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PALM AND PALMETTE TREES ORNAMENTS ON APPLIED MASTERPIECES Bousy M. Zidan Tour Guidance Dept. - Faculty of Tourism & Hotels- Suez Canal University ABSTRACT Decorative elements are the mainstay of any art. Islamic art had several properties, including the remoteness from imitating nature and emula...

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PALM AND PALMETTE TREES ORNAMENTS ON APPLIED MASTERPIECES Bousy M. Zidan Tour Guidance Dept. - Faculty of Tourism & Hotels- Suez Canal University ABSTRACT Decorative elements are the mainstay of any art. Islamic art had several properties, including the remoteness from imitating nature and emulating God creation for being wrongdoing. Therefore; floral, geometrical, and graphical motifs became the main support for Islamic decoration. However, human and animal illustrations were avoided. Whether Islamic Art began from scratch or followed prior arts in countries they – the Muslimsconquered; where there was prospering arts such as Byzantine and Sassanian ones? This matter will be replied through the research. This research deals with the history of floral motifs in Islamic art; and focuses on palm and palmette trees and their fronds. This in terms of their history and origin -since the prehistoric and till the Islamic epoch- their significance, and then identify models of masterpieces which were ornamented with palm and palmette trees through describing a Collection of the museum of Islamic Art in Cairo and the Metropolitan museum of art in New York. This research aims to: 1. Study the history of floral motifs in Islamic Art and their development. 2. Emphasize that Islamic art began depending on prior arts, then evolved and became independent and has distinctive features. 3. Manifesting the extreme mastery and perfection achieved by Muslim artisan. 4. Illuminate splendor possessions within the Museum of Islamic Art in Cairo and the Metropolitan museum of art in New York. INTRODUCTION This research deals with Palm and Palmette trees’ origin and ancient believes associated with them. This is followed by a brief presentation of floral ornaments in arts prior to Islam; and then the benefits of floral motifs that allowed them to be the mainstay of Islamic art ornaments. The next point is a descriptive part focuses on a collection from both the museum of Islamic art in Cairo and the Metropolitan museum of art in New York; where Palm and Palmette trees are depicted.

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Palm and Palmette Trees Origin and Ancient Believes

Both palm trees (phoenix dactylifera) (pl. 1) and palmetto trees (Sabal Adans) (pl.2) are members of Arecaceae family. The best environment for growing both plants is the tropical and subtropical climate. Moreover; they both are monocots. 1 However, there are main points of difference between them; the size for example, palms reaches to 80 meters high, while palmetto only reaches 30 feet high. Another difference between palm and palmetto is their leaves shape; palm produce large alternate or spiral fronds, growing to a length ranges between 18 to 36 inch. While palmetto leaves mostly appear in a flat star shape of no more than 36 inches in length. Another shape of palmetto leaves looks like saw, with hard lance like leaves. 2 Date palm’s scientific name as Phoenix dactylifera; originates from the mythological bird “phoenix’’3, and ‘‘dactylifera’’ refers to the finger-like appearance of the fruit bunch.4 Dactylifera is a combination of the Greek word dactylus, or "finger," and the Latin word ferous, or "bearing."5 Date palm is one of the oldest known fruit crops and has been cultivated in North Africa and the Middle East for at least 5000 years.6 Their cultivation require a long, intensely hot summer with little rain and very low humidity during the period from pollination to harvest. One old saying describes the date palm as growing with ‘‘its feet in the water and its head in the fire.’’7 1

- Monocots, means that both plants don’t produce the trunks or main stems in layers to do the way oaks, pines, and other woody trees. 2 - Melissa H. Friedman, Michael G. Andreu, Heather V. Quintana, and Mary McKenzie, Phoenix dactylifera, Date Palm, FOR 252, one of a series of the School of Forest Resources and Conservation Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Original publication date, May 2010. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu. 3 - phoenix ; is a mythological bird that ancient Egyptians thought it lives for five or six centuries and burn himself; and then again resurrect himself from its ash in youth and splendor status. 4 - Sudhersan, C., Abo El-Nil, M., Occurrence of hermaphrodites in the male date palm. 1999, Palms 43, pp18–19, 48–50 5 - Coombes, A., Dictionary of plant names: Botanical names and their common name equivalents. Portland, OR: Timber Press, 1994. 6 - Zohary, D., Hopf, M., Domestication of plants in the old world: The origin and spread of cultivated plants in West Asia, Europe, and the Nile Valley, Oxford University Press, Oxon, UK., 2000 7 - Zaid, A., de Wet, P.F., Climatic requirements of date palm, in: Zaid, A., Date palm cultivation. Food and Agriculture Organization Plant Production and Protection, Paper no. 156, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, Italy, 2002, pp. 57–72.

