BudapestUniversityofTechnology&Economics
ofIndustrial&
TheArtofIslamicDecoration
Introduction:
thisessayaddressessomeaspectsoftheIslamicornamentationartindepth,anditisanattemptof clarifyingtheeffectofthespiritualfactorthroughphilosophyandthoughtsintheartofIslamic ornamentation
anditisarelyontheanalyticalmethodologyofmanydifferentpatternsthatisspreadinginthe countriesoftheIslamicworld,asanefforttomakeageneralimagewhichshowsthecommon featuresthatgivetheIslamicornamentationtheircharacters,thenitgivessomeexamples,to clarifytheideaandtocompletetheimageintothemindofthereader
Theresearchdependedonthemethodofscientificanalysisandobjectivecomparisons,and referencetothesourcesofIslamicthought (TheQur’anandHadith),andtheuseoffactual examples,eitherfromtheirexistingoriginsasevidence,orfrominternationalspecialistreferences, Thegeneralresultswereextractedbyextrapolation,andformulatedintocomprehensivegeneral statements,andthenattheconclusionoftheresearch,thenecessaryappliedexampleswere concluded.
IwillstartwithasummaryoftheartofIslamicdecorationintermsofitsorigins,itscomposition factors,itssources,itscontentanditsgeneralcharacteristics.TheartofdecorationforMuslims arose likeeveryhumaningenuity fromtheintimateinteractionbetweenmonotheisticideological thoughtinwhichtheirsoulsweresatisfied,andtheirdelicatesenseofthesurroundingsaround them.Thatis,throughtheirreflectionsoftheuniverse,natureandthehumanbeing.Brilliantartistic creativityresultsfromcreativeharmonybetweenloftyideasandburningfeelings,Also,theartof Islamicdecoration,thiscreative,timelessart,hasarisen,grown,andstarredandTranscendWhen Muslimsmettheirideologicalandphilosophicalideas whichwerepurifiedandupheldbytheir SufispiritWiththevibrantnatureanditssourcesofartisticinspiration.Therefore,theysetout as talentedartists expressingthesoulsoftheirsoulsandwhatistakingplaceinthedepthsof goodnessandthought.Theresultwasadistinctive,distinctiveartisticstructure,clearlydefined,with uniquefeatures,exquisiteart,imprintedwiththespiritandideaofIslam.Uniqueinitsproperties amongtheartsofothercivilizations.LikeGreek,Roman,andothers.Inadditiontothesetwomain sourcesinthecompositionofthisartInotherwords,monotheism,Sufism,andnature'sconnotations oftheuniverseandman,thereweremanyfactorsthatinfluencedthemethodsandstylesofthisart, themostimportantofwhichare:
Thefactoroftheplace:
thegeographicalspreadoftheIslamicworld,andthediversityofcivilizationsexistingintheregions thatitextendedto,weremixedwith,takenfromandgiventothem,thegreatestimpactonthe diversityofthemethodsofdecorativeexpressionanditsmethodsandforms,whilepreservingthe authenticelementsrelatedtoIslamicthoughtanditspremises.
Thefactoroftime:
Thatis,thetemporalextensionofthisartthroughtheages,asitwitnessedagrowingdevelopment withthesuccessiveperiodsoftheIslamicstate,andthediversityofthephilosophicalideasand intellectualcurrentsthatprevailedineachofthem.
TheFactoroftheMaterial:
Theformsofthisartwerevariedbythediversityofthematerialtheyembody,intermsoftheir quality,form,orapparentcharacteristics.Fromhere,(typical)decorativeartsbranchedout. Specializedindistinctivefeatures(architecturaldecorations wood copper...etc.).
