Arab Art, Architecture and Material Culture: New Perspectives
31 August, 2007 (University of Edinburgh)
The postgraduate workshop ‘Arab Art, Architecture and Material Culture” New Perspectives” took place on 31st August 2007 and was a great success. Eleven speakers from universities all over Britain and one speaker from Izmir University, Turkey, gathered before an audience of postgraduates, academics and interested members of the public to discuss their research on the visual culture of the Arab world. Chairing was performed by the Professors Hillenbrand, Robert Hillenbrand chairing the morning session and Carole Hillenbrand the afternoon.
It had been intended from its inception that this workshop would stimulate discussion and debate across a variety of disciplines in Arab visual culture studies, and the wide variety of topics discussed and very high standard of research presented ensured that this was indeed the case. The backbone of this very full day was formed by studies of early and medieval artefacts, ranging in subject area from early Qur’ans to ceramics, from textiles to metalwork, and approaches to these ran the full spectrum from iconographic analysis to archaeological identification. But there were also papers on contemporary topics: the day began with Hassan Massoudy’s calligraphic images of exile, and later included subjects as diverse as current concerns over pedestrian space in central Damascus, the problematic figure of the collector in Moroccan textile production, and the role of time in Islamic conceptions of the garden. Rather than isolating particular media, geographic groups or historical periods, the workshop brought together different strands of visual culture and enabled fruitful discussion between researchers, many of whom would not otherwise have had the chance to exchange ideas together.
One of the clearest outcomes of the workshop was the benefit to researchers of treating the various different media and disciplines represented as related parts of a whole visual culture, rather than isolated ranks in a hierarchy of the arts.
Given the very positive feedback from speakers and audience, it is hoped that this workshop will be the first of many of this type to be hosted by CASAW.
For more details, please contact .
PROGRAMME
9.00 Registration and opening remarks (Margaret Graves)
Session 1: The Arts of the Book (Chair: Robert Hillenbrand)
9.30 Exile and Adventure: Hassan Massoudy and Sindbad the Sailor
Sarah Sandow, University of Edinburgh
10.00 The Earliest Qur’anic Scripts
Marcus Fraser, University of Edinburgh
10.30 Oral Narrating Tradition of the Arab World: A Source of Inspiration for the Miniature Paintings of the Maqamat of al-Hariri
Filiz Adiguzel Toprak, Dokuz Eylul University, Izmir
11.00-11.30: COFFEE BREAK (IMES Departmental lobby)
Session 2: Architecture and the Human Environment (Chair: Robert Hillenbrand)
11.30 The Public Realm in Central Damascus. ‘Where Old and New Meet’: Function and Movement
Rema Haddad, Heriot Watt University, Edinburgh
12.00 A Symbolic Khassakiyah: Representation of the Palace Guard in Murals, Stucco and Ceramic Sculpture
Melanie Gibson, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London
12.30 The Notion of Time and the Image of Place: a view on Islamic gardens
Saeid Khaghani, University of Manchester
13.00-14.30: LUNCH (CASAW Director’s Room- speakers only)
Session 3: The Decorative Arts I: Ceramics and Textiles (Chair: Carole Hillenbrand)
14.30 Crossing Borders: Mudejar Ceramics in Medieval Spain
Anna McSweeney, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London
15.00 Mamluk Textiles
Maria Sardi, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London
15.30 The Captivation of Moroccan Rural Textiles
Miriam Ali-de-Unzaga, University of Oxford
16.00-16.30: COFFEE BREAK (IMES departmental lobby)
Session 4: The Decorative Arts II: Metalwork and Ceramics (Chair: Carole Hillenbrand)
16.30 The Freer Canteen: Jerusalem or Jazira?
Teresa Fitzherbert, University of Oxford
17.00 Identifying Mamluk and Mongol Fine Glazed Wares: How to Solve the Problem
Rosalind Wade Haddon, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London
17.30 Architectural elements on Medieval Syrian Tabourets
Margaret S. Graves, University of Edinburgh
18.00 Closing remarks (Robert Hillenbrand)
18.15- 19.15: RECEPTION (IMES departmental lobby)
19.45: SPEAKERS’ DINNER
Workshop Committee:
Professor Robert Hillenbrand (Director, CASAW)
Professor Carole Hillenbrand (Head of IMES)
Margaret S. Graves (PhD Candidate, History of Art)
More pictures of the workshop are available from here:
Speakers_and_Chairs.pdf
Workshop_-_Room_G2.pdf
Registration_and_Opening_Remarks.pdf
Session_1.pdf
Session_2.pdf
Session_3.pdf
Session_4.pdf
Closing_Remarks_and_Reception.pdf
