Cosmophilia: Islamic Art from the David Collection, Copenhagen

SMART MUSEUM OF ART UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
Cosmophilia: Islamic Art from the David Collection, Copenhagen
February 1–May 20, 2007
Teacher Handout
Cosmophilia literally means “love of ornament” and the more than one hundred
objects on view at the University of Chicago’s Smart Museum of Art reflect the
prevalence of ornamentation in Islamic art. The works in the exhibition are borrowed
from the David Collection, Copenhagen, Denmark, span centuries, and originate from
places where Islam was the primary religion at some point in history.
Islamic art is defined as “the art made by artists or artisans whose religion was
Islam, for patrons who lived in predominantly Muslim lands, or for purposes that
are restricted or peculiar to a Muslim population or a Muslim setting.” 1 Islamic
art typically refers to a timeline “beginning in the seventh century Arabia and
encompassing by the fifteenth century all the lands between the Atlantic and Indian
oceans, the steppes of Central Asia and the deserts of Africa.” 2 Art made in Islamic
lands today is still considered “Islamic.” It is also not always particular to the practice
of religion—many objects categorized as Islamic art were made for secular purposes.
Despite variances in place of origination, time period, style and function, what unites
these works is their transformation from everyday objects to their status as “fine art”
through ornamentation and decoration. The thematic ornamental categories of figures,
writing, geometry, and vegetation-arabesque are ways to aesthetically examine and
understand these disparate art objects.
Catalogue Number 103, Doorknocker, late 11th–12th
century, southern Italy, cast and engraved bronze, partly
inlaid with niello, diameter 44.3 cm, 50/2000
A common misperception is that Islamic art does not include representational imagery. The Koran (the religious text of
Islam that records God’s revelations to the Prophet Muhammad) bans the worship of images for religious purposes—there
are therefore no representational figural images in mosques or in any religious context. On everyday objects however,
depictions of animals or figures often appear as decorative elements.
Arabic writing first appeared as early as 512 CE (Common Era). 3 Arabic is written from right to left, has 28 distinctive
sounds, and is represented by 18 characters. Calligraphers use many stylistic scripts for writing this language and text
embellishes both religious and secular Islamic art objects. Calligraphers transcribed the Koran both as a means of
communicating God’s word and as a symbol of God’s permanence. Some manuscripts depict verses from the Koran in a
style that is hard to read—the purpose is to intentionally slow down the reader to reflect upon God’s word. Non-religious
objects are also decorated with text. Proverbs, pious aphorisms, and poetry embellish a variety of everyday objects. A
ceramic bowl, for example, might have text decorating its center that appeared as the food disappeared from the bowl.
One such phrase on a ceramic serving ware reads “Patience is the key to victory; blessing.” 4
Repeated patterns based on geometric forms including polygons, circles, and triangles also appear frequently as
ornamentation in Islamic art. Whether repeated as a single motif in rows, overlapped to create intersecting patterns,
or alternated in a combination of forms, these abstract designs reflect symmetry and decorate a variety of functional
objects including tiles, carpets, ceramic and glass vessels, and architectural forms. The repetition of these forms perhaps
emphasizes the infinite nature of God.
Vegetal ornamentation appears in art from around the world, but ornamentation called arabesque is unique to the Islamic
realm. It is based on floral motifs ultimately derived from acanthus (a type of Mediterranean plant) leaves and vine scrolls
inherited from the Greek, Roman, and Byzantine worlds. These floral motifs often were further abstracted into geometric
patterns of leaves and rosettes. Arabesque ornamentation (prominent between the 10th–16th centuries) is “vegetal
ornament that grows according to the laws of geometry rather than nature.” 5 The arabesque suggests infinity—it is easy
to imagine these floral patterns expanding endlessly in any direction. This boundless feature corresponds to spirituality.
To Muslims who strove to connect with God on a mystical level, the infinite nature of these patterns exemplified a way to
reflect on the bounties of God, both earthly and celestial, through divine blessings present in nature. Following the 15th
century, Asian stylized representations of specific flowers including peony, chrysanthemum, and lotus appear. By the 17th
century, more naturalistic depictions are reflected as ornamentation in Islamic art.
1. Sheila S. Blair and Jonathan M. Bloom, Cosmophilia: Islamic Art from the David Collection, Copenhagen (Boston: McMullen Museum of Art, 2006) 11.
