MOHAMMEDAN ART. The art produced by the nations and in the emmtries professing the religion of Islam, from the seventh century A.n. to the presonl I into. The most flourishing, period tins bet Wcen the ninth and fon rteent li centuries, though in certain place, siteli as Constantinople, caul). and India. the golden age lasted later.
The I 's of this nit have been mainly Syria, Persia, Egypt, North Africa. Spain. Asia Minor, India. Sicily, and Constantitalde. In a large part of this region it succeeded Byzantine art, under the influence of which it long while also inheriting local peculiarities of ear lier Persian and Coptic (Egyptian) art. The Arabs, founders and propagators of Mohamme danism, possessed none of the We ARABIAN ART) and consequently a period of at least two centuries passed before the amalgamation of con verted peoples, after tentative efforts to adapt preceding artistic forms, created the special types of Mohammedan art. This work was done especially in Syria, Persia, and Egypt, though North Africa and Spain also contributed their share. Byzantine, Persian, and Coptic art ists, even if Christians. were employed at first; hut finally all the branches were practiced by Mohammedans. The religious prejudice against
the reproduction of the human figure in art pre vented any development in the large fields of fig ured sculpttn•e and painting, forcing the artist intl. decorative work in pure line and color, in which he became the most consummate master in the whole history of art. Surface ornamenta tion became the keynote to this art, whether dis played on broad architectural surfaces or on the smallest article of furniture o• decoration. This ornamentation, like the forms of architecture themselves, was at first derived from Byzantine models, as in the case of the mosques of Cor dova, Damascus, Jerusalem, and the earliest Cairo work, with a large element of stiff floral patterns, ninny of classic origin. But gradually the invasion of purely geometrical forms almost extinguished the flora, and the system was evolved and completed in the eleventh century, which is a combination of pure geometric and arabesque de signs, used with ever-increasing profusion until all surfaces were covered with it.