Documenti di Didattica
Documenti di Professioni
Documenti di Cultura
j;x
Tlie Louvre M.iiseum
]M.ussulman Art
ALBERT MORANCE
PUBLISHER, PARIS
5O-5 2 , Rf E DE F L E I' RU S
1780
F ORE 1 C; N BOOKSELLERS:
BRENT A no's, NEW- YORK
THE MAR I' /.EX CO, TOKYO
KELLY AND UAL^H, SHANGHAI,
DOCUMENTS D'ARI
Ue L oiivre M useimi
U55Uinian
1
ly Gaston MIGEON
Curator, Louvre Aluscui
...\/,.^
large brass basin inlaid w^itn silver, know'n as tne iJaptistery ol oaint Iwoius,
tne tnree ol tnein coming Irom tne Ireasury ol oaint-Uenis Abbey, were cxlii-
bited in tne Gallery ol Apollo; — a lustre blue crockery cup, two iJanias
disnes and six ijpamsn-JVloorisb plates, bought long ago or given in tne oau-
va geot and Davillier donations, liad been lor years strayed amidst tne Italian
ceramic series
Emile JVl.oliiiier was tne lirst to understand tne prejudice tins state ol
tilings mignt cause to our collections, and as early as 1890, ne devoted liimsell
to tne enlargement ol tliat department ^\di]cn subsequently became so important.
VV e must also recall the names ol tne cliiel donors wlio contributed to develop-
ing our admirable collections : Oauvageot, Jjaron V^n. Uavillier, (justave JDrey-
liis, J. L. Leroux, Doctor Fouquet, Delort de Crleoii, Alarcliioness Arconati
Visconti, Isaac de Camondo, Piet-Lataudrie, L/anens-Oecnan, £. JJoistau,
G. Migeon, The Coltectinns of the Louvre {The Loui're A/u.reiini from >()i-j. Paris,
Demotte, 1920).
Sarre and Herzfeld, Rei.i-e (Rei.ie in Euphrat and Tigris. Reimcr, Berlin, 1920).
Tlie InfOuvre jM- useuni
The Alussulman peoples do not use sculpture apart from the decoration
of monuments as Occidental peoples do ; they ignore statuary, their sculpture
being exclusively decorative and epigraphical.
The materials which were employed for such architectural decoration
were stone or cast plaster according with the regions: the former being used
in the countries which possessed it geologicall3 such as Armenia, High
,
Mesopotamy, Syria, Asia Minor and Spain, as may be realised from the
monuments of Diarbekir, Mossul, Baghdad, Aleppo, Koniah, and Cordova ;
— the latter in the countries devoid of stone, such as Egypt and Maghreb.
The Mussulmans did not s^'mbolize their religious myths like the
^Vestern peoples, who drew from theirs that imagery which adorn the
portals and capitals of our cathedrals.
It is now proved that the Mussulmans occasionally availed themselves
of the reproduction of human and animal figures for decorative purposes,
especially when their orthodoxy was not very strict, as was the case with
the Mongols and Turks, either Seldjuks or Mamelukes.
However, we must grant that they onl^^ used such figures for conven-
tional motives, in addition with traditional ornaments which had been
prevailing since the remotest times.
The chief characteristics in the decoration of Mussulman monuments
consist in the use of friezes bearing bands of inscriptions embodied with the
architectural lines of building. These inscriptions often have a chronological
or historical meaning, but are always pow'erfuUy decorative.
N.-B. — The numbei'j^ between hrackeLi (Nr 2) refer to the qeneral Im-eiilory oj the
Jliis^fnlmaii Department of the Lou^'rc.
PI. 1. (Ni. 2). Marble S /a b, carved In titles of El-Hakam II, Caliph of Cordova
flat relief with a feline profile, the head (961-976); probably comes from Medina
seen in front and chained to a quoit. Azzarah, or from the Cordova Mosque.
Compare with the feline sculptures on the Re/. — RicARDO Velasquez Bosco, Aleduux
Karput dooi-^va_)', Diaibekir , and on llu-
A.zzaral), pi. XXV-XXVI. Madrid^ 1912.
Bab-Sindjar gateway, Mossul.
(Nr. 8). Tomb-Stone. Fragment bearing
h. 1' 6"; 1.2' 5 1/2".
a Persian arcade enclosing a funereal
Kef. — Strzygowski and Van BpRCHiiM,
Amlda, pi. III. Heidelberg. 1910.
