Islamic Art in Malaysia

Islamic Art comes from the religion of Islam, which was formed from as long ago as the seventh century in the Middle East. It shows aspects of Islam in art form from metal-works, fabric, pottery, canvas oils and paints through to its impressive writing style or calligraphy. Its use of color and detail presents a picture that not only looks good, but also makes you think and inquire deeper about it. These art forms were encouraged by the Sultans of the time by allowing them to be used in the architecture or buildings of that period. It was further used as decoration and furnishings, which allowed for educational and spiritual purposes. Many of the finest examples of Islamic Art can be seen in Malaysia, via its architecture and picturesque skyline scattered with decorative domes. Here Islamic art is a part of everyday life.

Islamic Guidelines for Art Forms

Within the Qur'an, the holy book for Muslims, Islam does not show animals or humans. The reason for this is that Muslims are taught not to hold an image of any living object and associate it to the religion, thus not glorifying idols or objects. Therefore, Islamic art is shown through floral, non-object-related art. A decorative writing style is sometimes used within these pictures showing elaborate Arabic letters or words. Shapes such as squares, triangles, oblongs and circles are also used as an alternative to living objects.

Islamic Calligraphy

An important part of Islamic Art is the Arabic language because it is the original language of the Qur'an. Unlike English, Arabic is read from right to left and has 29 letters in its alphabet. It also has small symbols above or below letters to show a short or long vowel. This makes it unique in its form and allows for artistic development. The writing style or mushaf have been improved upon over the years from the cursive styles of Thuluth to angular and even ornate styles. The most modern of the styles is Al-Khat al-hurr, which was developed in the 1980's. It represents a very decorative stylized, free flowing writing. An example of this can be seen at the Islamic Arts and Architecture site listed below. There are forms of Islamic pictures that only contain calligraphy and are still very appealing to the eye. Many of these can be viewed at one of the most magnificent museum collections in Kuala Lumpur at the Islamic Arts Museum. This gallery serves to illustrate the different styles of calligraphic scripts whose words and art are so well formed that it flows into a masterpiece of beauty. At the time when it was being perfected Sultans would have artists decorate mosques, palaces, buildings and walls. Arabic calligraphy is considered to be a very noble art form because of its association with the Qur'an.

Illuminated Manuscripts

This refers to books or "manuscripts" which are written and decorated or "illuminated" with elaborate text, drawings and borders. The Qur'an is an example of an elaborate, Illuminated Manuscript. It is said that the best example of this type of Islamic Art was produced by the Mamluks who came to Egypt in 1250 AD. They produced copies of the Qur'an with great calligraphy. Malaysia has a fully illuminated Qur'an on display at the Riyadh Fannil Islam Gallery, Sungai Buloh. It is the second in the Islamic world. A large collection of Qur'an's, religious and secular texts can be found on display throughout Malaysia.

Islamic Fabric and Rugs

This type of Islamic art dates back to the early seventh century starting with the simple skills of embroidery and fancy stitching, which over the years has survived in some places in the Muslim world. Nowadays it is reflected on fabric such as bed linens, prayer mats tablecloths and quilts. Today Islamic rugs are highly valued for its eastern decorative designs. These can be found in Malaysia, Persia, Syria, India and Turkey.

Islamic Art in Architecture

In Malaysia Islamic art is prevalent in its architecture. This is due to the high number of decorative and elaborate mosques built many which date back to the early 1800's commissioned by Sultans. The interiors and exteriors of mosques have wonderful examples of Islamic calligraphy, with local calligraphers sometimes working side by side the architectures to ensure the best results are achieved. The mosque carpets and rugs are reflective of geometrical patterns on solid background colors. These can be seen in many of the mosques of Malaysia. One such mosque is the Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Mosque in Selangor.

In Kuala Lumpur the Islamic Art Museum has a special gallery dedicated to Islamic Art in architecture. Here they have on display miniature models of some of the greatest monuments and structures of the Islamic era. These are inclusive of the Taj Mahal, Mausoleum and Imam Ismail Albukhary Mosque to name a few.

Islamic Art Museums

Islamic Arts museums can be found across Malaysia, here are a list of a few:

The Islamic Art Museum, Kuala Lumpur
The Riyadh Fannil Islam Gallery, Selangor
The Islamic Museum, Kelantan
The Islamic Museum, Sarawak

See Museums in Malaysia for a full listing.

The Glory of Islamic Art

Islamic art is essentially an art form that has survived the test of time through its continuous updating and evolution. It is used as a tool for increasing tourism, as most of the tourist sites are highly embellished with forms of Islamic art.

Whichever form of Islamic Art you are exposed to, you should bear in mind that each piece shows a celebration of daily life. It opens the doorway to true beauty and a way to discover the rich history and culture in a way of infinite possibilities. The experience of Islamic Art leaves its brilliant use of color, design and form engraved in the beholders mind.

Links

Islamic Art

Rug Designs

Original Islamic Art oil paintings

Arabic Calligraphy

Styles of writing

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Published on 9/4/01