Harvard’s Islamic Metalwork Collection on Display for the First Time at Sackler Museum

From Vases to Armor, Objects Reflect the High Status of the Art Form

Cambridge, MA (February 12, 2002) —Intricately engraved vessels for everyday use, helmets and swords, and instruments for locating the direction of Mecca are among the objects featured in Glory and Prosperity: Metalwork of the Islamic World, which opened on February 2 at the Arthur M. Sackler Museum and runs through July 21, 2002. The exhibition, drawn mainly from the permanent collection of the Harvard University Art Museums, showcases 74 objects dating from the 6th to the 19th century and originating in an area extending from Egypt to India.

Glory and Prosperity presents an art form that was important in the Islamic world from the very beginnings of Islam in the 7th century to the early 20th century. The title of the exhibition comes from inscriptions frequently found on medieval Islamic metalwork, naming the benefits the owners of the vessels presumably hoped would accrue to them through possession and use. Although relatively few objects were made from precious metals because of religious disapproval, Islamic metalworkers created sophisticated works out of copper alloys, with sculptural shapes and intricate decoration, including gold and silver inlay. The relatively large number of craftsmen’s signatures to be found in this medium, as compared with ceramics or textiles, reflects the high status accorded to metalwork.

Glory and Prosperity is arranged both chronologically and regionally, with separate cases for objects related to science and magic and for arms and armor. Three metalworking traditions are represented: one produced vessels and other objects related to daily life and decoration; a second was devoted to scientific and magical instruments, which required knowledge of the subject as well as metalworking skills; and a third created arms and armor, which were made of steel rather than copper alloys or precious metals.

"Metalwork of the Islamic world has not been sufficiently studied. This is a fascinating field," said James Cuno, Elizabeth and John Moors Cabot Director of the Harvard University Art Museums, "and an example of our effort to encourage scholarship in the many diverse and under-explored areas of our collection."

Intricate inlaid brasses from the 12-15th centuries are well represented in the exhibition. During this period, metalworkers used inlay of gold, silver, and copper for inscriptions, elaborate figural compositions, and geometric and floral decoration. Glory and Prosperity also includes a broad range of works from the 6-9th centuries, showing the formative phase of Islamic metalwork, and from later Islamic periods, demonstrating that high-quality objects continued to be made long after the demise of the inlaid style.

"‘Glory and Prosperity’ are usually the first in a series of good wishes inscribed on medieval Islamic metalwork," said Melanie Michailidis, acting assistant curator for the Islamic and Later Indian art department. "These words also characterize the civilization that could afford to lavish on vessels and utensils for daily life both the precious materials and the time required to create such intricate detail."

An object of particular interest, because it shows how high-quality metalwork continued to be made long after the era of inlay, is a graceful 19th century steel ewer (image above) from Iran. Other objects include a 14th century brass pen box with complex gold and silver inlay on the lid. The pattern includes a quotation from the Prophet in human-headed script. Quotations of this type are rare on Islamic metalwork, which usually bears inscriptions containing benedictions or information about the artist or patron.

The exhibition is accompanied by a brochure that provides information on the materials, the techniques behind manufacturing and decoration of the objects, and the craftsmen.

About the Harvard University Art Museums
The Harvard University Art Museums are among the world’s leading arts institutions, with the Arthur M. Sackler, Busch-Reisinger, and Fogg art museums, the Straus Center for Conservation, the Center for the Technical Study of Modern Art, and the U.S. headquarters for the Archaeological Exploration of Sardis, an excavation project in western Turkey. The 150,000 objects in the art museums’ collections range in date from ancient times to the present and come from Europe, North America, North Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, East Asia, and Southeast Asia. Each museum also has an active program of special exhibitions that promotes new scholarship in its areas of focus.

The Harvard University Art Museums are distinguished by the range and depth of their collections, their groundbreaking exhibitions, and the original research of their staff. As an integral part of the Harvard community, the three Art Museums serve as a resource for all students, adding a special dimension to their areas of study. The public is welcome to experience the collections and exhibitions as well as to enjoy lectures, symposia, and other programs.

For more than a century, the Harvard University Art Museums have been the nation’s premier training ground for museum professionals and scholars and are renowned for their role in the development of the discipline of art history in this country.

Location and Hours
The Fogg Art Museum and the Busch-Reisinger Museum are located at 32 Quincy Street in Cambridge. The Arthur M. Sackler Museum is located next door at 485 Broadway. Each Museum is a short walk from the Harvard Square MBTA station.

Hours are Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., and the Museums are closed on national holidays. Admission is $5; $4 for seniors; $3 for students; and free for those under 18 years of age. The Museums are free to everyone all day on Wednesday and Saturday mornings, 10 a.m. until noon. The Harvard University Art Museums receive support from the Massachusetts Cultural Council.