"Images seem to speak to the eye, but they are really addressed to the mind.
They are ways of thinking, in the guise of ways of seeing."
--William Duff
Islamic Art
More Coming Soon!
Isfandiyar's Third Labor
Iran, Tabriz
ca. 1530 CE
Watercolor, ink, silver, gold on paper
H. 18 5/8 in., W. 12 1/2 in.
This dramatic image illustrates the third of seven challenges, or courses, that Prince Isfandiyar underwent en route to freeing his sisters from captivity in Turan. Learning that he would encounter a dragon on his perilous path, Isfandiyar ordered a horse-drawn cart with a box in which he could hide and from which spears projected. Here, the dragon has appeared and is sucking the horses into its maw, soon to be impaled on the spears and slashed by Isfandiyar’s sword.
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You can find a higher-resolution image here.
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How does the artist depict the humans? The dragon? The landscape? Use your art terminology! What was the "Shahnama" poem about? Who was Isfandiyar? Books like this were often produced in the royal workshop, or kitabkhana. This folio was produced in the court of Shah Tahmasp. What can you find out about him?
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Carpet (the Anhalt Medallion carpet)
Iran (?)
16th century CE
Cotton, silk and wool
H. 312 in. (792.5 cm) W. 165 in. (419.1 cm) Wt. on 8" tube - 184 lbs. (83.5 kg)
This was not necessarily used as a prayer rug (look at the dimensions--it's heavy!). But it is a neat example of the high level of skill of Islamic weavers! It is incredibly detailed. Go look at the high-resolution image here (click the main image and then you can zoom in). Seriously, you're missing out if you don't go look at the big image! This carpet is beautiful. There are some animals--"peacocks in the field". What elements of Islamic art do you see here? What makes this so beautiful? What choices did the weaver make which help make this carpet so visually appealing?
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