The coexistence of Christianity and Islam in the Medieval Mediterranean led to a transfer of know... more The coexistence of Christianity and Islam in the Medieval Mediterranean led to a transfer of knowledge in architecture and material culture which went well beyond religious and geographical boundaries. The use of Islamic objects in Christian contexts, the conversion of churches into mosques and the mobility of craftsmen are only some manifestations of this process. Although studies beginning with Avinoam Shalem’s Islam Christianized (1996), have dealt extensively with Islamic influence in the West and European influence in the Islamic Mediterranean, sacred objects, and material culture more generally, have been relatively neglected. From crosses found in Mosques, to European-Christian coins with pseudo/shahada inscriptions, medieval material culture is rife with visual evidence of the two faiths co-existing in both individual objects and monuments.
This session will endeavour to address these issues with papers touching upon various aspects of material culture and art (from textiles to precious oils, and from manuscripts to rock crystals), and covering most of the Mediterranean geography (from Spain to Sicily, and from Egypt to Byzantium and the Ottoman Empire). Finally, the contexts within which these interactions are negotiated reveal how multi-layered the religious arena can be, going well beyond the dynamic of exoticism and even otherness: from shared material culture and church interiors, to the visual landscape of Christian-Muslim literati and luxurious artefacts laid to rest in tombs.
Since medieval Egyptian textiles began to be unearthed in the late nineteenth century, modern aes... more Since medieval Egyptian textiles began to be unearthed in the late nineteenth century, modern aesthetic values have shaped their display, study, and even alterations to their forms. Scholars have shown that early collectors detached embellishments from plain tunics, cut single motifs from larger textiles, and displayed these fragments flat to maximize the legibility of iconography. The author argues that in the process, collectors obscured textiles’ functional nature and repressed characteristics like reflectivity and drape, which were highly valued in medieval Egypt.
Through close examination of the so-called “palmette” silks, as well as images of textiles in mosaics and paintings, the author argues that the value of these silks in medieval Egypt lay in various criteria, including their reflection of light, dynamic effects such as movement and drape, and optical effects, as well as their visual motifs. The author shows that many of the most valued aspects resulted directly from the material and technical characteristics of the textiles.
The coexistence of Christianity and Islam in the Medieval Mediterranean led to a transfer of know... more The coexistence of Christianity and Islam in the Medieval Mediterranean led to a transfer of knowledge in architecture and material culture which went well beyond religious and geographical boundaries. The use of Islamic objects in Christian contexts, the conversion of churches into mosques and the mobility of craftsmen are only some manifestations of this process. Although studies beginning with Avinoam Shalem’s Islam Christianized (1996), have dealt extensively with Islamic influence in the West and European influence in the Islamic Mediterranean, sacred objects, and material culture more generally, have been relatively neglected. From crosses found in Mosques, to European-Christian coins with pseudo/shahada inscriptions, medieval material culture is rife with visual evidence of the two faiths co-existing in both individual objects and monuments.
This session will endeavour to address these issues with papers touching upon various aspects of material culture and art (from textiles to precious oils, and from manuscripts to rock crystals), and covering most of the Mediterranean geography (from Spain to Sicily, and from Egypt to Byzantium and the Ottoman Empire). Finally, the contexts within which these interactions are negotiated reveal how multi-layered the religious arena can be, going well beyond the dynamic of exoticism and even otherness: from shared material culture and church interiors, to the visual landscape of Christian-Muslim literati and luxurious artefacts laid to rest in tombs.
Since medieval Egyptian textiles began to be unearthed in the late nineteenth century, modern aes... more Since medieval Egyptian textiles began to be unearthed in the late nineteenth century, modern aesthetic values have shaped their display, study, and even alterations to their forms. Scholars have shown that early collectors detached embellishments from plain tunics, cut single motifs from larger textiles, and displayed these fragments flat to maximize the legibility of iconography. The author argues that in the process, collectors obscured textiles’ functional nature and repressed characteristics like reflectivity and drape, which were highly valued in medieval Egypt.
Through close examination of the so-called “palmette” silks, as well as images of textiles in mosaics and paintings, the author argues that the value of these silks in medieval Egypt lay in various criteria, including their reflection of light, dynamic effects such as movement and drape, and optical effects, as well as their visual motifs. The author shows that many of the most valued aspects resulted directly from the material and technical characteristics of the textiles.
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Conference by Arielle Winnik
This session will endeavour to address these issues with papers touching upon various aspects of material culture and art (from textiles to precious oils, and from manuscripts to rock crystals), and covering most of the Mediterranean geography (from Spain to Sicily, and from Egypt to Byzantium and the Ottoman Empire). Finally, the contexts within which these interactions are negotiated reveal how multi-layered the religious arena can be, going well beyond the dynamic of exoticism and even otherness: from shared material culture and church interiors, to the visual landscape of Christian-Muslim literati and luxurious artefacts laid to rest in tombs.
Papers by Arielle Winnik
Through close examination of the so-called “palmette” silks, as well as images of textiles in mosaics and paintings, the author argues that the value of these silks in medieval Egypt lay in various criteria, including their reflection of light, dynamic effects such as movement and drape, and optical effects, as well as their visual motifs. The author shows that many of the most valued aspects resulted directly from the material and technical characteristics of the textiles.
This session will endeavour to address these issues with papers touching upon various aspects of material culture and art (from textiles to precious oils, and from manuscripts to rock crystals), and covering most of the Mediterranean geography (from Spain to Sicily, and from Egypt to Byzantium and the Ottoman Empire). Finally, the contexts within which these interactions are negotiated reveal how multi-layered the religious arena can be, going well beyond the dynamic of exoticism and even otherness: from shared material culture and church interiors, to the visual landscape of Christian-Muslim literati and luxurious artefacts laid to rest in tombs.
Through close examination of the so-called “palmette” silks, as well as images of textiles in mosaics and paintings, the author argues that the value of these silks in medieval Egypt lay in various criteria, including their reflection of light, dynamic effects such as movement and drape, and optical effects, as well as their visual motifs. The author shows that many of the most valued aspects resulted directly from the material and technical characteristics of the textiles.