Publication Date
Early 7th century/early 13th century
Publication Place
-
Museum of Islamic Art
Subject
marble.
Type
Other
Language
Undetermined
Digital
Yes
Manuscript
No
Physical Dimensions
الارتفاع: 36 سم؛ العرض: 20 سم
Library
Museum With No Frontiers
Library Asset ID
I. 7168
Record ID
object;ISL;de;Mus01;23;ar
Library Location
Museum of Islamic Art
Date
Early 7th century/early 13th century
Notes
The source of this inaccurately carved marble block is not known, but by comparison with remains from other buildings containing similar drawings, we can date this piece and determine its social environment. The drawing shows an oud player playing while sitting cross-legged. The man is wearing pants and a shirt with wide sleeves. This musician has long hair, as was fashionable in those days. The drawing shows this man from the front, holding the neck of the oud with his left hand, and with his right hand holding the plectrum, which strikes the strings to produce their sounds. The drawing style is brief and no details appear. The surface is initially carved and this could indicate that this relief was not completed. The other possibility is that a layer of paint was covering this piece. These relief stone inscriptions were placed on the city wall in Konya and other cities during the Seljuk days. Music in all eras was an integral part of the luxurious court life in the palaces of the Eastern princes. Their celebrations and wonderful musical performances have been described in all references since the Middle Ages, and it has also been described in this area how the Sultan or Prince enjoyed these performances. Celebrations at that time were not limited to eating, but wine was also drunk. Singing and male and female dancers also provided entertainment. At that time, one enjoyed music as happiness and invisible beauty. Ibn Khaldun and Al-Ghazali mentioned this in their sources, which are considered among the oldest sources on this matter. The Iraqi Christian Bar al-Abri also described with enthusiasm and admiration a celebration organized by the Seljuk Roman Ala al-Din Keyqubad in the year 1237, and this demonstrates the extent of harmony among the different religious groups at that time.
Sample Text
Annette Hagedorn “Relief of an Oud Player” in Discover Islamic Art. Museum Without Borders, 2026. https://islamicart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=object;ISL;de;Mus01;23;ar
