Islamic Arts in the Museum: Collection, Display, History

This course is an introduction to Islamic arts, archaeology, and material culture. The field of Islamic Art extends from the emergence of Islam in the seventh century through to the present day. The primary focus will be on dynasties, geographies, and artworks, but we will also consider the history of collections and practices of display from the nineteenth to the twenty-first centuries. Class sessions will be held primarily at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where students will gain an understanding of how exhibitions, rotations, and publications on Islamic art are produced, and how the curators collaborate with colleagues in design, conservation, education, and publications. While the Met will be our vantage point, we will also consider how institutions across the globe in places like London, Paris, Dubai, Sharjah, Qatar, and other locations have displayed Islamic Art in recent years. Field trips to the Brooklyn Museum and other New York City collections of Islamic Art will further add to our discussions of this material. Students will be evaluated on a series of in-gallery presentations on objects, as well as a final project conceptualizing an exhibition of Islamic Art in the form of museum panels, labels, and other didactics. 3 credits. Satisfies the geocultural or chronological requirement. MDP