Islamic Art: 14th to 18th
Centuries
Islamic art was an instrument for expressing dynastic power in
this great age of empires. Spurred by royal patronage, the arts
flourished; fine architecture was filled with elegantly decorated
manuscripts, richly patterned textiles and ceramics, and objects of
all kinds made from precious materials. Lucrative trade and
the migration of artists brought in influences from Europe and
China, whilst an aesthetic established in thirteenth-century Iran
and renewed there in the fifteenth gave continuing vitality to
Islamic tradition.
The Art of the Mamluks
Wednesday 3 March
During the Mamluk
period, 1250-1516, Cairo became the intellectual, cultural and
religious centre of the Islamic world. Patronage flourished
through the building of institutions, many of which remain to this
day and the production of objects and manuscripts. This talk
surveys the artistic accomplishments of the period particularly the
illumination of Mamluk Qur’ans and their exquisite
bindings.
Alison Ohta, Curator Royal Asiatic
Society
Art and the Ottomans
Wednesday 10
March
The Ottoman empire was among the
longest-lived Islamic states. Its art reflects this longevity,
moving from the eclecticism of the 14th century to the dynamic
fusion of the 16th century; the art that everybody loves. The
changing styles of later centuries also deserve our affection, for
they tell a fascinating story.
Tim Stanley, Senior Curator for the Middle Eastern
collections, Asian Department, the V&A
Jewelled Arts of the Mughal
Court
Wednesday 24 March
The wealth and patronage of the Mughal emperors in the late
16th and early 17th century attracted
craftsmen from all over India, from Iran, and even from Europe.
Together, they created sumptuous jewelled artefacts for the court.
This talk explores ‘the treasury of the world’, as a distinguished
English visitor called it in 1616.
Susan Stronge, Senior Curator, Asian Department, the
V&A
Series of 3 - £25, £20 Friends
Single lecture - £10, £8 Friends
Includes coffee afterward
For information on how to book your tickets please click
here