Historic arts are a representation of complex civilization. Islamic art creates an immediate visual impact through its strong aesthetic appeal that transcends distances and space. Since art is a representation of culture, it is influenced by Islamic religion. In this paper, I will describe the basic elements of a particular Islamic art, and see how these elements merge to create such a masterpiece. Islamic art fosters a distinctive culture with its own unique language reflected in art. The piece of art is a glazed fritware bottle (Inv. no. LNS 327 C) from the golden age of the Turkish Empire.
The art is a long necked flask/ bottle that has blue and white color patterns. The patterns appear to be hand painted. The form of this art is based on metal work, as seen in the way the flask appears to be constructed from different sections. This art is influenced by the fashion in the Ottoman court and a mixture of naturalistic floral imagery. The fritware is made of a small percentage of white clay and glass frit. It was then covered with a white shiny glaze, before the patterns were imprinted.
The art takes a static shape as it can sit stable on a surface. The shape of the fritware clearly shows its width and height.
The fritware is made of long continuous line. The lines are smooth and graceful, and it brings up the perfect image. The lines in the art characterize the color and shape of the fritware. Combined with blue and white patterns, the lines bring out rhythmic and emotional effects.
The fritware is made up of blue patterns on a white background. It combines a darker shade of blue, and a lighter shade. By combining different shades of blue, the art oozes monochromatic color harmony. Most fritwares in the Ottoman Empire were made of blue patterns; hence blue was a color that was identified with. Color adds temperature to the art, blue is a cool color, and it adds a semblance of harmony to the fritware. Since the patterns are imprinted on a white background, there is hue. The fritware also has tone value and tints as it uses blue which is a dark color on a white surface.
This piece of art has a smooth texture. The fritware has a regular smooth texture, and just from taking a look at it there is an illusion of smoothness. The smooth texture suggests emotions as we link it with how things feel. The sight of this art makes me think about calm and peaceful.
The fritware creates an illusion that it is heavy, but it is actual light. Potters came up with fritware as an attempt to make lighter versions of ceramics, through creation of an artificial clay body.
Lastly, the composition of the fritware is mainly its distinct shape and color patterns. The fritware takes the shape of a long necked vessel, and it is the first thing that pulls attentions. The color patterns are also a dominant visual feature that accentuates the shape and the appeal of the art. The composition of this piece of art is captivating.
The visual elements of this piece of art combine well to create this masterpiece. The way the potter works with shape, form, texture and other aspects creates balance. When I look at this art, my eyes move around the artwork. The potter does not create a specific viewpoint; rather we are tempted to look around the whole thing. When talking about art, direction refers to the way our eyes move around the piece of art. The shape of the fritware makes the long neck look interesting, but we cannot ignore the wide base and the floral imprints.
The fritware was created by Iznik potters during the Ottoman era. They desired to create something that looked like Chinese porcelains, however, they should be cheaper and lighter. The fritware is made of an artificial clay body that combines fine white clay, sand and glass frit. Frit is ground glass. The art is then covered with a white slip, floral imprints and a shiny glaze. The materials used to make this art determine the visual elements. The tone, mass, texture and composition is determined by the material. The material contributes to its shiny element, smooth texture and its striking composition. The fritware is also light.
The piece has a smooth texture that shines against light to create the illusion of soft, regular and smooth texture. The smooth texture makes this piece of pottery look burnished. The texture definitely changes my perception of the fritware. Given the shape and color of the fritware, a smooth look makes it more appealing.
The materials used emphasize the richness of this art. The fritware has a shiny texture and colorful prints that make it look exotic. The shape of the fritware shows that the potter took time and a lot of skill to create it. The fritware was influenced by the Ottoman courts fashion. Hence this art has some semblance of culture. The blue color patterns give it a cool and rich form.
The decorative patterns on this vessel make it more appealing. The patterns are in blue and white. Blue is a color that makes us thinking of the ocean, and the vessel is used to hold water therefore the color and functionality are related. Water vessels should generally look good, which is why this fritware has prints.
In conclusion, potters making this fritware combined all the basic elements of art to create a piece of art that functional, timeless and beautiful. The color patterns and the shape make it unique. This is a relevant piece of Islamic art as it borrows its design from the Ottoman courts. A lot of thought was used in creating this fritware. It is a light fritware, yet it was created using simple technology. The fritware captures all the elements and principles of art, and a bit of Islamic influence.
