Walking around the Islamic Middle East department, gleaming lacquerware immediately draws the eye. Particularly elaborate is one painted surgical kit, dating from c.1820-40, which probably originates from Isfahan, Iran. The artefact is illuminated by its reddish-brown varnished cover, created with the papier-mache technique typical of Islamic lacquerware. Unlike the European method of applying lacquer to wood, Islamic artists typically pasted together sheets of paper to form a thick smooth surface, which was then painted in watercolour before the layer of varnish was applied.

Lacquerware was hugely popular in Iran towards the end of the Safavid Dynasty (1501-1722) and into the period of Qajar rule (1785-1925). The rule of Fath ‘Ali Shah saw a fondness in the royal court for this lacquering technique, used in artwork from the period which drew from the iconography of the last imperial dynasty in Persia – the Sassanid dynasty (224 – 651). Fath ‘Ali commissioned lacquerware pieces to establish his reign, hanging multiple lacquered portraits of himself in his royal estates and sending them as diplomatic offerings to kings overseas. The rule of his successor Muhammad Shah saw an even more concerted shift towards small lacquer paintings of the monarch to commemorate his royal authority.

This surgeon’s kit contains two drawers full of tools of extraordinary shapes, mostly made of steel, though some are of bone or mother-of-pearl and others inlaid with gold. Painted on the cover, framed by a delicate floral border, are the Holy Family along with accompanying figures. Though art of the Safavid period most commonly depicted nature and intricate patterns, this Islamic illustration of human figures and Christian iconography is not particularly unusual. The 1800s saw the conspicuous influence on Islamic artists of Christian European art entering Iran, with images of St Peter and the Holy Family, for instance, found among surviving artworks. This shift was often marked by portraits with attention to perspective and shading, rather than geometric shapes, as well as by biblical subject matter. The cross-cultural interaction was even represented in the dress and artistic representation of Muhammad Shah: the ruler introduced weapons from Europe into the Iranian arsenal and came to be depicted in European-style dress, with a military frock coat and blue sash coupled with his royal jewels and the Asian fleece ‘astrakhan’ cap.

[See image gallery at blogs.ashmolean.org] The European influence on its subject matter links this surgeon’s kit to Isfahani painter Najaf ‘Ali. A prominent artist, active from around 1815-85, his artworks often depicted the Holy Family and could have included this delicate piece. Najaf ‘Ali’s handiwork would account for the European-style figures in this image, with Mary wearing the blue material characteristic of her representation in Renaissance art. She holds on her lap the baby Jesus, clad in swaddling cloth and the scene is dominated by the swathes of red fabric in which the surrounding figures are wrapped. The women’s hair is elaborately tied, their faces round and big-eyed in a style inherited from the art of the Zand dynasty (1750-94).
The illustration on the surgeon’s kit seems consistent with confirmed artworks by Najaf ‘Ali, such as this lacquer qalamdan (pen box) pictured, signed by the creator during the Qajar period at around 1855-56. Its central panel shows a Christian saint clothed in black, surrounded by depictions of the Khaju Bridge and the Ali Qapu Palace in Isfahan and patterned with floral motifs. The landscapes pictured possibly allude to the tale of the shaikh San’an and the maiden, a story from Attar’s Conference of the Birds. According to legend, San’an journeyed to Greece where he fell in love with a Christian maiden. Having converted to Christianity at her instigation, he burned the Quran and tended to the pigs, in rejection of his former faith. Eventually he returned to Islamic practice after the desperate prayers of his followers and having felt the true love of god. This formed the subject for many Iranian art pieces at the time, yet here is combined with the image of a Christian figure in a combination of European and Islamic influences which can be observed also in the beautiful surgeon’s kit.

For more information on the Surgeon’s Kit see http://jameelcentre.ashmolean.org/object/EA1955.1.2

by Izzy Galwey

As many historians have commented, the Tang dynasty was extraordinarily cosmopolitain era of Chinese history. Trade routes stretched away across Asia in all directions; the capital city, Kaifeng, was a bustling metropolis with citizens hailing from Persia to Indonesia. The Tang dynasty was a vast driving power behind economic networks which stretched across Eurasia.

Another notable characteristic of the Tang in comparison to many later dynasties is its focus on the North-West. Over the centuries, Chinese imperial culture followed migration patterns and shifted steadily south – to some extent, the Tang bucked this trend. Goods and ideas from Central Asia and beyond were firmly in fashion. Buddhism, polo, Tibetan wool, Sogdian whirling dances – and, of course, camels.

These beasts of burden, perfect for overland trade, would have been a relatively common sight on roads across the empire, particularly in the northern frontier areas. It’s no wonder, then, that many people elected to have sculptures of camels like this one buried with them – it’s a nod to the fact that these animals were indispensable, and an important part of everyday life.

