Editing Islamic art (section)

{{short description|Visual art forms associated with Muslims}}
{{about|the [[visual arts]] in [[art history]]|the architecture associated with Muslims|Islamic architecture|other uses|Islamic culture}}
[[File:Atauriques.jpg|thumb|Detail of [[Arabesque (Islamic art)|arabesque]] decoration at the [[Alhambra]] in Spain]]
[[File:Ardabil Carpet.jpg|thumb|[[The Ardabil Carpet]], probably the finest surviving [[Persian carpet]], [[Tabriz]], mid-16th century]]
[[File:Brooklyn Museum - Hunters at a Stream - Riza `Abbasi.jpg|thumb|Hunters at a Stream - Riza `Abbasi, {{Circa|1625}} [[Brooklyn Museum]]]]
{{Arab culture}}
'''Islamic art''' is a part of [[Islamic culture]] and encompasses the [[visual arts]] produced since the 7th century CE by people who lived within territories inhabited or ruled by [[Muslims|Muslim]] populations.<ref>Marilyn Jenkins-Madina, Richard Ettinghausen and [[Oleg Grabar]], 2001, ''Islamic Art and Architecture: 650–1250'', Yale University Press, {{ISBN|978-0-300-08869-4}}, p.3; Brend, 10</ref> Referring to characteristic traditions across a wide range of lands, periods, and genres, Islamic art is a concept used first by [[Western culture|Western]] [[Art history|art historians]] in the late 19th century.<ref>{{cite book |author1=J. M. Bloom |author2=S. S. Blair |title=Grove Encyclopedia of Islamic Art and Architecture, Vol. II |year=2009 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=New York |isbn=978-0-19-530991-1 |pages=vii |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=un4WcfEASZwC&pg=PR7 }}</ref> Public Islamic art is traditionally non-[[Representation (arts)|representational]], except for the widespread use of plant forms, usually in varieties of the spiralling [[Arabesque (Islamic art)|arabesque]]. These are often combined with [[Islamic calligraphy]], [[Islamic geometric patterns|geometric patterns]] in styles that are typically found in a wide variety of media, from small objects in ceramic or metalwork to large decorative schemes in tiling on the outside and inside of large buildings, including [[mosques]]. Other forms of Islamic art include [[Islamic miniature]] painting, artefacts like [[Islamic glass]] or [[Islamic pottery|pottery]], and textile arts, such as [[Oriental rug|carpets]] and [[Islamic embroidery|embroidery]].

The early developments of Islamic art were influenced by [[Roman art]], [[Early Christian art]] (particularly [[Byzantine art]]), and [[Sassanian Empire|Sassanian]] art, with later influences from Central Asian nomadic traditions. [[Chinese art]] had a significant influence on Islamic painting, pottery, and textiles.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|title=MSN Encarta: ''Islamic Art and architecture''|url=http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761577725/Islamic_Art_and_Architecture.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091028223201/http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761577725/Islamic_Art_and_Architecture.html|archive-date=2009-10-28}}</ref> From its beginnings, Islamic art has been based on the written version of the [[Quran]] and other seminal religious works, which is reflected by the important role of calligraphy, representing the word as the medium of divine revelation.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|title=Islamic arts {{!}} Characteristics, Calligraphy, Paintings, & Architecture|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Islamic-arts|access-date=2021-10-13|website=Encyclopædia Britannica|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Suarez|first=Michael F.|title=The Oxford companion to the book|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2010|isbn=9780198606536|location=Oxford and New York|pages=331ff|chapter=38 The History of the Book in the Muslim World|oclc=50238944}}</ref>

Religious Islamic art has been typically characterized by the absence of figures and extensive use of [[Islamic calligraphy|calligraphic]], [[Islamic geometric patterns|geometric]] and [[Arabesque (Islamic art)|abstract floral]] patterns. Nevertheless, representations of human and animal forms historically flourished in nearly all Islamic cultures, although, partly because of opposing religious sentiments, living beings in paintings were often stylized, giving rise to a variety of decorative figural designs.<ref name="met" />

Both religious and [[Secularity|secular]] art objects often exhibit the same references, styles and forms. These include calligraphy, architecture, textiles and furnishings, such as carpets and woodwork. Secular arts and crafts include the production of textiles, such as clothing, carpets or tents, as well as household objects, made from metal, wood or other materials. Further, figurative miniature paintings have a rich tradition, especially in [[Persian miniature|Persian]], [[Mughal painting|Mughal]] and [[Ottoman miniature|Ottoman painting]]. These pictures were often meant to illustrate well-known historical or poetic stories.<ref>"One group of painters followed a hedonistic orientation toward a festive representation of events and personages, luxurious ornamentation, and wealth of figures and colors; this is illustrated by the miniatures of the Golestān of 1556-57 and the love scenes by the artist ʿAbdallāh in the Būstān  of 1575-76 (...). The other group of miniaturists preferred naive genre scenes illustrating folk characteristics, as in the Toḥfat al-aḥrār of the 1670s." {{Cite encyclopedia |encyclopedia=Encyclopaedia Iranica |entry=History of art in Iran. viii. Islamic Central Asia|url=https://iranicaonline.org/ |access-date=2021-10-17 |language=en-US}}{{failed verification|date=October 2022|reason={{pipe}}url= value does not point to the appropriate article;}}</ref> Some interpretations of Islam, however, include a ban of depiction of animate beings, also known as aniconism. [[Islamic aniconism]] stems in part from the prohibition of idolatry and in part from the belief that creation of living forms is God's prerogative.<ref name="esposito">{{cite book|author=Esposito, John L.|title=What Everyone Needs to Know about Islam|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2011|edition=2nd|pages=14–15}}</ref><ref name="met">{{cite web|title=Figural Representation in Islamic Art|url=https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/figs/hd_figs.htm|website=The Metropolitan Museum of Art|date=October 2001 }}</ref>