2. Sheila S. Blair and Jonathan M. Bloom, Islamic Arts (New York: Phaidon Press, Inc.) 5.
3. Sheila S. Blair and Jonathan M. Bloom, Cosmophilia: Islamic Art from the David Collection, Copenhagen (Boston: McMullen Museum of Art, 2006) 85.
4. Ibid., 102.
5. Ibid., 205.
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FIGURES
These three objects represent different time periods (11th–12th century, 9th–10th century, and the first half of the 17th
century), different parts of the world (Egypt, Iran, and India), and depict figures and other naturalistic forms. Despite these
differences, all contain recognizable images that are somewhat stylized.
Catalogue Number 10, Bowl, 11th–12th century, Egypt,
earthenware painted in reddish-brown luster over
opaque white glaze, 5.5 x 20.5 cm, David Collection
4/1992
Which work uses color to stylize the figure?
Which work primarily uses geometry?
Which work uses perspective to stylize the figures?
Catalogue Number 18, Box Cover, first half 17th century, Deccan or Sind, India,
wood, painted and lacquered, 20 x 31 cm, David Collection 56/1999
Bowl, 11th–12th century, Egypt
The figure depicted on this bowl is painted in reserve. The potter first painted the fired earthenware bowl with a white
glaze and using the glaze silhouetted the figure—the negative space becomes the form. The function and meaning of this
bowl is open to interpretation. The figure appears to drink wine despite this drinking being forbidden in the Koran.
Describe the details painted on this bowl. What can you tell about this figure?
Do you think this bowl was used for everyday purposes? Why or why not?
Catalogue Number 15, Bottle, 9th–10th
century, Iraq or Iran, colorless glass, height
12.6 cm, David Collection 3/2000
Box Cover, first half 17th century, India
This wooden box lid is painted and protected with a layer of resin varnish. The men wear turbans and walk alongside
female attendants as they escort a princess riding in an ox-drawn cart. This box may have been owned by the princess in
the scene.
Describe the scene depicted on this box lid. What details do you see?
What do you imagine is happening in this scene? What are these people doing? What might happen next?
The figure in the cart is identified as a princess. What do you notice that might make you think she is someone
special? What would you store in such a box?
Bottle, 9th–10th century, Iraq or Iran
This glass bottle was blown and after it had cooled, the designs were cut into it. Rabbits are engraved along the bottom
of the bottle and are alternated with an inscription in an Arabic angular script that reads “blessing.” Often similar vessels
were inscribed with messages that encouraged the user of the object to have good fortune, happiness, or a long life.
What details did the artist include to distinguish this as a rabbit figure?
If you were the artisan designing a bottle, what would you choose as an animal symbol for happiness? What would
you choose and an image paired with a message for long life? What do you think this type of bottle was used for?

WRITING
These three works exemplify use as both secular and sacred objects. All however, contain messages written in calligraphic
Arabic script.
Catalogue Number 27, Lamp
Stand, 1470s, western Iran or
eastern Turkey, brass, engraved
and inlaid with silver, height 101
cm, David Collection 45/1999
Catalogue Number 38, Folio from a Koran Manuscript, Ca. 950, Tunisia, gold and
silver on parchment stained blue, 28.6 x 38 cm (trimmed), David Collection 77/2004
(Side B)
Which works appear to be used for religious purposes? What do you see that makes you think that?
Lamp Stand
This lamp is composed of two parts—the base can serve as a candlestick and the shaft with the bowl-like top serves as an
oil lamp. A pair of lamps (like this one) was used to flank the mihrab (niche in a mosque wall that indicates the direction
of Mecca, the most holy city in Islam) in tombs or shrines. The text on the base of the lamp is specific to the person who
originally had the object made. The inscription around the top is a poem praising God’s light.
Consider the word “illumination” in relation to spirituality and the function of this object. How are both a lamp
stand and a spiritual message illuminating?
Folio from a Koran Manuscript
This page is from a Koran (the Muslim Holy Book) manuscript and is written in an angular lettering style of Arabic
script. Ornamentation in the form of silver roundels marks the ends of verses and function much like a period in English
punctuation. This text urges believers to strive on God’s path.
What artistic choices did the calligrapher make to suggest to us that this page is important?
Catalogue Number 29, Bowl, 10th century, eastern Iran or
Central Asia, earthenware covered with a white slip and
painted in brown and red slip under a transparent glaze,
height 10 cm, diameter 26.5 cm, David Collection 22/1974
Bowl
This bowl contains an inscription in Arabic. The text is decoratively stylized and is written clockwise beginning at the
position of six o’clock. It reads “He who believes in recompense [from God] is generous with gifts.” Four dots mark the
beginning of the sentence—Arabic is read from right to left.
