Going Girlie

Tents and Camels is going girlie, what do we think?

Islamic Ceramic Bowls

With the holy month of Ramadan approaching fast, here are a few examples of  9th to early 13th Century Islamic ceramic bowls. Thousands of year back in time and yet they have something of the Arts and Crafts movement, a little Neisha Crosland with a hint of the Bloomsbury Group and Lucienne Day about them, see if you agree

Bowl Iran, Nishapur or Turkestan, Afrasiyab Bowl, 10th century Ceramic; Vessel, Earthenware, underglaze slip-painted, 2 3/4 x 7 3/4 in. (6.99 x 19.69 cm) The Nasli M. Heeramaneck Collection, gift of Joan Palevsky (M.73.5.186) Art of the Middle East: Islamic Department.

Bowl Iran Bowl, 9th-10th century Ceramic; Vessel, Earthenware, tin-glazed and stain painted, 2 1/2 x 8 in. (6.35 x 20.32 cm) The Nasli M. Heeramaneck Collection, gift of Joan Palevsky (M.73.5.133) Art of the Middle East: Islamic Department.

Bowl inscribed with sayings of the Prophet Muhammad and ʿAli ibn Abi Talib

Uzbekistan, Samarkand, Samanid period, 10th century

Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum

                    Bowl, second half 12th–early 13th century, Iran

Stonepaste; polychrome inglaze and overglaze painted on opaque monochrome glaze (mina'i)

from The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Bowl , Iraq, 9th century Abbasid period 

from Freer and the Sackler (Smithsonian) Museum

See many more examples of Islamic Ceramics from the Islamic Arts website here 

Blue Qu'ran

I previously posted a Kufic folio at auction by Christie’s.  In researching Kufic script as part of an Islamic Art and Architecture course I came across the ‘Blue Qur’an’ (mid-9th-10th Century) or the Kairouan Koran as it is sometimes referred to.  Believed to have originated in Qairawan (Kairouan), Tunisia but disputed as possibly being from Cordoba, Spain instead and produced under the Umayyad rule.

The Blue Qur’an was produced on indigo dyed vellum, possibly inspired from the tradition of purple parchment vellum used for Byzantine imperial manuscripts. The script is of painted gold and silver from grinding the metal and suspending in solution. 

Kufic script, the oldest style of Islamic calligraphy, with strong and weighty elongated strokes and unlike later Qur’an folios which are illuminated and far more complex in artistic nature, with a geometrical balance in the symmetrical borders, layout and embellishment, the Kufic folios rely instead on balance across the size of the page from the exaggeration of the strokes so that the verses are evenly distributed and form their own frameless boundary.

Below an image of the blue Qu'ran from the met, more images available on the page 

Above a Kufic folio late 9th–early 10th century probably Syria, also from the Met

Finally Fermoie

On a slow boat but finally I receive my Fermoie samples and I am not disappointed.  Of course the makers behind Farrow and Ball, Martin Ephson and Tom Helme, were unlikely to get it wrong and the colours are predictibly sublime.  The patterns are delicious and the cloth I am sure will make up very well and that is often a little more difficult to predict but it is what makes a fabric come into its own and have that everlasting quality. 

All images below from the website where fabrics can be bought online

Recently Fermoie have added accessories to the range including cushions and below charming lampshades which are so difficult to source here in the UAE

Wabi and a Happy New Year

Paint is especially difficult here as I have mentioned a few times before.  I find a) it is very toxic smelling b) The finishes are not as good c) I don't know the colours as well as I did back home making it a very long trial and error session.

And error I did around this time last year with the sickliest baby blue found on an Ace chart which was very quickly to be changed to Dulux Graceful Green.

With perfectionism brings dissatisfaction and sometimes procrastination in search of the ideal.

The sickliest blue taught me one of life's great lessons, via a dear Japanese friend: Wabi.

She described Wabi as: Japanese aesthetic. Assumes nothing in life is permanent, we are in a transient and imperfect state, and you can seek solace and beauty in imperfection.

I decided to make Wabi my resolution for 2012 and it has served me well.  I will always love quality, beauty, craftsmanship but a little imperfection makes for uniqueness makes for a special kind of beauty and Wabi has made me a lot more relaxed about how I put things together - except for the sickly blue of course!  Still im-perfecting my own resolutions for the coming year, I have until midnight

A very Happy 2013 to you all, may your resolutions be meaningful and good for the soul.  

Framed 19th Century Wallpaper Panel - Large Cherry Blossom at 1st Dibs

Swedish Deco Rugs

I was first introduced to Swedish Deco rugs by a client, several years ago, who had the most wonderful collection of mid century furniture.  Knoll, Platner, Cherner, and more where all there ready for me to assemble a scheme, how easy is that?  Too easy perhaps.

And to pull it all together and anchor the room we needed a rug of course.  Her wish was for a Barbro Nilsson, (1899-1983), the celebrated Swedish weaver of rugs and tapestries.  These rugs, apart from their charming designs, have a distinctive relief and texture which sit so well within the interiors of the moment mixing mid century with older pieces and modern elements.  

As important as Barbro Nilsson are the works of Märta Måås-Fjetterström, (1873-1941) which in fact I favour myself for their more Art Nouveau/Art and Crafts feel.

Salerno Blue Rug, Barbro Nilsson at 1st Dibs

Blåringen ["Blue Ring"]
Märta Måås-Fjetterström in 1931 from http://www.mmf.se

Swedish Deco rug from Mansour

Swedish Kilim from Mansour

How wonderful is that?