Mamluk Jar

 

Mamluk Jar, 14th Century (Produced in Syria) Mamluk S

The Mamluk sovereignty began to emerge out of a weakened Ayyubid rule in Egypt and Syria, starting in around 1250, known as the Mamluk because of their unusual political system. While other civilizations used slaves, the Mamluk sultanate was the first to incorporate slaves into the governing class of society. This unusual incorporation of slaves into governance is what set them apart, hence why historians refer to them as the Mamluk sultanate, meaning "slave sultanate". The overall reign of this sultanate is divided into two periods, the Bahri reign, and the Burji reign. This piece of artwork was from the Burji reign, 1382 to 1517. The sultans from this time period followed the artistic traditions from the previous Bahri reign, of enameled and gilded glass, inlaid metalwork, woodwork, and textiles. This jar was a white piece of fritware (also known as stonepaste- a ceramic that is mixed with silica, clay, and frit) with blue and black glaze. The only other design on this piece besides the blue and black decorations is a large inscription saying: Lasting glory, increasing prosperity, and good fortune, an uplifting quote considering the plague, civil strife, and famine that provided continual distress to the citizens of this time period. To determine why artwork from this time period is important, we must understand how day to day art such as a jar can affect other places around the world. Mamluk art was prized around the world, most specifically in Europe and Mediterranean countries, where local productions began to mimic the art style of the Mamluk. This is important because a rippling effect occurs. When you have influences of one culture on another, it speaks to their cultural communication and how certain cultural practices and styles come about overtime that may appear unusual in its history of art if you do not realize that one culture was sharing with another. A simple jar can go from looking like a pretty decorative piece that you see in a museum to a link between cultures and their communication, learning things we haven't before. That's why this simple jar is so important to history, it not only provides insight into the culture it originated from, but also provides history to how things evolved in other countries and cultures. 

Sources: 

Glenna Barlow, "Arts of the Islamic world: The medieval period," in Smarthistory, August 8, 2015, accessed September 23, 2020, https://smarthistory.org/arts-of-the-islamic-world-the-medieval-period/. 

“Jar.” metmuseum.org. The Met. Accessed September 24, 2020. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/444477.

Yalman, Suzman. “The Art of the Mamluk Period (1250–1517).” metmuseum.org. Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History, October 2001. https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/maml/hd_maml.htm.