page_title: Islamic art
section_title: Ivory
hierarchical_section_title: Islamic art / Other applied arts / Ivory
caption_attribution_description: English: Circular piece of silk with Mongol images, Iran or Iraq, early 14th century. Silk, cotton and gold. Original size: diam. 69 cm. Davids Samling, Copenhagen, Inv-no. 30/1995.
context_page_description: Islamic art encompasses the visual arts produced in the Islamic world. Islamic art is difficult to characterize because it covers a wide range of lands, periods, and genres, including Islamic architecture, Islamic calligraphy, Islamic miniature, Islamic glass, Islamic pottery, and textile arts such as carpets and embroidery.
  It comprises both religious and secular art forms. Religious art is represented by calligraphy, architecture and furnishings of religious buildings, such as mosque fittings, woodwork and carpets. Secular art also flourished in the Islamic world, although some of its elements were criticized by religious scholars.
  Early development of Islamic art was influenced by Roman art, Early Christian art, and Sassanian art, with later influences from Central Asian nomadic traditions. Chinese art had a formative influence on Islamic painting, pottery, and textiles. Though the concept of "Islamic art" has been criticised by some modern art historians as an illusory Eurocentric construct,
context_section_description: Ivory carving centred on the Mediterranean, spreading from Egypt, where a thriving Coptic industry had been inherited;  Persian ivory is rare.  The normal style was a deep relief with an even surface; some pieces were painted.  Spain specialized in caskets and round boxes, which were probably used to keep jewels and perfumes.  They were produced mainly in the approximate period 930–1050, and widely exported. Many pieces are signed and dated, and on court pieces the name of the owner is often inscribed; they were typically gifts from a ruler. As well as a court workshop, Cordoba had commercial workshops producing goods of slightly lower quality.  In the 12th and 13th century workshops in Norman Sicily produced caskets, apparently then migrating to Granada and elsewhere after persecution.  Egyptian work tended to be in flat panels and friezes, for insertion into woodwork and probably furniture – most are now detached from their settings.  Many were calligraphic, and others continued Byzantine traditions of hunting scenes, with backgrounds of arabesques and foliage in both cases.
caption: Ilkhanid piece in silk, cotton and gold, Iran or Iraq, early 14th century
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