Q. & A. 711 to 1707 with solved Papers css 1971 to date

Moorish Pottery
The earliest known ceramics of Arabic Spain have been unearthed in the palace city of Madinat-az-Zahra, near Cordova. Much of the pottery so found is probably the work of native Cordova potters and may be assigned to the second half of the tenth century. The painted decoration consists of birds floral motives, and inscription in green, blue, and dark brown. Fragments of lustered ware found at Madinat-az- Zahra and related to that of Samarra and other sites in Mesopotamia and Iran were most probably imported
Hispano-Moresque pottery from the eleventh to the thirteenth century is still very little known. We may assume, however, that the manufacture of both lustered and painted ceramics
:Dimand. P 126

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continued in this period, judging from the fragments found in various sites. The Moorish potters of Andalusia were manufacturing well tops and large water jars with a decoration stamped or models in relief. This type of ware is either unglued or covered with a green glaze. An earh example, dated A.H. 430 (1039), a well top from Seville with a decoration in barbotine technique is in the Archaeological Museum in Madrid. A large unglazed water jar in the Metropolitan Museum, decorated with straight and wavy bands in relief and with geometrical ornaments, may be assigned to about the thirteenth century. Islamic Textiles of Spain and Sicily
The Arab conquest of Spain in 711 introduced the arts and crafts of the Near East into Europe Spanish textiles were mentioned in the papal inventories as early as the ninth century, and Idrisi, the Arab historian (1099) (1154) recorded that there were eight hundred looms at Almeria in Andalusia for the weaving of costly silk stuffs Textiles were also woven in Murcia-Seville, Granada, and Malaga. In the Royal Academy of History at Madrid is preserved a fabric decorated with a tapestry-woven band in light blue, dark blue and red with octagons containing geometrically stylized animals, birds and human figures. It is inscribed in Arabic with the name of Hisham II, Caliph of Cordova (976-1009). The design, which is undoubtedly of Egypto-Arabic origin, resembles .some of the patterns on contemporary Hispano-Moresque Ivory Caskets.
An interesting fabric with tapestry-woven decoration in coloured skill is in the Cooper Union Museum in New York within interlaced circles are pairs of figures drinking. Here again the similarity of the figures to those on Spanish ivory caskets of the eleventh century is striking and indicates that the piece must belong to the same period. Similar in style is a fragment of gold brocade in the Metropolitan Museum with a lesigh of musicians holding tambourines the colours are light brown, red, blue, green and gold on a gold background.
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The fabric is of particular interest because the figure subjects may be assigned to the twelfth 01 thirteenth century. An important group of Andalusian textiles of the eleventh to twelfth century is characterized by a bold pattern of figures, birds and animals. The best known pieces are those with the representations of the legendary lion, stranger and others with pair of sphinxes, which are today in Spain Museum. To Spain are attributed certain gold brocades showing both Iranian and Chinese influence The designs are characterized by scroll work combined with figures of animals in gold on a background. Two such fabrics are in the Metropolitan Museum. In one the scroll work and lotus palmettes enclose a pan of hares, the other shows palmette scrolls with birds drinking from a fountain. They are probably of the early fourteenth century and are closely related in other style and technique to other Spanish textiles. Moorish Rugs of Spain
With the Arab conquest, Spain was brought into close relation with the arts and crafts of the Eabt. I hat rugs vscie woven in Spain in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries is known from literary sources, but no existing rugs can be assigned to an eailier period that the fourteenth century. To this period may belong a so-called Synagogue rug in Berlin decorated with an elaborate candelabrum whose arms end in ”Thora” shrines. Several fifteenth century rugs bear coats of arms that may be identified and dated. The arms are displayed upon a field ornaments with a repeat pattern of octagons enclosing geometrical motives, human figures, and birds, angular in design and woven in may vivid color. The borders are divided into several bands of Kufic inscriptions, geometrical patterns, and grotesque figures.3
Robert, P Moorish Rugs, P 78

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