— inscription under the Prophet s name.
lief on both sides with two winged PI. 4. (Nr 10). Marble Lion from a
sphin.xes opposite each other. — Found fountain pillar.
inside the wall ol a modern house at
Spanish-Aloorlsh. Late XlVth cen-
Mamadan, Persia. tury.
Persian art, X'''-XI1''' centuries. Compare with the fountain of the Court of
1 f
o
^ \
a
' -
o
'
the Lions at the Alhambra of Granada.
h. 1 1 ; 1. .
h. 8".
Donated bj M. Ch. \'ignicr.
Ref. — GiRAUET nc Prangey, Arclnleclure des
PI. 2. (Nr. 5). Stone Tomb, with the ulral)e.s- en E,fpa(jne, PI. 17, Paris, iS^ji.
h.
Siraf, a port in
Ref. — Jllis.noii archcotoijiqiie De Perse, XV', PI. 6. (Nr. 9). Stone Slab. Carved in
PL 5. (Nr. 12.) /V/;/^ ornamented with oriiamenlik t)er jlloschee der Ibn Tulun {Der
a carved head of a bird inserted in a Islam, October 1915). Sarre — and
hollo\ved out compartment, the wings Herzfeld, Reise... II, fig. 200-235; III,
pi. CVI, fig. 6, 7, 8, 9.
and ma%v being treated as foliage.
Arabian art of Eg3'pt, dating back to (Nr. 14). Door-paiiel, deeply- sculptured
the Toulounids. Late IX"" century. with foliage and fruits, and framing in a
Donated hy Docteur Fouquet. seated musician, a man passing along,
and an antelope.
Compare with the decorations found at
Samarra in Mesopotam_y, — at the Arabian art of Egjpt (under the first
Mosque of Ibn Tulun at Cairo, — at Der Alameluke Sultans).
Es Surjani (Waddi-Natrun)^ at Mossul.
Later half of the XIII"'' century.
h. 2 o ; I. 1 1 .
O ;
1
I. 10
II
.
pi. VI-XIII. Berlin, 1912. — S. 1 i.lry. Ref. — Prisse u'Avf.sne, n"" 83-84. —
Gtp.fornainenU tier e.f Stirjani (Dlt Islam, Stanley Lane Pool, Saracenic fig. ^G-^^.
April 1915). — It)., Samarra iinO die — Herz Bey, Catalogue, fig. 27.
— 9 —
PI. 6. (Nr. 17). Door panel from a lbn-Q,alawun at Cairo. — Executed
minbar or a closet, made of carved between 357 ^^^ iSSg.
1
.
V^arved Ivory
The ivory objects and plaques such as Nr. 29 are easier to identify,
becausewe can compare them with the carved woods dating from the first
Mameluke Sultans of Cairo, similar themselves to the modelled plaster
decorations of Mesopotamy, Armenia or Anatolia executed under djmasties
that were under the power of the Caliph. Besides, the ivory works executed
in Egypt wei^e planned to form part of wooden panels and door-leaves that
PI. 8. (Nr. 24). Ivory plaque carved Arabian art of the X**" century, or
on one side with two personages standing, perhaps Byzantine art from Ravenna,
and on the other side with one seating Donated by M. Leon Andre.
and pla;jnng the drum. (Perhaps from a
seat). Ref. — G. M1GEON, Les coUeclloas Du Louvre,
III. pi. 40 a.
Proto-islamic. Persian or Mesopota-
h.3 1/4" ; 1. /.
mian art, perhaps connected with
islamic Turkestan of the X'*" century.
(Nr. 29). Two Ivory plaques from a
Ref. — G. MiGEON, Les Colleclton Ou Lotn'ie.
chest, with open-worked sculptures of
I. p. 89.
personages and animals among foliage,
t. 5" : 1. 3". no\vers and fruits.
11
,
Similar plaques from the same closet are Spanish-Moorish, X'*" century. ^
kept at the Bargello Museum,
(Carrand collection), and in the Albert-
Florence.
ReJ. — G. MiGON, JIaimel, fig. 111, p. i35.
chiselled bronze plates, for instance at Cairo. Mussulman lamps also gave
full but these were most fre-
scope to decorators for the use of bronze ;
PI. 14. (Nr. 35). Gilt open-worked bronze ' (Nr. 41). Basin, with three lions as
chargings for chest. — One with two supports, engraved with a circular ins-
pranced grliTins, the other ^^-Ith a winged cription expressing wishes to thepossessor.
horse.
