17/2/13 – A Treasure Trove from the East

 
I have always found the ‘cradle of civilisation’ fascinating and so, inspired by the Afghani Orchestra, I decided today to cover the Met’s section on Middle Eastern Art.  As you is the case with most things at the Met their collection is outrageously extensive covering a large span of time and many places and cultures.

I started my tour in 3000 BCE so I could thank the guys who invented writing. The origins of writing are actually quite interesting and the Met has a few of the earliest forms of cuneiform ever found. I include here for Oli and Andy, a picture of the recipe for beer that found amongst some of the earliest of these tiny tablets. Good luck deciphering that one guys!

And so I wandered through a succession of civilisations that conquered their enemies, prospered mightily, and then were themselves conquered and destroyed over the centuries; from the Sasanians in the 4^th century to the Turkmen and their beautiful jewellery in the 19^thcentury .

I marvelled at Shah Tahmasp’s ‘Book of Kings’ - 759 folios of illuminated manuscripts which tell Firdausi’s epic story (with 258 paintings – the Met has 29 of them) of warriors like English knights who performed valiant acts like slaying the ‘lion-ape monster’ to win the heart of their beloved princesses, and wise men playing games of chess, and horsemen playing polo before the King.

A little further on and I was in awe of the Islamic wood and metal work, ceramics (like the tiled prayer niches that point the way to Mecca for the faithful) and the rich fabrics.

But the carpets were a treasure on another level altogether. The Simonetti carpet from the Mamluk period in Egypt (circa 1500) is a shimmering mosaic of five medallions (instead of the usual three) with bright and varied colours. And then there is the Seley carpet from Iran in the Safavid period of the late 16^th century. This silk, wool and cotton asymmetrical knotted pile is one of the finest Persian carpets ever made and it has to be seen to reveal its true beauty – if only we could touch it or better still walk on it!   

I adored the rare lacquered fan with twenty wooden blades (each inscribed in gold with poetic verses from Peter’s favourite Persian poet Hafiz) that is said to be from Tehran in Iran about 1300. This particular poem was recited to me through the commentary on my ‘audio tour’ player and, although I do not understand Persian, it was clear the rhyming couplet verses were meant for the ears of the special person who is your one true love.  

And if you’re into intrigue then the Goa stone is for you. It comes from the Mughal period in India (1526 – 1858) and it is said that these ‘stones’ were manufactured by Jesuit priests living in Goa to replicate the bezoars (a mixture of gallstones and hairs found in the stomach of deer, sheep and antelopes) which, when scraped and ingested with tea or water, were supposed to have profound medicinal benefits. They were kept in ornately designed gold cases and were particularly sought after in the Middle Ages by those kings and queens who sought an antidote for any poisons that may have been administered to them by their enemies, or not so loyal family.

At one level the scope and breadth of the works on display was so different from the American and European art I had been looking at prior to today … and yet at another level it was not really that different at all. In fact many things, particularly in art, maths and science that are attributed in European culture to the ‘Crusading’ English and ‘Renaissancing’ Italians were originally just copied (or stolen) from their established homes in the Levant or other Middle Eastern lands.