ThefactorofEnvironment:
Orsurroundings.Anditisconsideredaproductofthefirsttwofactors,asthisartisalwaystookthe featuresofthenaturalandhumanenvironmentinwhichitgrewup.Asforthesourceofthis uniquecreativity,itwasthehumanselfoftheMuslimindividual,thatpersonwhobelievedinthe onenessoftheCreator,theunityandcoexistenceofthehumanbeing,andthenobleanddignified positionofmaninthisworld.Inaddition,thesanctityoftheheavenlymessagethathecarried betweenhissides.TheMuslimartistviewedtheworldasaworldofephemeralphenomenaandthat thereisanotherworld,aworldofjustice,truthandeternity.Therefore,hisaestheticsensewas distinguishedbyasubtlesenseofthevaluesofthings,Justashisdoctrineandworshipwereamoral message,hisdecorativeartisticcreationswereanaestheticmessage,Reflectingonaspiritaspiringto perfectionandeternitythroughhisSuficonnectiontothecreativeCreator,
TheartofIslamicdecorationadoptedthemethodsofartisticexpressionknowntomanbefore,and addedtoithisdistinctivemethods.Themostimportantcharacteristicsorgeneralfeaturesofhis expressivestyleare:
Abstraction:Muslimornateartistsresortedtoabstractionasaresultoftheirsophisticated intellectuallevelandartisticsenseandnotbecauseoftheallegedreasonofforbiddingthedepiction oflivingorrationalbeings.Otherwise,theywouldhavedrawntheplantmotifsastheyarein nature.However,theystrippedtheseshapesintheirdecorationaswell.Also,theirinclusionof Arabiccalligraphyisconsideredasadecorativeexpressiveelement.Oneofthestylesofabstractism tendencyintheirart
Intertwining:
Inlinesandmotifsofdecoration,inanimpressivestyle,bothinpuregeometricdecorativelines.or inthedecorationsontheKuficdecorativeline).(SeeFigure1&2)
Figure
Unityandrepetition:
Takingaspecificdecorativeunitashisbase.Thentheartistrepeatsitorinstallsitwithanotherunit alternately,resultinginahomogeneousandintegratedartisticfabric,andwecanhardlyfindan exampleinthedecorationartsofothers,wheretheunitisabsentinthegeneralimage,inwonderful harmony.(SeeFigure3).
Simplification:
Muslimornateartistshavegreatlysimplifiedformsborrowedfromnature,withwhichitis sometimesdifficulttodistinguishtheoriginalform,andsimplificationmayreachasymbolicextent, aswellasindecorativeArabiccalligraphy,eventheydepictedthehumanbodymostlyfreefrom anatomicalproportions(unliketheHellenists),Aswellastheformsofplantsandanimals,butthey remainasincereexpression,andavibrantlife,andaccuratelyspeakingthesenseofitscreator.
Accuracyofrepresentation:
Despitethedevelopmentofmathematicsandthediscoveryofzeroandthedecimalsystem,the primarymethodsofdrawingthatdependontheprincipleofthreadandscrewlikestraightlinesand circles remainedfunduetotheiraccuracyandoperation..Itmustbeemphasizedherethatto continueusingprimaryengineeringmethods(mentionedabove)isnottheresultoflackof knowledgeofmathematics,orthefailureofdrawingtools,butistheresultofextensiveknowledge ofengineeringsciences.Wherebythesemethodsitwaspossibletodrawallshapes,polygonsand lengths,aswellastheissueofrepeatingmistakesandaccumulatingthem,becauseallthelineswere basedononesource,couldbeavoided.Thus,eachunitisauditedseparately.Thataccuracyin drawingisextreme,whichisnotmatcheduntilthepresentdaybyanyothermethod,exceptfor drawingbycomputer.(Seetheunitphasesforallshapesinthisarticle)
Integration:
Theartist'stendencytoperfectioninallelementsofIslamicdecorationwasanexpressivepatternof immortalbeauty.Unrestrictedinplaceandtime,andincludedalllinesanddecorativeunitsand simpleandcomplexshapes,bothengineeringandnatural,allofwhichareintegratedandconverge andcloseandunite,sothereisnohalfstraightorhalfarc,orafreeendingarc,orhalfofabranch orpartofaleaforplant,otherwise,itconnectswith,andintegrateswith,atallelement,expressing aneternalaestheticpeak.thisisduetohissaturationwiththetendencyofclosenesstoabsolute divineperfection,andanattempttohighlighthismanifestationsinhimselfandhisconscience throughhisdecorativeartisticcreativity.
Whereastheonlysourceofthisartwas asmentioned thehumansoulofthecreator,itscontent wasimprintedwithitsnatureThecontenthasalwaysbeenatenderaestheticdisclosureofhis monotheisticdoctrinerootedinamystical, Andnottransitory inhiscreationsthatrelateto spiritualbeautyinman,andnotinstantaestheticsdirectedatthegoodortheinstinctordesireithas. ThepleasureofbeautyinthecontentofIslamicdecorativeworksisspiritualpleasure.Psychological, meditativeandpure.Deprivedofeverythingthatarousesinthehumaninstinctsandpurelyearthly
inclinationsinHindudecoration.Forexample).Hence,thesecontentshaveacquiredtheir seriousnessandpurity,andindeedtheirsanctity,whichistransmittedbytheviewerintentionallyto aspiritualpleasure.ItismorelikethejoyofSufismwiththeWisal,orthehermitcontemplatingthe beautyoftheCreator.TheonecontentcommontoallracesoftheartofIslamicdecorationis worship,contemplation,andcontactwithdivineperfection,orSufismintheMihrabofinfinitefield.
