HSD109 – Introduction to Islamic Art

Course Overview

Muslim societies produced arts of tremendous vitality and diversity for around 1400 years in centres from Spain and West Africa to South-East Asia and China. Their artistic production includes architectural monuments such as mosques, palaces, and civic centres to textiles, manuscripts, and portable objects in ceramic, gold, silver, metal alloys, ivory, and rock crystal. This introductory course aims to explore the main stylistic and iconographic themes in Islamic art and architecture and highlight the diversity of its expressions. There will be cultural visits to museums, exhibitions and a permanent collection in one of the London museums to see examples of Islamic Art from the seventh to the twentieth centuries.

Module Info

Module Title: Introduction to Islamic Art

Module Type: Designated

Program: BA Hawza Studies

Prerequisite(s): None

Credit(s): 10

Module Code: HSD109

Semester: –

Component(s): Written report: 50% – Presentation: 50%

Syllabus
Outcomes
Strategy
Material

sYLLABUS

Historical overview and Historiography of Islamic Art
Calligraphy and calligraphic art of the Qur’an
Arts of the book: Painted and illuminated manuscripts
Painting and figural representation in Islam
Ceramics
Metalwork
Islamic ornament: Geometry, Arabesque
Muslim places of worship and devotion: mosques and shrines
Urban planning: Baths, Gardens and Palaces  Funerary landscape: tombs and mausoleums

Learning Outcomes

Knowledge
On completion of this module, the successful student will be able to:

Analyse Islamic Art theme based on religious, theological and philosophical aspects (A6)
Examine important factors related to aesthetic appreciation of Islamic Art (A4)

Skills
This module will call for the successful student to:

Identify and evaluate ideas about different aspects of Islamic Art by gathering and processing information and Artwork from a variety of sources (B5, C4, C5, D2, D3, D6)
Formulate written material accurately in the form of a catalogue entry on a museum artefact effectively (B6, C6, D3,D4)

Learning, Teaching and Assessment Strategy

The main means of course delivery will be through lectures, seminars, presentations, class discussions and exercises. Students are required to write cultural visit reports encouraging analysis and critical reflection. Using a variety of material, teaching is organised around themes such as a region (Syria, or Iran), a chronological period (1st Century of Islam), or a topic (royal iconography).

Assessment strategy
Formative assessment will be by means of discussions, and continuous questioning cultural visits and theoretical aspects of the course syllabus. Revision sessions are arranged that will cover topics in preparation for exams, providing constructive formative feedback to students. Students may hand in their PowerPoint slides to the lecturer for guidance prior to the 9th learning week. They will also receive formative feedback on their presentations after completing them, and guidance and feedback can be gained from student-led discussion, which will help them improve future performance.
Summative assessment is by presentation and the written report. The 20 minute presentation will require students to convey their research on an agreed area of the course in an effective manner, and should consist of roughly 10 PowerPoint slides (Outcome 2, 3). The written report on the cultural visit made will require the student to write 1,500 words examining topics covered as part of the module. (Outcomes 1,4).

Assessment Weighting
Written report: 50%
Presentation: 50%

Learning Material

Core Readings

Hillenbrand R. (1999) Islamic Art and Architecture:The World of Art, New York: Thames and Hudson.
http://www. discoverislamicart.org