 1st century CE. Saudi Arabia; Thaj city, Tell al-Zayer site. Gold, pearls, turquoise, and ruby. Courtesy of National Museum of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, 2059

Jar, 600–800. Iraq. Earthenware painted with glaze. Department of Archaeology Museum, King Saud University, Riyadh, SN.

Incense Burner, 4th-1st century BCE. Qaryat al-Faw, Saudi Arabia. Limestone. H x W: 25 x 9 cm. Courtesy of National Museum, Riyadh, 2184

Funerary stele, 500–300 BCE. Saudi Arabia; Tayma city. Sandstone. Courtesy of Tayma Museum, T/M/119.

Incense burner, 1649. Turkey; Ottoman dynasty (1299–1922). Iron, gold, and silver. Courtesy of National Museum of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, 2999.

Part of a horse, possibly 7000 BCE. Saudi Arabia; Al-Magar site, Neolithic period (approx. 8000–3000 BCE). Stone. Courtesy of National Museum of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, 3172.

Pedestal or altar, 500–300 BCE. Saudi Arabia; Tayma city. Sandstone. Courtesy of National Museum of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, 1021

Relief with a lion, 600–300 BCE. Saudi Arabia; Al-Ula site. Sandstone. Courtesy of Department of Archaeology Museum, King Saud University, Riyadh, 15D2.

Statue, approx. 2500 BCE. Saudi Arabia; Tarut island. Limestone. Courtesy of National Museum of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh,38

Statue of a man, 400–200 BCE. Saudi Arabia; Al-Ula site. Sandstone. Courtesy of Department of Archaeology Museum, King Saud University, Riyadh, 137D4, 136D4.

Statuette of Heracles, 1st–3rd century CE. Saudi Arabia; Qaryat al-Faw site. Bronze. Courtesy of Department of Archaeology Museum, King Saud University, Riyadh, 214F7

An Iznik polychrome pottery dish with a red ground, Turkey, circa 1570-75

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Adda collection, circa 1570-75, Iznik, polychrome pottery dish, Turkey

An Iznik polychrome pottery dish with a red ground, Turkey, circa 1570-75. Estimate 4,000 — 6,000 GBP. Lot Sold 8,125 GBP. Photo: Sotheby’s

decorated in underglaze cobalt blue, emerald green, and relief red with dark green outlines, featuring a saz leaf containing a stem of marguerites, in between sprays of rosettes, the border with a stylised foliate design, foliate details on exterior, old collection label to underside; 31.5cm. diam.

PROVENANCE; Ex-Adda collection

Notes: Red-ground dishes such as the present example are extremely rare, and this is a particularly flamboyant and vibrant example. A dish in the Barlow Collection has white leaves on a red ground; see Fehérvári 1973, Colour plate M.

Sotheby’s. Arts of the Islamic World, Londres | 08 oct. 2014, 10:30 AM

A large Iznik tile, Turkey, 16th century

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16th Century, Iznik, tile, Turkey

A large Iznik tile, Turkey, 16th century. Estimate 5,000 — 7,000 GBP. Lot Sold 9,750 GBP. Photo: Sotheby’s

decorated in underglaze cobalt blue, green and relief red with a design consisting of a central stylised rosette issuing four curving stems with saz leaves and flowerheads, set in wooden frame; 29.2 by 29.2cm. in frame

PROVENANCE: Ex-collection Alfred Spero, acquired from him 3 February 1961

Sotheby’s. Arts of the Islamic World, Londres | 08 oct. 2014, 10:30 AM

Four Iznik polychrome pottery border tiles, Turkey, 1575-85

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1575-85, Iznik, Jacques Soustiel collection, Kelekian collection, polychrome pottery border tile, Pozzi collection, Turkey

Four Iznik polychrome pottery border tiles, Turkey, 1575-85. Estimate 4,000 — 6,000 GBP. Lot Sold 10,000 GBP. Photo: Sotheby’s

of varying sizes, three decorated with green, white and relief red scrolling tulips, carnations and rosettes on an underglaze cobalt blue ground, one with turquoise borders, the fourth with thicker scrolls on a lighter blue ground, each with old collection label to underside. Quantité: 4 – 16.2 by 26cm. 13.3 by 25cm. 13 by 25cm. 13.2 by 17.8cm.

PROVENANCE: Three: ex-Kelekian collection
One: ex-Pozzi collection; ex-Jacques Soustiel collection

Sotheby’s. Arts of the Islamic World, Londres | 08 oct. 2014, 10:30 AM

An Iznik polychrome pottery dish with burst flowerhead and arabesques, Turkey, second half 16th century

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Iznik, Jacques Soustiel collection, Pignatelli collection, polychrome pottery dish, second half 16th century, Turkey

An Iznik polychrome pottery dish with burst flowerhead and arabesques, Turkey, second half 16th century. Estimate 7,000 — 10,000 GBP. Lot Sold 12,500 GBP. Photo: Sotheby’s

with rounded edges and everted rim, decorated in underglaze cobalt blue, emerald green and relief red with black outlines featuring a large central stylised flowerhead and arabesques, bordered by a band of lobed arches, foliate motifs on exterior, old collection label to underside; 33cm. diam.

PROVENANCE: Ex-Pignatelli collection
Ex-Jacques Soustiel collection

Sotheby’s. Arts of the Islamic World, Londres | 08 oct. 2014, 10:30 AM

An Iznik polychrome pottery dish with a prunus tree, Turkey, circa 1575-85

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circa 1575-85, Iznik, Jacques Soustiel collection, polychrome pottery dish, Turkey

An Iznik polychrome pottery dish with a prunus tree, Turkey, circa 1575-85. Estimate 6,000 — 8,000 GBP. Lot Sold 15,000 GBP. Photo: Sotheby’s

of shallow round form, decorated in underglaze cobalt blue and relief red with a central prunus tree also issuing tulip buds against a turquoise ground, with an abstract border, the exterior with tulip buds and flowerheads, old collection label to underside; 29cm. diam.

PROVENANCE: Ex-Jacques Soustiel collection

Notes: Variations of the prunus tree motif with tulip buds, depicted on backgrounds of different colours and showing the use of stencils on Iznik pottery can be seen in a number of comparable examples now in museums such as the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation Museum, Lisbon, inv. no. 787 & no.798 and the British Museum, London, inv. no. FB.IS.4 (see Atasoy and Raby 1989, nos. 746, 747, 748).

Sotheby’s. Arts of the Islamic World, Londres | 08 oct. 2014, 10:30 AM

An Iznik polychrome pottery dish with stylised cloud and cintamani design, Turkey, circa 1580-85

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cintamani design, circa 1580-85, Iznik, Jacques Soustiel collection, polychrome pottery dish, Pozzi collection, Turkey

An Iznik polychrome pottery dish with stylised cloud and cintamani design, Turkey, circa 1580-85. Estimate 6,000 — 8,000 GBP. Lot Sold 22,500 GBP. Photo: Sotheby’s

of deep round form with a slightly bracketed everted rim, decorated in underglaze cobalt blue, viridian green, relief red and black outlines with an abstracted cloud and cintamani pattern in the centre and scrolling cloudbands on the rim, foliate motifs on underside, old collection label to underside, 31cm. diam.

PROVENANCE: Ex-Pozzi collection
Ex-Jacques Soustiel collection

Notes: dish with a similar abstract design composed of stylised clouds interspersed with cintamani motifs and a scrolling cloudband border is in the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation Museum, Lisbon, inv. no.2240.

Sotheby’s. Arts of the Islamic World, Londres | 08 oct. 2014, 10:30 AM