Philosophyanddecoration
Inthispaper,Iwilltakesomeimportantfeaturesthatindicatetheinfluenceofideas,ideological andphilosophicaltrendsthatprevailedinIslamicsocietyinallagesontheartofdecoration.For example,weprovidebutarenotlimitedto:
Theideaofstandardization:
Whenviewingtheinterlockingdecorativelines,alldirectedtowardsonecenter,eveniftheydidnot passthroughitintheengineeringsense,buttheyrevolvearounditinaregulargeometricalmanner asiftheyalwaysrefertoitwithoutnotifyingit(seeFigure4),thentheperceptionreturnstotheone GodwhocomesfromitEverythingandeverythingbelongstohim,andeveryoneisallcoherentand connectedinstrengthandunityinthisinterlockinglife.
Pantheism
Theinterconnectednessandintertwiningofthelinesthatrevolvearoundonecenterarean expressionoftheunityoftheCreator,theuniverse,andlifeinallitsclosenessandspacing, roughnessandsmoothness,andbackandforth..Thenwhatdotheysay peopleofthetwentieth century whentheyseetheformsofsomecrystalsthatresemblesomedecorativeforms,itiscertain thatMuslimartistsdidnotderivethemfromthecrystalsItisreasonabletosaythenthatthereare constantlawsintheuniversethatappearinallcreatures?WhattheMuslimartisthascreatedis similartowhathasexistedinnaturefrometernity,butitisnotvisible thecrystallatticeoverlay isthisnotrelatedtopantheism?
Theideaofthepresentabsentgod:
Followingthecompletionofthedrawingofthedecorativeunit.Centeriserased.Itdoesnothavea tangiblematerialeffect.Butthelinesrevolvearounditconfirmingitsexistence.Wecanseethisasa projectionoftheSufimystic’sideaoftheexistingandnonexistentdeity,presentwithitseffectsand signsofitsgreatness,absentmateriallyandsensiblyinrelationtohumanperception(seeFigure3).
TheIdeaoftheunityoftheessence&Polymorphism:
MostIslamicmotifsappearinmorethanoneshape,althoughtheiroriginalshapeisonethatdoes notchangethismaybeaprojectionofaphilosophicalideaamongtheMuslimmysticsinthe polymorphism,andunityofessencebythistheymeanthatGod'sexistencehasmanyformsand phenomena,buttheessenceandtheonetrutharemanifestedintheconceptof(thereisnoGod exceptAllah)Muslimshavestudiedtherelationshipofformtoessenceandthenecessityof harmonybetweenthem,andthentheyprojectedthisontheartofdecorationinparticular.
Theeternity
ThedecorativeribbonextendsinmanyIslamicmotifsinawaythathasnobeginningandnoend, andthismaybeanaccurateexpressionofbeliefineternity(nostart,noend)fortheCreatorand thecomponent.(SeeFigures1,2and5).
Theideaofconsolidationandcohesion:
Theintertwiningofthedecorativelineswithstrength,eleganceandharmonymaybethe embodimentoftheideaofstrongconsolidationandcohesionamongmembersofMuslims,in compliancewiththenoblehadith:“Thebelieverrelationshipwithanotherbelieverlikeacompact buildingtogethertighteningeachothers).(SeeFigure5).
Conclusion:
WeconcludefromtheabovethattheIslamicdecorativeworkswereatranslationofmysticalbeliefs, ideasandstates,whichtheMuslimartistbelievedinandlivedthrough,andwonderfulpaintingson whichtheideologicalideasandtheSufispiritweredrawn,whichpreventedhimfromembodying anyfigurativeart.WhatrosetothecreativeleveloftheartofIslamicdecorationwasthedepthof thought,thefirmnessoffaith,andtheflowofasenseofsupremeemotion,sothattheirblindness rosetoahighartisticlevel,nomatterhowdifferentthelevelsofmaterialcost,becausetheeffortwas mentalandsensoryratherthanextravaganceormaterialluxury
References:
1. AlfaroukiIsmaelRaji AtlasofIslamicCivilization HigherInstituteofIslamicthought SaudiArabia1998
2. HussainKhaled DecorationinIslamicarts theUniversityofMichigan 1983
3. HamdiAbdulSamad,AhmedAlBashlyandothers EncyclopediaofIslamicmotifs Lebanon1971
4. DaudSutton IslamicDesign:AGeniusforGeometry
5. J.Bourgoin ArabicGeometricalPatternandDesign
6. DakhelLouay Islamicdecoration