鸟大大影院 and the co-sponsored the conference, People of the Prophet鈥檚 House: Art, Architecture and 厂丑颈鈥榠蝉尘See Shi鈥榓. in the Islamic World, which took place at the British Museum from 26th 鈥 28th March 2009. The conference was associated with the exhibition Shah 鈥楢bbas: The Remaking of Iran.
Three scholars from the 鸟大大影院, Dr Shainool Jiwa, Nacim Pak-Shiraz and Dr Fahmida Suleman gave papers at the conference, which the latter also organised. Dr Farhad Daftary chaired a session on Fatimid contexts.
The conference aimed to answer two key questions: Who are the Shi鈥榓 and whether we can distinguish art and material culture as being inherently Shi鈥榠? Papers had a broad historical and geographical scope, from West Africa to Spain and the Middle East. The conference brought together international scholars, who presented a wide range of material including mosque and shrine architecture, iconography, manuscript painting, cinema and ritual. Subjects were explored using various methodologies from art history, history and social anthropology.
Professor Azim Nanji opened the conference with the idea that the British Museum鈥檚 preservation of Muslim artefacts from all over the world provides us with themes that transcend both history and their geographical provenance.
Shainool Jiwa in her paper 鈥湷С缶扁榠蝉尘: Narratives, Images, Perspectives鈥 provided a historical framework of Shi鈥榠 Islam. Explaining 厂丑颈鈥榠蝉尘鈥檚 conceptual origins together with its contemporary expressions, she reminded the audience that 厂丑颈鈥榠蝉尘 is an evolving pluralistic phenomenon. Its responses to other strands of Islam such as Sunnism and Sufism have also varied over time. 厂丑颈鈥榠蝉尘 was situated by Dr Jiwa as possessing a cluster of characteristics. She also discussed the notion of the Ahl al-Bayt (the people of the Prophet鈥檚 house) and investiture of religious authority in that context. Dr Jiwa noted that reverence for the Ahl al-Bayt has transcended the Sunni-Shi鈥榓 divide and has offered various opportunities of creating rapprochement between them.
Oleg Grabar, Professor Emeritus at Princeton has had a profound influence on the study of Muslim art. In his paper, 鈥淐an we identify Shi鈥榠 Features in Art and Architecture?鈥 Professor Grabar explored whether we can identify what we see with a single religious community? He tentatively concluded that there is a distinction between labelling an object as Shi鈥榠 purely because of certain inscriptions and attributing Shi鈥榠 provenance to forms and subjects. In the latter case, no inscription is necessary in order to attribute the object as Shi鈥榠. Professor Grabar stated that we must consider the receiver rather than the creator of an object in order to understand it. The visual language of the Fatimid mosque exteriors were predominantly designed to display the Shi鈥榓 faith to the non-Shi鈥榓, albeit they were also a demonstration of their political power.
In her paper, 鈥淲riting about Faith: Epigraphic Evidence for the Development of 厂丑颈鈥榠蝉尘 in Iran鈥, Sheila Blair, Professor at Boston College and Virginia Commonwealth University, predominantly focussed on the lusterware tile inscriptions produced in Kashan by Shi鈥榓 potter families in the 12th 鈥 13th centuries. Potters such as Muhammad ibn Abi Tahir and Abu Zayd contributed to multi-generational ensemble works for Shi鈥榠 shrines at QumA historic city in Iran to the south of Tehran. It is considered by many Shi鈥榠 Muslims as Iran鈥檚 second holiest city after Mashhad. Qum is a leading centre of… and Mashhad. Blair noted that she was unable to find exclusively Shi鈥榠 forms and decoration; it is only inscriptions that make artefacts understood as expressing Shi鈥榠 beliefs.
Fahmida Suleman in her paper 鈥淭he 鈥楬and of Fatima鈥: Origins and Significance鈥 explained how the ancient symbol of the open hand is found in many cultures. The 鈥楬and of Fatima鈥 or 鈥楰hamsa鈥 is used in many parts of the Muslim world as an amulet. It is often attached to bridal garments and used in female contexts such as childbirth. The amulets are connected to FatimaDaughter of the Prophet Muhammad and his first wife, Khad墨ja bint Khuwaylid. Also wife of 士Al墨 b. Ab墨 峁乴ib and mother of al-岣san and al-岣sayn. al-Zahra, the daughter of Prophet Muhammad, who continues to occupy an elevated status among SunnisAdherents of the majority branch of Islam, Sunnism; from the term sunn墨 which means a follower of the sunna of the Prophet Muhammad. and Shi鈥榠s. However, the first official document mentioning the use of the 鈥楬and of Fatima鈥 as an amulet dates much later from 1526 CE, in which Charles V banned the amulet鈥檚 use in Spain and ordered it to be replaced by the Christian cross. Thus, this document, together with pottery from 13th-century Muslim al-Andalus traces the 鈥楬and of Fatima鈥 to that region. Dr Suleman鈥檚 paper therefore showed that the 鈥楬and of Fatima鈥 transcended Sunni-Shi鈥榠 confessional boundaries and was based on a long-standing pan-Islamic piety associated with Fatima al-Zahra.