In other words, this text states that someone who thinks he will be repaid, will be more generous. What do you
think is the intended message of this text? What does it mean to you? Many ceramic functional vessels contained
proverbs or aphorisms (sayings) about good ways to live life or how to be a better person. What is an aphorism that
you would write as a message to others? As an artist, what type of object would be a good to use to convey your
message?

GEOMETRY
These three works reflect the variety of symmetrical ornamentation found on textiles, in architectural features, and
metalwork. Sometimes the ornamentation is both geometric (made from simple polygons and other shapes) and
naturalistic (resembling organic shapes found in nature).
Catalogue number 45, Fragment of a velvet textile, mid-16th century,
Turkey,silk and metal lamella spun around silk, 95 x 114 cm
David Collection 25/1962
Catalogue number 46, Screen, Late 16th century, Delhi
region of India,sandstone with openwork decoration,
84 x 53.5 cm, David Collection 2/1986
Catalogue number 56,Tray, second half 17th century,
Deccan, India, bidri metal inlaid with silver and brass,
diameter 31 cm, David Collection 16/1987
What elements found in these objects remind you of something organic? What does this shape look like to you?
Identify the motif that is repeated to form the pattern (What is the basic design that the artist repeated?).
Fragment of a velvet textile
This Turkish velvet textile is an example of çintamani motif. In Sanskrit, çintamani means “precious jewel.” The origin of
the design alludes to three pearls that gave off a mystical flame. By the 16th century, this pattern was an important design
of the Turkish court.
Elements of this geometric pattern may resemble the hides of two different animals. What animal motifs does this
pattern suggest to you?
Screen
This carved stone object served as a screen in a building. It provided some privacy while allowing airflow and light to pass
through. Red sandstone was typically used in palaces and other buildings, while white marble was used for temples and
religious structures.
The geometric ornamentation in this screen interlocks like a puzzle—the shapes overlap and repeat to form the
pattern. The basic motif however contains a hexagram, a six-pointed star. How many complete hexagrams are
within this screen? How is this screen different from screens you are familiar with?
Tray
This tray, made from zinc, copper, tin, and lead, is inlaid in silver and brass shapes and probably served as the base for a
water pipe (hookah) as part of a smoking set. Geometric ornament radiates from the center and repeats outward.
The ornamentation on the tray actually transforms the shape of this object to suggest something representational.
What does it look like to you?

VEGETATION AND THE ARABESQUE
These three objects reflect varied degrees of vegetal ornamentation in Islamic art—both those from a more
abstract tradition and those depicting naturalistic plants.
Catalogue number 78, Plaque,13th–14th century, Egypt,
carved ivory, 8.2 x 7.9 cm, David Collection, 48/1978
Catalogue number 86, Panel of Six Tiles,Ca. 1540, Iznik Turkey, fritware
painted in blue, turquoise and sage green with black outlines under a
transparent glaze, 61.2 x 79 cm, David Collection, Isl. 182
Which work reflects a more abstract design?
Which seems the most representational? Why?
Why do you think artists chose to decorate objects with scenes of nature?
Catalogue number 83,Carpet, first half 18th century,
India, Pashmina wool pile on cotton foundation,
166 x 120 cm, David Collection, Tex. 31
Plaque
This small carved ivory plaque was part of a larger wooden panel that could have been used as a door or as part of a piece
of furniture. The design exemplifies the arabesque—the stylized plant tendrils are entwined and loop around each other to
suggest infinite expansion.
This design appears to loop over and under and has depth—it goes back in space to appear three-dimensional. The
artist carved this with a single piece of ivory. How do you think the artist achieved this complicated perspective and
design? From what kind of vegetation do you think the artist abstracted the design?
Panel of Six Tiles
These six naturalistic tiles were created in Iznik, which was the center of tile production in Turkey from 1299–1922, and
come from the walls of baths in Istanbul’s Topkapi Palace. Two tiles are paired vertically to complete a representational
image. The artist painted this vegetation in a naturalistic style—it is possible to identify the plants depicted. Tulips flank a
center branch of cherry blossoms and a small flowering hyacinth appears in the left corner.
