Islamic Artifacts
Objects from different periods and regions vary in the use of calligraphy in their overall design, demonstrating the creative possibilities of calligraphy as ornament. In some cases, calligraphy is the dominant element in the decoration. In these examples, the artist exploits the inherent possibilities of the Arabic script to create writing as ornament. An entire word can give the impression of random brushstrokes, or a single letter can develop into a decorative knot. In other cases, highly esteemed calligraphic works on paper are themselves ornamented and enhanced by their decorative frames or backgrounds. Calligraphy can also become part of an overall ornamental program, clearly separated from the rest of the decoration. In some examples, calligraphy can be combined with vegetal scrolls on the same surface though often on different levels, creating an interplay of decorative elements.
Arms and Armour from the Islamic World
This exhibition features a selection of more than three dozen historical examples of Islamic arms and armor, which represent the breadth and depth of The Met's renowned holdings in this area. Focusing primarily on the courts of the Mamluk and Ottoman sultans, shahs of Iran, and Mughal emperors of India, the exhibition celebrates the publication of Islamic Arms and Armor in The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum's first scholarly volume on the subject.
Highlights of the installation include a magnificent Ottoman helmet embellished with pious Qur’anic verses in gold and a luxurious gold-encrusted saber bearing inscriptions praising King Solomon (Süleyman)—both from the time of Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent (r. 1520–66); the earliest documented Islamic sword, a ninth-century example discovered in 1939 in the Museum's excavations at Nishapur, Iran; and a dagger covered with a mosaic of rubies and emeralds made in the court workshops of the Mughal emperor Jahangir (r. 1605–27). Also on view are several works that have not been exhibited for decades.
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