I’ve never actually ridden a camel, much less tried to lead one across hundreds of miles of mountain and desert, but this expressive sculpture still strikes a chord with me. For a Tang dynasty civilian seeing this sculpture, I imagine their first reaction would be a double-take — it’s a tomb sculpture, after all, quite spooky! – but after that, I think they would be struck, as we are, by the skilled craftsmanship and the expressiveness of this sculpture. The camel is laden with several heavy-looking packages, forming a textural mass almost as big as the animal itself. She is standing tall and arching her head backwards, looking slightly affronted – but not particularly surprised – at the huge load which has been placed on her back. I imagine that she is a seasoned voyager who has been in the trade for some years – still in her prime, and a valuable asset to her owner. Indeed, when I look at this camel – and other Tang sculpture, from horses to Buddhas to women playing polo – it is hard not to bring it to life in my mind.

Tang dynasty sculpture is notable for this expressiveness. With the spread of Buddhism from South and Central Asia, art styles from as far afield as modern-day Pakistan found their way into China for the first time. Travelling with monks, hired workers – and, on a less savoury note, conscripted or captive craftsmen – these motifs and techniques were enthusiastically adopted and modified by Chinese artisans. They lend sculpture of this period a flamboyance and expressiveness which caused Tang poets to compose verses in praise of the work they saw at court and elsewhere. For centuries, Tang sculptures have been highly valuable collectors’ items, in China and abroad.

For me, this sculpture enlivened the exhibition space in which it was situated. It looked like a statue that was going places; and, being a camel eager to get home, it stubbornly dragged me a little way along with it. It became a tiny window into the bustling, cosmopolitan world of the Tang; although it was probably created to be part of a burial, for me it could hardly have been more alive.

EA1956.988

Earthenware figure of a camel from China Tang Dynasty (AD 618-906) Currently on display in Gallery 28 Presented by Sir Herbert Ingram, 1956. Accession no.EA1956.988

Medium: Graphite on paper

Subject: Clio, Muse of History, Marble sculpture

Location: Ashmolean Museum, Greek and Roman Sculpture Gallery

Notes: My favourite way to appreciate an ancient sculpture is by attempting to render the piece itself. While my graphite pencil flits across the page I am instantly engaged with the subtle interplay of dark and light, the skillful way the sculpture has rendered soft fabric in hard stone, and the timeless gestures and postures which add movement and warmth to the static material.

Clio, Muse of History, Marble sculpture by Elizabeth Briggs

Today, in what has often been called the ‘social media age’, self-presentation (whether for one’s Facebook, Instagram, and/or Tinder profiles) has never been so important. Or has it? In Hierakonpolis, Egypt, archaeologists have discovered many magnificent cosmetic palettes dating to around the late fourth millennium BC.

Two such examples are the ‘Narmer Palette’, so-called after the Egyptian king Narmer who probably ordered its production, which is currently on display at the British Museum; and the Ashmolean’s own Two Dog Palette, which can be seen in Gallery 22.

Like social media profiles, palettes are a tool for both self-presentation and communication. The most intriguing question for me, therefore, concerns the audience that Narmer, and other prominent Egyptians who commissioned examples such as the Two Dog Palette, wanted to impress. Did Narmer want to impress his subjects? Or the members of his court? Was it an ex-girlfriend that he wanted to win back? The last is unlikely, but the point remains the same: one of the most exciting things about ceremonial palettes is that it gives us an understanding of how elite Egyptians wanted others to perceive them. This allows us, to some extent, into their thoughts: into the mind of an Ancient Egyptian. We build up a more personal relationship with those behind the objects.

Both the Narmer Palette and the Two Dog Palette are fairly large (the former being about 63cm high, the latter 42cm). Each was carved from a single piece of flat, grey-green siltstone. The Narmer Palette expresses the role and duties that the perfect Egyptian king should perform. On the ‘Smiting’ side of the palette, he stands poised to strike an enemy with a mace. The God Horus, in the guise of a falcon, is next to him, perched upon a set of papyrus flowers. Underneath Narmer’s feet lie two more enemies, cowering in fear. On the other side, called the ‘Serpopard’ side, after the half-serpent, half-leopard creatures near the middle, is another image of Narmer, much bigger than the subjects that accompany him. They are engaged in some sort of ceremonial procession, walking towards the beheaded enemies that lie strewn across the ground. Here, Narmer was not only presenting himself as an ultimate conqueror with supreme authority, he was also emphasizing his relationship to the Gods and to the divine realm. Those who would have seen this palette would have been impressed by both its craftsmanship and also the impressive, meaningful images themselves.

