The Pringle Plan: The Met - Armor, Islamic, and Egyptian Exhibits 2019

The Armor exhibit, New York Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2019

While in New York City we did the grand tour of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I say "grand," because it really is like a trip around the world - although in whirlwind style! In this post, I'll focus on the Armor, Islamic and Egyptian exhibits.

Armor of Henry II, King of France (reigned 1547–59)

I don't think any of us had expected to be interested in armor, but it really was quite spectacular. Imagine what it was like to suit up in any of these.

Japanese Gozoku 16th-18th centuries

We took a guided tour through the Arts of the Islamic World exhibit and were fortunate to have a very knowledgeable guide. Any time you walk away from an exhibit with a little more knowledge than when you entered, it is time well spent. Even better - guided tours at the Met are free!

Qu'ran

A talk about Islamic art begins with calligraphy. This beautiful stylized writing is an art form in itself. Islamic writing runs right to left, and the gold dots in the Qu'ran above note when to pause. Written in a poetic style of parables, the Qu'ran was revealed to Mohamed over a period of twenty-three years by the angel Gabriel - Yes, the same Gabriel mentioned in the Bible.

Islamic Dish - Wedding Procession, 13th century

When talking about Islamic art, it is important to remember you are not just talking about religious art. Islamic art encompasses all that is the Islamic culture. The dish in the photo above shows forty-four figures in a wedding procession. This is secular art, not religious art. We know this because figures are not permitted in Islamic religious art.

Happiness dish (on right)

All cultures admire the works of other cultures. We learn from others, we are inspired by others, and we borrow and put our own spin on the art of other cultures. Such is the case in the blue and white dishes above. Inspired by the blue and white ceramics of Asia, Islamic artists copied the color and tried to replicate the look, yet decorated with Islamic calligraphy that says, "Happiness" twice.

Incense burner, 1181-1182

Animal and human figures tell us this is secular art.

Islamic figures, 12th-early 13th centuries

The prayer niche below is decorated in colorful calligraphy, geometry, and vegetative designs. Because this is religious art, there are no human or animal figures. Prayer niches are not required in Islamic Mosques, but are a common feature that lets worshipers know the direction of Mecca, and thus the direction to face during prayer.

Prayer niche, 1354-1355

Next, it was on to Egypt where we not only saw Egyptian art, but also The Temple of Dendur, dedicated to Isis, in the Sackler Wing of the Met.

Inside the Temple of Dendur

For our small group, the best part was the moat! Donna had been wanting a moat ever since a recent trip to Gillette's Castle in Haddam, CT. While the castle was great fun to see, Donna was disappointed it didn't have a moat. Fortunately, we found her a moat in the Egyptian exhibit - and it had a crocodile!

Donna found her moat and a crocodile!

Sphinx of Hatshepsut, ca. 1479–1458 B.C.

While plain today, Egyptian art and architecture, produced between the 31st century B.C. and 4th century A.D., was once decorated in polychrome (many colors). The projection above shows what the reliefs might have looked like when they were originally painted. Overtime, most paint has flaked off, but what hasn't changed is the distinctive Egyptian style remaining virtually unchanged from one century to the next. In contrast to the Islamic religious art rule of no figurative representations, the ancient Egyptians had very specific rules for how the gods (pharoahs) must be portrayed. Much of Egyptian art has to do with funerary rituals and belief in an afterlife. Artwork was not a creative outlet for individuals. Instead it served a function - giving its subjects (gods/pharoahs) permanence, while maintaining religious order over the population.