Recognizable and Figurative Imagery in Islamic Art – BBC Video The Hidden Art of Islam

This week’s video is a long documentary, 138 minutes, but it is excellently done, and highly informative! It addresses the idea of the use of recognizable and figurative imagery in Islamic art. This should answer some questions that some of you have posed about the figure in Islamic art. (*This video is not free though; it requires a $2.99 purchase through YouTube – but it is WELL worth it!)

Here is the write up from IMBd ” Explore the tradition of figurative art at the heart of Islam with host Rageh Omaar. Muslim belief and tradition specifies that there should be no depictions of God or the Prophet Muhammad. In religious contexts, this constraint on what artists can depict extends to human figures and other living creatures as well. These prohibitions have inspired a rich visual culture based on calligraphy, Arabesque floral designs, and geometry, all of which feature strongly in the art and design found throughout Islam, including in mosques and the Koran. With the help of fine art and religion experts, host Rageh Omaar (The Life of Muhammad) traces the effect of these beliefs over the centuries on the art and artists of the Islamic world and considers why depictions of pilgrims taking part in the Hajj pilgrimage have become part of the accepted tradition of Islamic art, including in work exhibited at the British Museum.”

As this video illustrates, there is some closer connection to the way Christianity views “intermediaries”, or holy people, as guiding figures, in Shiite Islam which is not seen in Sunni Islam. I don’t think this video includes tombs or mausoleums, but tombs of holy people which we see throughout Persia and in Shiite Islam are related to this concept and some of the ideas in this film. You can keep that in mind as you consider the ideas presented here.

For your assignment, please do either of the following:

1. Write about any aspect of the film that is of interest to you.

2. Share examples of imagery that have captured your interest, or perhaps been of personal important in your life from Islamic history, and tell us about it. If you grew up with imagery that is special for you, I would love it if you would share it and its significance with us!

Even if you did not grow up with this imagery, there still may be something special to you that you’d like to write about. For example, I am not from an Islamic part of the wold, and I never really liked imagery of the “Simurgh”, because I did not understand it… until I read the Shahnameh this past year. Now when I see this “bird”, I puff up with the sense of powerful protection and relief : ). and I love the imagery! It has become part of my visual lexicon of the idea of strong and wise protection. (If you want to escape with some great literature, I highly recommend Firdowsi’s “Shahnameh”, the Book of Kings – it’s riveting reading!) If I were writing a post, I might show some beautiful images of the Simurgh and explain what they mean in the stories.

I hope you enjoy this video and get something from it!

Laura

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3ilj0d (The Hidden Art of Islam is also available on Amazon Prime.)

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