Persian art, XIII'^ century.
Persian art cither nre-islamic and
Sassannid or proto-islamic under the
Ref. — G. Mu;ko\, Ld.r Coltfclion.y Ju Loui're,
^ i3 —
Arabian art of Egypt, XII'*" century. Egyptian, XII'^-XIII''' centuries.
h. 10 .
Diam. ^ .
« Allah, pray give assistance to... the
Diam.
may igoS, 12. — D'., Les Collecttonj- Jti
89. — Van
5 .
PI. 18. (Nr. 53). Conical Helmet, in Re/. — G. MiGEON, Us CalUclloihf du Louvre.
Like most oft he Mussulman arts, the hammered, engraved and inlaid
brass industry is more or less directl3' connected with the metal craftsmanship
practised b\' the peoples who preceeded Mussulmans in the territories later
submitted to Islam. This is the reason why, just as for ceramics, the art of
older Iranian peoples must be attentively studied.
PI. 17. (Nr. 80). Two xvriting boxes, and a band of kufic inscriptions of wishes
with co\ers inlaid in silver adorned with and blessings.
blessings inscriptions friezes in kufic
Persian or Mesopotamian. XII""-
rounded characters. XIII''' centuries.
Persian or Mesopotamian XIII""-
Donated by M. Octave Horabcrg.
XIV'*" centuries,
h. S".
h. 3 3, '4".
PI. 19. (Nr. 11.)). Drum, inlaid in gold PI. 22. (Nr. 71). Large Basin known
and silver with two friezes of rounded as the « Baptistery of Saint-Lewis »
Kufic characters, with the diplomatic ornamented inside and outside with an
titles of an Eniecr and a Sultan nicknamed inlaid silver frieze of personages with
« Malic Achraf », perhaps a member horsemen in medallions, the all inserted
of the Egyptian Mameluke Dynasty o( bet\veen two narrow friezes of animals.
the XIV''' -XV''' centuries. The artist's signature « Made by Master
Arabian artof Egypt, XI V'^-XV'i' cen-
Muhammad, son of Az-ZaVn (/. e. ZaVn-
ad-din), let him be forgiven », is repe.ited
turies,
in three places in rounded characters on
h. 8 ; diara. 10 .
eight faces, tAvo narrow friezes of inscrip- prince an attendant holding a writing-
is
Arabian, XI I'*"
century. « Made by Az-Zain's son
Near, a » .
PI. 21. (Nr. (i.>). Vase with faces deco- RiJ. — Longperier, (FAwres, I, p. .^60. —
LlEVRE, CollecUon.r celchre.r d'cciwre d'ail,
rated with a circular festoon in relief
pi. 47-48. — Lane Pool, Saracenic art,
154-182. — Reinaud,
iraming in engraved medallions of birds
p. yfloniunenls de la
and a sun. also ^vith inscriptions of bless- Cfllleclion Blacas, II, p. 423. — Migeon,
ings in rounded (Natskhi) characters. dec
Gazelle, 1899 ; Alanttel, fig. i53,
Translated by M. William Mar^ais. p. 198. — Van Berchem, Nola-, 1904,
p. -57>.
Persian or Aiesopotamian, XII"'-
XI IT'' centuries. h. I ; IJiam. 1 4 •
Donated by M. Gulbenkian.
h. 1 1 .
PL 23. (Nr. 67). EzLfer engraved and
inlaid in red copper Nvith friezes of
(Nr. 64). Bottle, ornamented with qua- blessing inscriptions to the name of the
trefoil interlace under a frieze of animals possessor : « Osman, son of Selman o(
. —
Nakhtchiwan (North West Persia), in Bequeathed by M. Plet-Lataudrie.
the year 586 of Hegira ( 1
1
90) » ,
Ref. — Expo.nlton D'Arl mu.mlman, 1 903,.
in relief.
* Pilgrim Alohammed, son of El Amili l
Mesopotamlan (High Tigris). Former made in the year 709-1009 ».
half of the XTII''" ccnturv .
(The cover belongs to another piece).
h. 1 2 .
(Nr. 7^)- y^lSC with faces and a small gris). Early XIV '*'
century.
pedestal in the shape of animal paws. Bequeathed by Baroness Delort de Gleon.
