Introduction
Storytelling is nothing new, and one can find it in those ancient art and monuments. It is through those stories that customs and beliefs of one generation have crossed over to the next. Storytelling not only kept cultures alive but also connected one generation to another. Egyptian, Islamic, and Early Christian societies carry their unique style of storytelling through their art and culture. When studying the elements of the artwork, one can distinguish the connections and the iconography used in each story. The essay takes three examples of artwork from Egyptian, Islamic, and Christian societies and analyzes the figurative representations and how they have bene used in their culture and religion. Storytelling has been an important means of communication in different cultural traditions and a popular means of passing information about history and politics. Those written records and images of human cultures preserve history and helps one understand the past permeates human consciousness. It is essential for all generations to preserve their culture and history.Part A Funerary Stele of AmenemhatThe Limestone funerary stela shows Amenemhat and his wife Lyi embracing their son Antef, who is sitting between them on a settle carrying lion’s paws. Hapy, the daughter-in-law, stands near an altar piled with food, vegetables, and meat. There is basket under the settle from which the handle of a mirror peeps out. All figures wear collars and bracelets. The women are wearing straight wigs and anklets on their feet (El-Shahawy and Atiya, 2005). The artist has used fine lines to draw the figures, and the father is distinguished by his black beard. The eyes are outlined thickly in black to add prominence, however, the position of the hands is awkward. The male figures carry a reddish-brown color while the female figures are done in a pale cream color that was typical of the traditions of ancient Egyptian art. There is a horizontal line of sunken hieroglyphic signs at the top in green color.
Flight into Egypt, from the Infancy of Christ Window The Infancy of Christ Window from the Abbey Church of St.-Denis offers insight on how the glass painters worked during the mid-twelfth century. The stylish and iconographic investigation makes for artistic and documentary evidence (Hayward and Cahn, 1982). The glass window carries red background, and the Virgin is shown in a green gown and a blue veil, holding the child Jesus, who wears a white dress. They are sitting on a donkey which is led by Joseph, who wears boots under a yellow tunic and blue mantle and cap. The green trees with blue foliage make a striking contrast with the red background. The window carries a border done in black and white. What makes the glass paint work effective is the use of thick black outlines and the contrasting primary colors such as red, blue, green and yellow along with white. The artists use fine lines to show the natural drapery of the garments worn by the figures, the intricate borders of the robes and the eyes plus the hair. The stylized leaves, washes of mat and the figure style with broad drapery reflect the artist’s style of that era.
Tile Mosaic Mihrab from the Madrasa Imami Mihrab means a unique niche for prayer (Tile Mosaic Mihrab from the Madrasa Imami, 2016) and Mosaic Mihrab prayer niche was initially set for Madrasa Miami that was built after the decline of the Ilkhanid dynasty. Mosaic Mihrab from the Madrasa Imami remains one of the most significant works in the Museum’s collection. This is a fine example of mosaic tilework in blue color that was used for religious architectural decoration. A myriad of cut glazed tiles has been joined to create the mihrab, with its intricate arabesque and calligraphic design. Every piece was cut precisely to fit in a specific place in the tile work to create different Islamic calligraphy and different patterns of the design. The work was truly done with great skill and devotion for creating the geometric designs, floral patterns and the calligraphic inscriptions from the Qur'an (Mihrab (Prayer Niche), 2016). The calligraphic inscriptions from the bottom right to the bottom left are the sayings of the Prophet in kufic script. The symmetrical geometry and the elegant contrast of the Mosaic Mihrab in blue, white, black and brown make an impressive picture.Comparing the three artworks and the iconography The three artworks are from different cultures but their purpose is the same, and it is to tell a story about the era and the style used for the artwork. The materials, iconography, and styles used are Funerary Stele of Amenemhat is done on a piece of limestone and carries pharaonic inscriptions for the deceased. The colors are dull and yet contrast well with each other. This scene shows the unity longed by the family before and after death. Flight into Egypt, from the Infancy of Christ Window, represents the artists style followed by the 12th-century painters and is done on glass. The most distinctive motif is picking a date from a palm tree by the Virgin Mary. Jesus instructs the palm tree to bend down, so that his mother could easily pluck the fruit.Tile Mosaic Mihrab from the Madrasa Imami shows different geometric and floral patterns and inscriptions from the Qur'an that run from left to right. The sayings of the Prophet frame at the center of the niche. If one looks at the Funerary Stele of Amenemhat and the Mosaic Mihrab, both utilize inscriptions. While the inscriptions are engraved texts on the Funerary Stele, in the Mosaic Mihrab, they have been tiled together as white on blue. The use of inscriptions illuminates the complexity and variety in ancient culture. A similarity can be seen in the figures used in the Infancy of Christ Window and the Funerary Stele of Amenemhat. The fingers are disproportionately long in both works. However, the position of the hands is more awkward in the Funerary Stele of Amenemhat. The geometrical symmetry seen in the Mosaic Mihrab is lacking in the other two works. Mosaic Mihrab and Infancy of Christ Window use contrasting colors,but the contrast is brighter in the Infancy of Christ Window and more subtle and elegant in Mosaic Mihrab. The marvelous pieces of Infancy of Christ Window and Funerary Stele show a moment of intimacy and closeness among family members.
Part B 1. Ancient Egyptians, early Christian’s and the Muslims used art to convey a story. There are similarities that connect these distinct cultures but each carries specific iconography that makes the art distinguished to their own culture. Thus, those artworks and the iconography reflects the needs of storytelling in each culture. The funerary stela shows the indispensable offerings in the Afterlife that are provided for the deceased. Amenemhat is one of the high officials who is shown on the Stela. The brightly colored inscriptions carry the name of the family members and some funeral spells to help the dead in the afterlife. Thus, the Stela shows a scene regarding the belief among the Egyptian relating to the afterlife. The Stained and painted glass window tells about a biblical event when Joseph fled to Egypt with Mary and infant child Jesus, once they learned that King Herod meant to slay the infant in that area. Threatened by Herod, Joseph and Mary flee with the flee by night. The Glazed Mosaic tile work often decorated the walls and vaults of palaces, mosques and tombs. The tiled walls reflected the sun's light, thus illuminating the interiors. The Mihrab is a perfect symbol the universal theme of devotion and the representations and designs are a good way of communicating religious messages. Looking at those three art works, Ancient World religions and culture held a very special place and importance in the culture. A good way of preserving and conveying the religious themes and events was to mark them permanently in an artwork. The ancient Egyptian, Islamic, and Early Christian cultures show respect for their customs and religion through their extraordinary artwork and convey a story related to their religion and culture.
References
El-Shahawy A. and Atiya, F.S. (2005). The Egyptian Museum in Cairo. American Univ in Cairo Press, 1(1), 1–312.
Hayward, J and Cahn, W. (1982). Radiance and Reflection: Medieval Art from the Raymond Pitcairn Collection. Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1(1), 1–2261.
Mihrab (Prayer Niche). (2016). Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. Retrieved from https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/39.20/
Tile Mosaic Mihrab From The Madrasa Imami. (2016). jaidendesigns Retrieved from http://jaidendesigns.com/design/tile-mosaic-mihrab-from-the-madrasa-imami
