• Meant to be read aloud, possibly by multiple people

• Written on parchment (animal skin), which was a common material before paper was widespread

• Reflects aniconism in Islamic art (avoidance of human/animal figures in religious contexts), which emphasized the importance of the written word

• Calligraphy was not only functional but also a spiritual and artistic expression in Islam

• Part of a manuscript

Form

• Kufic script (calligraphic form), geometric layout for clarity, and minimal decoration

Content

• Sacred text from the Qur'an (holy book of Islam) which has a divine message (conveys spiritual guidance and moral instruction)

Context

• From the early Islamic period (Abbasid dynasty), when calligraphy was a highly developed art form and the transcription of the Qur'an was a sacred act (literal world of God/Allah)

Function

• Sacred text for worship/recitation (probably used in a mosque or Islamic school) and helped preserve/transmit the words of the Qur'an, especially in an oral/written culture that valued accuracy and beauty in scripture.

• Artist is unknown, but likely created under Illkhanid Mongol patronage (shows how Mongol rulers embraced Persian culture to legitimize their rule)

• Shahnama was written by Ferdowsi

• Helps visualize the power and virtule of a ruler (political and artistic statement)

• Bahram Gur is depicted in royal clothing with a halo (shows his status and blends Persian, Islamic, and even Buddhist iconography)

Form

• Persian miniature style (small-scale characterized by delicate brushwork, vibrant colors, and detailed patterns) and is arranged in a flat, linear manner

Content

• Scene from the Shahnama, a Persian epic, where King Bahrum Gur defeats the Karg (mythical, wolf-like creature) and represents the triumph of good over evil in Persian mythology

Context

• Created in the Ill-khanid period, which reflects the blending of Persian and Mongol influences after the Mongol conquest of Persia and the Shahnama ("Book of Kings") preserved pre-Islamic legends/celebrates royal authority

Function

• Part of an illuminated manuscript of the Shahnama, which was created for royal or aristocratic patrons, serving as entertainment, education, and cultural pride

• Glorification of kingship (heroic leadership and divine authority)

• Persian story from 1010 C.E.

• It is part of the Book of Kings, a collection of Persian epic tales

• Whole departments of the king's palace would have worked on the book

• There are Chinese influences from trade connections via the Silk Road

• It is one of the first pieces of art to be spoken about by a historian of the time

Form:

• There is harmony between the figures and the landscape

• The vegetation spills out of the frame onto the page

• It has a large, richly painted surface area

Content

• King Gayumars sits on a mountain with his son on his left and his grandson on his right

• His advisors and wild animals are arranged in a arc beneath him

• He is being told about his death by the angel Shurush

• The landscape is lush, as it is a paradise

Function

• Part of the Shahnameh (Book of Kings)

• A neohistory of fifty of Persia's kings

• One of the most famous Japanese artworks

• Easily printed, thousands of copies were made

• A collaboration of a designer, engraver, printer, and publisher

• Mount Fuji is sacred to the Japanese

Form:

• Personification of nature, the wave seems intent on drowning the boats

• Mount Fuji seems to be one with the waves, will also be swallowed

Content:

• The foreground has a massive cresting wave over three fishing boats

• Mount Fuji is in the background, but in clear view

• The color, Prussian Blue, was imported and was considered prized

Function:

• Part of a series of prints titled Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji

• Bird's eye view of action moving right to left

• Yamato-style painting

• 16 inches tall by 275 inches wide

• Vibrant outline w/ washes of color

Content:

• Story unfolds sequentially

• Reccuring figures/objects such as Fujiwara no Nobuyori, an ox carraige, and Minamoto Yoshitomo

• Minamoto wears distinctive horned helmet

• Lots of civilians fleeing and being slaughtered

Context:

• Kamakura period in Japan

• Tells the story of the Heiji Inssurection from 1159-60

• Sanjo palace home to Emperor Go-Shirakawa and his son, who he had recently abdicated to, Nejo

• Taira and the Minamoto clans rivals

• Fujiwara no Nobuyori’s attempt to seize power by abducting Nijô and Go-Shirakawa, putting them in a cart, and setting the palace on fire

Function:

• Designed to be unrolled in sections for close-up viewing

  Two other surviving scrolls

  Celebrate Japan’s shift from royal to samurai rule

• Sin Sukju with official robes and a black silk hat on his head

• Crisp, angular lines and graduations of color

• Hands folded neatly under sleeves

• Rank badge worn on chest

• Sitting in a folding chair

Content:

• Depicted as a meritorious subject

• Rank badge shows 2 peacocks amid flowering plants and clouds

• Careful attention to facial details like wrinkles served Korean belief that the face could reveal important clues about the subject

• Visage portrays wisdom and dignity

Context:

• Joseon Dynasty Korea

• Sitter awarded title “meritorious subject”, which was an official honored for service to the king

• Sin Sukju was a scholar and a powerful politician who became Prime Minister of Korea

• Retained court favor even during King Sejo’s coup

• Confucianism important; emphasized honor to elders and ancestors

• Five Dynasties Period

• transition between Tang and Song dynasties

• marked by upheaval & political turmoil

• many scholars isolated themselves from civilization and became recluses

• Neo-Confucianism

• confucian ethics reframed within Buddhist and Daoist ideals (seeking absolute truth in nature and self cultivation.)

• Concepts of Li and Qi

• Li - principles, underlying

• pattern of reality

• Qi - vital force, energy that occupies space

Form:

• 9ft tall hanging scroll.

• Seal signified the ownership of the work.

• Different brush techniques used to create a variety of textures, mist made using light ink washes, while trees were created using shorter, layered strokes.

• Compositionally balanced

Content:

• Temple hidden in the trees and travelers with donkeys.

• Waterfall accentuated by vertical lines of the mountain, while a stream creates a perpendicular line through the bottom of the painting

• Symbolism: Mountains represent the abode of immortals, and the Pine trees represent virtuous man.

Function:

• Not representing an objective reality,

• but rather aims to capture the essence of a scene.

• Drawing parallels between Li and Qi and the sublime through imagery.

• Imagines mankind as a small component of the cosmic order of nature

Connections:

• The Gare Saint-Lazare Station by Claude Monet similarly is aiming to depict the essence of a scene rather than recreate an objective view as seen from human eyes.

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• The Oxbow by Thomas Cole is also evoking a sense of sublime and the vastness of nature