Inlaid In silver with fleur-de-lis, lions,
Ref. — E. Lavoix, Expo.ulton (>ii Trocadiro
suns, and horsemen. {Gazelle, november 187R). — G. MigeON.
The neck bears three friezes of per- Alaniiel, p. 2o3.
sonages and animals and, at the bottom, a
h. 1 01,2 ; I. 1 o .
18 —
PI. 26. (Nr. 83). Basin inlaid in gold At the angle of the faces are inlaid in
and silver with personages in medallions gold and silver groups of letters which
and horsemen on a background of loliage. Ibrm the name of Sultan Orkhan (of th e
The inscriptions bear the anonymous Othmanlis dynasty of Brusa, in Turkey)
— also the date
,
(Nr. /,)). Square Trax. inlaid in silver, the saline inscription is repeated and
with a central medallion of foliage and followed with the words : « Made in the
closed crescents surrounded with a cir- year 704 of Hegira », 1,^04 or i5o5.
h. 1 1 2 ; \v. 9 .
(1) 1 he three brass specimens numbers 85-8^' -85 are supposed to belong to a school which
was thriving in Persia under the Mongolian dynasty, from the end of the XII I'l* down to the XV<l> cen-
tury, thus corresponding to the Mameluke Egyptian school. No specimen ot that school bears names.
19 —
,
(Gazette, 20 p.,
Expo.r'il'ton
b. di
PI. 30. (Nr. 88). Vase inlaid in silver
p. 191. — Van Bkrche.m, Nolc.f [Journal of the \var and religion) Ali » with the
a.ftatiqiie), p. Tm. names and nicknames of his brother
b. i'6". DaAvud.
Ali reigned over Yemen from 696 to
PI. 31. (Nr. 89). E'Wer with faces, 721 (i32i-i565).
handle and spout inlaid in silver ^vith Under the tray is chiselled « for Nasir's
friezes of animals pursuing each other,
furnitures, in happy palace of
the
broken by medallions of foliage, also — Victory ». Perhaps Malik Nasir Ahmed
with a frieze of inscriptions to the name (1 _)'oo-i 426), one of Ali's successors.
and titles of Malik Nasir Yusuf,
Ayyubid Sultan of Aleppo (1256-1260) Egyptian art of Yemen. XIV^''' cen-
1269 ». diam. 2 D .
-JO —
PI. 33. (Nr. 76). Small Bashl inlaid In PI. 34. (Nr. 8G). Candlestick, en^rc^wed
silver with seated per^ionages inside me- on the neck with roses and interlaces and
dallions and on the reverse with the seven on the base with Jive cartouches of
planets. inscriptions bearing Nvishcs and prciises
to the sovereign.
Persian or Alesopotamian, XIII''' cen-
This candlestick was fitted in a large
tury.
pedestal nowHermitage iMuseum,
at the
Donated bv ML. Dru.
Petrograd. The \\-hole comes from the
h. 7) ; diam. 6 . great Mosque of Ahmed Yasavi, a Ti-
mourid Prince of the early XV'"" century,
(Nr. lot). Tray from a hexagonal kursi in the city of Turkestan (between the
inlaid in gold \vith ducks. T\vo bands of Caspian see and fachkent).
inscriptions ibllo\\ the six blunted angles Persian art(Timourid), XV'"' century.
and, in the centre, a circular inscription
Bequeathed by G. Marteau.
^*ves the theological titles of Allah.
Ref. — G. MlGiON. Le-f Collcclioii.f ifti
diam. i 5 . b. I 5 ; diam. 1 .5 .
"
V^ a rp e 1 5 and X a briics
The Louvre Museum does not OAvn a single specimen to confirm the
opinion that knotted carpets with awkward decorations of flowers and
distorted animals, are not originating from Armenia. Such pieces are very
rare. We only possess beautiful Persian carpets made under the Sefevis
dynasty at the end of the XVI'l^ century and during the XVIIi'i.
The subjects are exuberent compositions, in which horsemen are
sporting and animals fleeing amidst trees, shrubs, and flowers, — also several
of these marvellous carpets oi the XVIil^ century from Asia Minor which we
find represented in the Flemish and Italian paintings of the XVItH and
XVIIth centuries.