The Narmer palette is a finely decorated plate of schist of about 64 cm high. It was found in a deposit in Hierakonpolis, a Predynastic capital located in the South of Egypt, during the excavation season of 1897/98. Its size, weight and the fact that it was decorated on both sides show that it was a ceremonial, commemorative rather than an actual cosmetic palette intended for daily use. It is a key piece in the identification of Menes, the almost legendary first king to have ruled over the whole of Egypt. Narmer Palette Egyptian Museum, Cairo

Likewise, the symbolism of the Two Dog Palette reflects the prestige of the owner, whose name is unknown. The animals, which cover both sides of the palette, could imply that the owner had control over the natural world. The circular configuration of the animal motifs around the central area on the front of the palette is also meaningful; the formality of the design is thought to have warded off evil, as malevolent forces in the Ancient Egyptian mind were associated with chaos. The shield shape could also be apotropaic, conferring protection onto the owner. The Two Dog Palette therefore seems not just to be evoking the status of the owner but also safeguarding it.

The ‘Two Dog’ palette, Hierakonpolis, ‘Main Deposit’, Late Predynastic–Early Dynastic (about 3300–3100 BC), Egyptian Research Account excavations. AN1896-1908E.3924

As the ‘selfies’ of their day, I am in no doubt that these palettes would have received a lot of ‘likes’.

Forget match.com and OkCupid, the Ashmolean Museum has all the romance you need this February 14th. The following selection of objects from the museum’s displays, as well as a few gems from the vaults, will give you a taster of what you can expect on a Valentine’s visit.

1) Meet the goddess of love!

On this lekythos (an ancient Greek perfume vessel), Aphrodite, the goddess of love, is depicted riding a swan. The swan was a potent symbol of love in ancient Greece; as well as being associated with Aphrodite, the amorous god Zeus turned himself into a swan in order to get close to one of his many mistresses, Leda, without his wife finding out!

Object not currently on display, find out more here

Attic red-figure lekythos with image of Aphrodite riding a swan,
from Tomb 57 at Arsinoe (Marion)
donated by Cyprus Exploration Fund (AN1891.451

2) A wedding day to forget…

On a tiny gold iconographic ring, Saint George, the patron saint of England, is shown with the famous dragon, and the figure of a princess, dressed as a bride. According to legend, the princess in her bridal gown was to be fed to the plague-bearing dragon that was terrorizing her kingdom. But Saint George slew the dragon and rescued the princess before her wedding day ended in disaster.

Item not currently on display, see the ring for yourself here

3) Roman-ce in the Randolf Gallery

Head to the Randolf Gallery for a spot of romance from the 1st / 2nd century AD. On his tombstone, Lucius Sestius Sotericus, a Roman ex-slave, commemorates his “well-deserving wife / coniugi suae bene merenti”, Sestia Prisca. The tombstone reveals that the only thing Sestia did to hurt her husband was to die! This may not be the most romantic statement by modern standards, but for a Roman woman, this was as high a compliment as any.

Ashmolean ANChandler.3.21, 1st/2nd century AD. On display in the Randolph Gallery.

4) A Kabuki Love Triangle

Woodblock prints were massively popular in 19th and 20th century Japan; they commonly represented actors from kabuki plays, dressed in their theatrical costumes. In this tripartite woodcut, actors are shown performing the story of geisha Kasaya Sankatsu. Two merchants are depicted on opposing panels, competing for her love. Sankatsu, shown in the central panel, extends a red sake cup toward each man, emphasizing her divided loyalties. Both men draw their swords in anticipation of a fight.

Item not currently on display, read more about it here

Here two merchants compete for the love of the geisha Sankatsu. Sankatsu holds the two halves of a red sake cup in her hands, demonstrating her divided loyalties towards the two men.
Date 1849 – 1850

5) When is three not a crowd?

Part of Flemish artist Jacques de l’Ange’s Seven Deadly Sins series, this oil painting is named ‘A Loving Couple’, who represent the vice of Lust. A young woman sits centrally, holding a candle, wrapped in the embrace of the ardent male figure sitting beside her. Also illuminated by the candlelight is another male figure, gazing out at the viewer with a knowing look. His bare shoulder suggests that something untoward is about to happen…
Not currently on display, more information can be found here

attributed to Jacques de l’Ange (documented 1631-2 – 1642)
A23; oil on copper; 36 x 28 cm
WA1845.23
A Loving Couple: ‘Lust’

If you would like to see any of the objects which are not currently on display at the Museum, please contact Sarah at public.engagement@ashmus.ox.ac.uk about the possibility of arranging a viewing.