Islamic Art and Material Culture: Objects and Environments

This seminar examines the formation and development of Islamic art and material culture from the seventh to fifteenth centuries through objects, buildings, and architectural environments. Rather than surveying the period chronologically, it asks how works of art were produced, experienced, and understood in different social and historical settings. The course approaches Islamic objects and monuments as material evidence. Ceramics, textiles, metalwork, manuscripts, and architectural decoration are studied together to explore how material, technique, ornament, and spatial setting shaped meaning. At the same time, students follow the changing lives of objects as they moved between buildings, courts, collections, excavations, and museums, raising broader methodological and ethical questions about archaeological context, provenance, and histories of collecting. Museum sessions form an integral part of the seminar, encouraging close engagement with original works and the development of object-based research skills. No prior knowledge of Islamic art, Islamic history, or relevant languages is required. The course emphasizes critical engagement with assigned readings and active discussion. Assignments include a museum object study, a topic presentation, and a final research paper or object based project. 3 credits. Satisfies the geocultural or chronological requirement.