West And Central Asia

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181.

T: Treasury and Great Temple

A: Unknown

D: c. 400 BCE-100 CE
M: Cut rock
P: Nabatean Ptolemaic and Roman
OL: Petra, Jordan
P: N/A
F: Rock cut tomb, Treasury temple
DT: Siq (canyon), Khazneh (tomb)
C: Nabatean capital until Trajan created province of Arabia in 106 CE. Influences from Hellinistic era when Alexander the great "Hellenized" other parts of the world. Extensive trade routes, very wealthy people (incense and spices, high prices.) Religious and burial rituals unknown (No human remains)

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Front 2

182.

T: Buddha

A: Traveling Buddhists

D: c. 400-800 BCE

M: Cut rock with plaster and polychrome paint

P: Western Buddhist

OL: Bamiyan, Afghanistan

P: N/A

F: Religious

DT: Monumental sculpture, niche, circumambulate

C: Built along the silk road. Missionaries and merchants stopped here. Over 1300 Buddhist caves. Adorned with paints, gems, metal. Destroyed by Taliban forces in 2001 (modern Islamic iconoclasm)

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183.

T: The Kaaba

A: Various

D: 631-632 CE

M: Granite, covered with silk curtain and calligraphy in gold and silver wrapped thread

P: Islamic

OL: Mecca, Saudi Arabia

P: Islam

F: Religious center, ritual

DT: Hajj

C: Inside Mecca

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Front 4

184

T: Jowo Rinpoche, Jokhang Temple

A: Vishvakarman (original)
D: 641 CE
M: Metals, semiprecious stones, pearls, paint
P: Buddhist
OL: Tibet
P: Unknown
F: Religious, Ritual
DT: Buddha, enlightenment
C: Said to be blessed by Buddha himself. Hidden during 640s CE by a Chinese princess before an invasion. People make pilgrimages to it. Most revered piece in Tibet. Replica (original disappeared in 1960s)

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Front 5

185.

T: Dome of the Rock

A: Abd al-Malik
D: 691-692 CE
M: Stone, tile, mosaics, bronze
P: Islamic
OL: Jerusalem
P: Abd al-Malik (Umayyad caliph)
F: Religious
DT: Dome, mosaic, colonnade, ambulatory, striped arch
C: built late 600s when Islam did not have control over Kaaba. Originally was the location of Jewish Temple torn down by Titus in 70 CE. Roman Temple replaced it. Where Abraham prepared his sons sacrifice, where Muhammad had his revelation (went to heaven to meet Christ, Moses, and God). Inscription claims Islam is the true religion.

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186.

T: Great Mosque
A: Various

D: 700 CE (various restoration dates)

M: Stone, brick, wood, plaster, glazed tile

P: Islamic

OL: Iran

P: Islamic Turks, different rulers made additions / restorations

F: Religious, worship

DT: Minaret, qibla wall, qibla dome, mihrab, mihrab dome, hypostyle prayer hall, nave, pointed arch, iwan, congregatinal

C: Qibla wall oriented towards Mecca, prayer hall face Qibla wall, Minaret symbolizes Islam. Mihrab (in the qibla wall) symbolizes where Muhammad would have stood to preach. Built to hold the large umma congregation (Muslim community ). 4-Iwan construction. Qibla wall with Mihrab is flanked with minarets (toward mecca.)

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187. T: Folio from the Qur'an

A: Qurantic Scribe (different styles)

D: 8-9th century c. CE

M: Ink, color, parchment

P: Islamic

OL: Arab, North Africa
P: Unknown (probably an aristocrat)
F: Religious text
DT: Calligraphy, suras (chapters)
C: Qur'an means "recitation". 114 suras. Arabic is the sacred language of Islam (read right to left). Scribes were creative had theur own style. Each page had to be planned out before it was begun.

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188.

T: Basin (Baptisere St. Louis)
A: Mohammed ibn al- Zain
D: 1320-1340
M: Brass inlaid with gold and silver
P: Islamic
OL: Near East
P: Wealthy Mamluk patron
F: Ceremonial (handwashing), possibly banqueting, later used for baptisms
DT: Inlaid, basin, friezes
C: Mamluks, Turkish Tribes people, ruled in Syria and Egypt until the ottoman empire. Mamluk officials, showcasing processional horsemanship. Wealthy Mamluk official would have used it for ceremonial purposes (handwashing or banqueting). Landed in the hands or wealthy French family in the 1600s and was used for family baptisms.

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189.

T: Bahram Gur Fights the Karg
A: Unknown
D: 1330-1340
M: Ink and watercolor, gold and silver on paper
P: Ilkhanids
OL: Persia

P: Ilkhanids
F: Didactic manuscripts
DT: Manuscript, calligraphy, Shanhma
C: Book of Kings (Shanham), tells the Mongolian history of the region. Thry are descendants of Genghis Khan. Myths, legends, and early history of Iran. Stories of Bahram Gur (a tyrannical leader).

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190.

T: The court of Gayumars
A: Unknown
D: 1522-1525
M: Ink, watercolor, and gold on paper

P: Iranian
OL: Persia
P: Sultan Muhammed (1st king of Iran)
F: Depiction of king and court
DT: Manuscript, folio
C: 1st king of Iran and his court. Rocks have faces, demonic figure hurling rocks.

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191.

T: The Ardabil Carpet
A: Unknown
D: 1539-1540
M: Silk and wool, hand knotted
P: Islamic
OL: Persia

P: Maqsud Kashani (court official)
F: Decorative
DT: Geometrical, floral flourishes, vegetative scrolls
C: Safi al-Din Ardabili (Islamic Mysticism, a version of Islam), beginning of Shi'a. One of the oldest Islamuc carpets. Used to decorate mosques, homes and shrines. Sometimes used to hang on walls during the winter. 340 knots per square inch (compared to 60 now). One half is in LA county museum of art.

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