Visual Analysis: Mausoleum Of The Samanids

Jamie Hernandez
Art 2C
Professor Ann Bittl
M/W 0930-1045

I chose to do a visual analysis on two specific pieces of Islamic art, one being the Maqsud of Kasha (Knotted pile of wool and silk, Ardabil, Iran, 1540), and the other being the Mausoleum of the Samanids (Brick, Bukhara, Uzbekistan, early 10th century). They’re two interesting pieces that show a lot of craftsmanship, dedication and attention to detail that Islamic art brings with it. I chose the tapestry because I’ve seen a lot of these types of works when I went to Afghanistan for a couple tours of duty. What attracted me to them was actually the time these women put into their craft. They truly are craftsmen. Going to the bazars and watching them work in the back of their

Even in villages in the middle of nowhere you could still them being built by hand using a mud and straw mixture and even still, capping them with domes and pieces of wood keeping the symmetrical look but none with this much detail. The thing that stood out to me the most in particular is the brick work. The building itself has almost a weaved texture, like it was something made of thick thread with an over/under pattern like cloth work. And speaking of pattern, you see the Islamic trait again with the symmetrical patterns of geometric shapes and arches. The main arch and the depressed arch in the doorway give a feeling of depth to the tomb. The small pillars on the upper aches have sharp zig zag designs alternating with smooth flowing twists; ten arches on each side keeping with the balance of the building. Each doorway has a high border encompassing small circles completing a tall rectangular look making the doorway seem even bigger than it already is, along with the small channeled borders giving a structured shape to the smaller arches. The dome on the top of the building creates “a heavenly sense of transcendence,” making the building feel much larger on the inside. Again, the smaller domes and small pikes stay true to the repetitious nature of the art form. And to be honest, the doorway along with the small cubes and triangle above look like a face to me which is another reason why I liked it so