Al Mamluk Luxury Arts - Coursework Example

Mamluk Luxury Arts Student’s Name Institution of Affiliation Introduction Mamluk history art and architecture is key to the social history of the Al-Mamluk history. The work is key to the inscribing and reflecting the artifacts of the period. The architect work was flowering at the Mamluk Sultanate (1250–1517) reign and still visible to date in medieval Cairo. The Mamluk dynasty was the first to rule among the five in the 1206-1290 period. The artwork has had it devotees for over a century and seen in the different book and placed in various museums. The art has been the most studied by the Europeans and the American scholars since it is readily available. The paper will focus on exploring a particular artwork that was made at the period, analyzing it based on the period it was made and finally concluding the studied work (Mackie, 2014). Image selection The selected image screen shot is attached in the paper (Lepidus, 2014). Artwork Description The form of the art is a jewel, made of steel and painted in silver. The jewel is small in size, with diagonal lines and thick objects; it has a circular object within it and bound by oval-shaped objects. The texture of the jewel is hard and not easily broken. Also, the vines of the jewel emerge from the center. From the description above the jewel can be used by humans as a form of ornament and other uses as we will discuss in the analytical part. Historical aspect The Mamluk period (1250–1517) originated following the downfall of the Ayyubid in both Syria and Egypt (1250–1260).The sultans of the Ayyubid wholly relied on slaves and slave soldiers to organize for military wars and attacks. However, after the Mamluk of Turkic origin overpowered the Egypt’s last Ayyubid, they formed their kingdom and came up with a very stable rule. They formed political reigns that also incorporated the slaves in higher powers of leadership. The slaves were not discriminated, and their contribution was also highly regarded equally important as that of members from the natives. In 1260, the armies of the Mongol were defeated by the Mamluks.After the coup, the Mamluk took over the strongholds located in the east of the Mediterranean. Consequently, the Mamluk were in a better position to get stronger, and they build the Islamic empire. They were, therefore, able to have total control and reign over Mecca and Medina, which were holy cities. The capital position of the Mamluk was Cairo. Cairo became a center for economic and cultural activities. Trade thrived in Cairo, and cultural events that existed among the Mamluk were also carried out in this city. Besides, Cairo was an artistic center for the Arabs. The first category of Mamluk is the “Bahri Mamluk” (1250–1382) which has “Qipchaq Turkic” origin in a south of Russia. The second period is the Burji Mamluk (1382–1517) that originated from the Caucasian Circassia. The slaves would be given guidelines in the Arabic context as well as special training in art and warfare and later given privileges and duties in the hierarchy of the Mamluk (Bloom, 2009). Art of the Bahri Mamluk (1250-1382) The reign and period of the Bahri determined the art as well as the architecture of the whole Mamluk period. Wealth was created from the trade of silks and spices. This prosperity greatly helped to thrive the Mamluk leadership. Nevertheless, there were times of struggle, internally, during this period resulting from conflicts of interests but despite these dilemmas art and architectural practices played a major role in stabilizing this reign and brought peace, security and a sense of belonging for both the natives and the slaves. Stronger techniques aimed at bringing development were adopted from other regions and integrated effectively during this period. There were also refugees that camped during this period who had escaped wars from the east and western world, and they also had their share of contribution to the art. The common art of the Mamluk includes decorative arts such as glass, metal, and woodwork as well as fabrics and textiles. These goods were traded and sold in the Mediterranean region and Europe. This period was a key milestone in improving hospitals and other important services to the people (Bloom, 2009). Art of the Burji Mamluk (1382-1517) The Burji Mamluk took over the traditions of arts and architecture that had been established by their predecessors in the Bahri period. The state encountered both the external and internal threats, contrary to the Bahri period where these threats were only felt from within. There were cases of famine and plagues as well as civil threats originating from Egyptian art, textiles and carpets had their trade from the local market while in architecture, both public and pious establishments remained highly considered essential. The textile trade that existed in the east of Mediterranean provinces played a paramount role in reviving the economy of this region. Besides, there was a yearly pilgrim’s travel to Mecca and Medina that acted as a crucial commercial aid. Enormous warehouses were built to meet the growing demand for trade and trade goods. These warehouses served to store products such as textiles and metalwork before they are presented for selling. Mosques and madrasa were key features associated with this period, and they were public amenities for all in the region. Also, there were bridges built around the main cities and cemetery (Bierman, 2012) Work analysis One of the fundamental importance’s of the jewel art is to help us in understanding the social history of the Mamluk dynasty and other dynasties. The access to the art by the European as well as the American scholars has triggered them to investigate on their culture, political, economic and social history. The pointed stars are believed to describe Judaism and the ornament are believed to be well preserved by the Islam religion. The ornament has opened an opportunity to the study and understanding of the religion of Muslim such as Judaism. The shape of the ornament describes its origin and it's evident that the jewel emerges from Egypt. Also through the artwork, a career has been set up and has consistently grown with time. Vey many art students have been given scholarships to study the art due to complications of the categorization of the study. The ornaments have been used as a mirror to the history of the mamluk's and the other five dynasties as we have discussed above (Komaroff, 2012). The ornament has been the mode of communication, such that the reason why the Islam believed on several things, which they keep several ornaments and held them in high positions and such things. Also, the jewel is importance to give identity such that with the jewel one is recognized a Muslim and to keep the group’s cultures (Lepidus, 2014). Studying the jewel has raised some problems such as failure of the historians to look beyond some aspects and confines, lack of enough skills and information to the interpretation of some aspects such as the veins originating from the center and others. Therefore has created an opportunity to research more on the aspect. The studying increases the knowledge on the concept and the Mamluk culture. Therefore, exploring one’s culture will not only help one to understand the cultural ornaments but also the social, political and economic history of the study group (Mackie, 2014). Conclusion Art Craft has been one of the key tools that have been used to inscribing and reflecting the social, cultural, political and economic aspect of a group of individuals. The jewel has acted as a mirror that has reflected the Mamluk culture, their way of living and other cultural aspects of the dynasty. Also, the jewel has as well been a model of communication of the Muslims and why they live in a certain manner, their composition such as Judaism and other factors. Finally, it is evident that the art crafts has increasingly formed a career where more are choosing to study the Islam art and research more on the art. Therefore, the work of culture has created an innovative platform, the new scholars in the career should use their expertise to make this history and artwork accessible and relevant to a wide range of audience. References Mackie, L. W. (2014). Toward an Understanding of Mamluk Silks: National and International Considerations. Muqarnas, 127-146. Lepidus, I. M. (2014). Mamluk Patronage and the Arts in Egypt: Concluding Remarks. Muqarnas, 173-181. Komaroff, L. (Ed.). (2012). Beyond the legacy of Genghis Khan (Vol. 64). Brill. Bierman, I. A. (2012). The experience of Islamic art on the margins of Islam (Vol. 15). ISBS. Bloom, J. (2009). Mamluk Art and Architectural History: A Review Article. Mamluk Studies Review, 3, 31-58. Read More