PI. 35. (Nr. 124). Silk Carpet with a Persian. X\ I''' centurj,'.
red ground strown \\ith shrubs, flowers
Donated hy M. F. Doisfcau.
and groups ol animals and ^vild beasts
atlacking burling bufialot-s and deer. 1. 8' 3" ; w. 4;/.
Jcunietle donation.
It' "
Persi.in, XVI'^ cenfurv.
20
1. 1 <) ; w. X 2
'
a .
Jeiiniette decoration.
PL 37. (Nr. I2(i) Woven silk Carpet }\ef. — G. >\icrON, Le,f Collicli.uhr i>it
PI. 39. (Nr. i3i). Si/k Fabric on cotton The latter was known after Ibn al
woof, decorated with elephants in circular Athir « as an Emir of the Khorassan » ;
camels. Under the feet of the elephants Originating from the chiircli of Saint-)osse
to CaVd Abu Mansur Negtehin ; let God (Eug. PiOT, vol. XXI\% 1920).
,'9"; •^'
give him long prosperity ». f,. 1-
Illuinmatmg, JMiniatiires and -L)r awnings
old towns of Iran occupied by the conquerors, where manN' years later —
the Transoxian, Herat and Bukkhara schools thrived under the Timourids.
It is to be presumed that artists who had escaped from the conquered
cities had taken shelter at the courts of the Sefevis Shahs, where they prac-
tised this delicate art at the XVItli and XVIIth centuries before being
called to India by the great Moguls of Delhi, of whom they left portraits of
rare penetration and admirable draughtsmanship.
h. w Bequeathed bj M. G. Marteau.
1 ^ ; . \ \ \ -^ .
- --M
-
.
touches. Iskender (Alexander) seated on Persian Sefevis art, early XVI''' cen-
the throne of Persia with his court around. tury.
Originating from a manuscript executed Bequeathed by M. G. Marteau.
in the tradition of the Baghdad schools.
h. 5
-'-•"
1; 2 ; w - . .:>
-"
PI. 43. (Nr. 142). Grey mhiiainre Persian Sefevis art, under Shah
draUfing, with gouache touches two ; Thamasp, middle of the XVI''' century.
young ^vomen passing one is holding a ;
Bequeathed by G. i'^larteau.
tray, the other ha.s her hands under a I '
a" "
li . 1 4 ; \v . 1 o .
drapery
Mongol an or Timou rid Persian schools,
i PI. 46. (Nr. 1.5.^). Grey drazuing \x\ih.
influenced by or perhaps copied from the colouring. A young man blowing a
Chinese painting schools of the Yuen. trumpet.
XI V"- orXV'i' century. Persian, Bokkara School, XVI''' cen-
1, pi. 64. h .
4 ; w . 2 1 '
4 .
h. y J2 ; \v. 6 .
1
(Nr. 167), Small grey drazvin gs \\\i\i
(Nr. 145). Grey draxoiiig. A Sultana colouring and gilding. Signature of
seating on her heels. Mohammed All.
Persian, Herat School, late XV''' cen- Persian, Sefevis art early XVII''' cen-
tury. tury.
I. pi. 65.
1
n .
Qw
o ; \v .
r
o
w
.
PI. 47. (Nr. i6.5). Gouache-painted
Miniature -.
Avrestlers before a sovereign
PI. 44. (Nr. 146) Grey draiiyinij with ,
surrounded by his court.
brown touches. T\\-o personages walking
Persian Sefevis art, XVI''' century.
hand in hand.
Bequeathed by M. G. Alarteau.
Persian Sefevis art, early XVI''' cen-
h. 1 12 ; \v. 8 1/2 .
tury.
Bequeathed by M. G. Marteau. (Nr. 166). Gouache-piiinted Minia-
/«'<;/'. — G. MlCliO.N, Le.f Colleclloii.sJu Lomre, ture. A sovereign seated under a tent In
I, pi. 64. the midst of his court.
h. 6 1,4" w. 5".
;
Persian Sefevis art, late XVf' cen-
— 25 —
, "
PI. 48. (Nr. 168). Grey Drawing year 986 (1578). He was the son of the
PI. 49 (Nr. 1(39) Grey Draiving wiiW PI. 51. (Nr. 17.5). Pages of illuminat-
golden touches. Kneeling personage ing which the central panel, bearing
in
(Nr. 170). Grey Drazuing, with golden with portraits of the Groat Moguls
touches. A young Prince seated and of India, Four leaves are in the
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