The plants painted on these tiles contain details making it possible to identify them. Describe the details you see
that help define the plant. One of the characteristics of the truly arabesque is its suggestion of the infinite. How
could these tiles suggest infinity?
Carpet
This knotted wool carpet is made from the fine underhair of the Asian domestic goat, which is called pashmina. The carpet
is called a millefleurs type, named for the many tiny floral blossoms that make up the design. The vegetation on this carpet
appears to grow from a single stem held in a vase at the bottom of the rug. The carpet contains a design that resembles a
mihrab (the niche in a mosque wall that indicates the direction of Mecca) so it may have been used as a prayer rug with
the mihrab pointed toward Mecca, or as a wall hanging.
Millefleurs translates from French as “one thousand flowers.” Do you think this is a good title for this type of
carpet? Why or why not? Although there are design elements that contain and frame the some of the floral pattern
(a border and a mihrab shape) would you still consider this ornamentation as growling endlessly to suggest the
infinite? Why or why not?

AN EXERCISE IN PATTERN
Sheila Blair and Jonathan Bloom, curators of Cosmophilia, describe the aesthetic of
Islamic Art as “more is more.” In other words, unlike modern design, where
sometimes simplicity of surface prevailed, Islamic art is layered with pattern and
embellishment. Motifs are often repeated and juxtaposed next to one another to
cover the entire surface of the object.
Using a template of a 12 x 12 inch hexagon shape, invite students to design and
paint a tile using geometric, arabesque, or a purely vegetal design—using a limited
palette (select a palette of four or five colors that each student should use). The
tiles should be exactly the same size so they fit together to cover a large area. This
project can be executed as a classroom installation—the tiles can be arranged
together to cover a wall. The tiles may be precut from cold-press illustration board
or a heavyweight cardboard. Students may wish to first sketch their designs in pencil.
If an overall design for a wall of classroom tiles that suggests “the infinite”is desired,
it may be helpful to direct students to create a particular “type” of tile and instruct
them to include tendrils that intersect the points of the hexagon (or some other
parameter) so each tile’s design connects somehow with the others surrounding it.
This project can be adapted for elementary–secondary students. Tempera, acrylic,
or gouache will work. If a shiny paint surface is desired to emulate “glaze,” be sure to
use a gel medium to add sheen and extend the paint.
Alignment with Illinois Learning Standards and Goals for the Visual Arts
Docent-led tours of Cosmophilia, related discussion in the Museum or classroom, and an exhibition inspired classroom
hands-on activity (such as one suggested above), reinforce elements of the Illinois standards and goals for the visual arts
by encouraging students to recognize and solve artistic problems, express and interpret information and ideas, work as
a team as part of a larger group hands-on project, and make connections between the visual arts and other disciplines
(history, social studies, language arts).
STATE GOAL 25: Know the language of the arts.
A. Understand the sensory elements, organizational principles and expressive qualities of the arts.
B. Understand the similarities, distinctions and connections in and among the arts.
STATE GOAL 26: Through creating and performing, understand how works of art are produced.
A. Understand processes, traditional tools and modern technologies used in the arts.
B. Apply skills and knowledge necessary to create and perform in one or more of the arts.
STATE GOAL 27: Understand the role of the arts in civilizations, past and present.
A. Analyze how the arts function in history, society and everyday life.
B. Understand how the arts shape and reflect history, society and everyday life.
Catalogue number 57, Hexagonal Tile,Ca. 1400, Central Asia
earthenware painted with gold and colors, diameter 30.2 cm,
David Collection, 48/2001
About the David Collection and the exhibition
Christian Ludvig David (1878–1960) was a private collector of Islamic and other arts who studied and practiced law in
Copenhagen, Denmark. His collecting habits formed what is now known as the David Collection in Copenhagen. There
are approximately 2,555 objects (as of 2005) in this collection. Cosmophilia was curated by professors Sheila S. Blair
and Jonathan M. Bloom, Norma Jean Calderwood University Professors of Islamic and Asian Art at Boston College. This
traveling exhibition was initiated in part by the Director of the David Collection, Kjeld von Folsach. With the temporary
closing of the David Collection in May 2006 for reorganization, remodeling of galleries, and reinstallation of the
collection, Blair and Bloom proposed borrowing select works from the David Collection for an exhibition that examines
Islamic art in relation to the over arching theme of ornamentation. This exhibition originated at the McMullen Museum of
Art, Boston College. The University of Chicago’s Smart Museum of Art is its final traveling venue in the United States.