The earliest record from Iraq (Mesopotamia) shows that date culture was probably established as early as 3000 BCE.8 Concerning Egypt; Date culture had apparently spread by the middle of the second millennium BCE. In later times; Dates had great spiritual and cultural significance to the people of the Middle East; their cultivation became a sacred symbol of fecundity and fertility. Date palms are depicted in ancient Assyrian and Babylonian tablets, including the famous Code of Hammurabi, which contained laws pertaining to date culture and sales. References relating to date palms are also found in ancient Egyptian, Syrian, Libyan, and Palestinian writings.9 With regard to Ancient Egyptians; they considered God Osiris a symbol for resurrection; so they depicted him in the shape of a tree. This thought mostly corresponds to what was predominant for the worshipped gods of the Assyrians, Palestinians, Syrians, and Babylonians, whom were presented in shape of a tree (fig. 1) that symbolizes the revived life. 10 In ancient times; palm tree was one of the sacred trees, so it was a symbol for many countries. Semitics considered palm tree as the life tree in Eden. The Phoenicians combined between palm tree and the fertility goddess “‘Astarte”. In pre-Islamic “paganism” era, some Arabian tribes assumed the palm tree as a god; in Najran they worshipped tall ones, and celebrated it annually,11 and the ancient Greeks considered palm tree as symbol of victory and optimism.12 Moreover, Christians considered palm tree and its fronds as symbol of victory during their celebration of the Jesus entry to Jerusalem; this occasion is annually celebrated under the name of ‘palm Sunday’.13 II- Vegetal patterns in Arts Prior to Islam Early on, the ancient Egyptian art; exactly since Mermadat bani Salama (4200- 4000 B.C); Plants were used as a decorative element. The depicted plants were aloe sticks, which greatly looks like ditch reed

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- Wrigley, G., Date palm, In: J. Smartt and N.W. Simmonds (eds.). Evolution of crop plants. 2nd ed. Longman Group, Essex, UK. 1995, pp. 399–403 9 - Nixon, R.W. 1951. The date palm: ‘‘Tree of Life’’ in the subtropical deserts. Econ. Bot. 5:274–301.; Popenoe, O. 1973. The date palm. Field Research Projects, Miami, FL. 10 -. .10 ،8 ‫ ص ص‬،‫ت‬.‫ د‬،‫ اﻟﻘﺎھﺮة‬،‫ ﻣﻄﺒﻌﺔ اﻟﻤﻌﺮﻓﺔ‬،‫ اﺳﻄﻮرة ﺷﺠﺮة اﻟﺤﯿﺎة و اﻟﺤﻀﺎرة اﻹﺳﻼﻣﯿﺔ‬،‫ﺳﻌﺎد ﻣﺎھﺮ‬ 11 . 101 ‫ ص‬،‫م‬1995 / ‫ھـ‬1416 ،203 ‫ اﻟﻌﺪد‬،‫ اﻟﻜﻮﯾﺖ‬،‫ ﻋﺎﻟﻢ اﻟﻤﻌﺮﻓﺔ‬،‫ اﻟﺘﺼﻮﯾﺮ اﻟﺸﻌﺒﻰ اﻟﻌﺮﺑﻰ‬،‫أﻛﺮم ﻗﺎﻧﺼﻮه‬ 12 - ‫ ص‬،‫م‬1989 ،‫ ﺟﺎﻣﻌﺔ اﻟﻘﺎھﺮة‬،‫ ﻛﻠﯿﺔ اﻵﺛﺎر‬،‫ ﻣﺨﻄﻮط ﻣﺎﺟﺴﺘﯿﺮ ﻏﯿﺮ ﻣﻨﺸﻮرة‬،‫ اﻟﺘﺄﺛﯿﺮات اﻟﻌﻘﺎﺋﺪﯾﺔ ﻓﻰ اﻟﻔﻦ اﻟﻌﺜﻤﺎﻧﻰ‬،‫ﻧﺎدر ﻣﺤﻤﻮد ﻋﺒﺪ اﻟﺪاﯾﻢ‬ .60 13 -http://st-takla.org/Coptic-Faith-Creed-Dogma/Coptic-Rite-n-Ritual-Taks-Al-Kanisa/07-Jesus-MasteryFeast__Anba-Benyameen/Rites-of-Coptic-Small-n-Big-Mastery-Feasts_033-Palm-Sunday-Intro.html

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sticks or palm branches (fig.2).

These decorative elements were used infra in Naqqada I from 3900 to

3600 B.C (fig. 3), Naqqada II from 3600 to 3400 B.C (fig 4), and Naqqada III from 3200 to3150 B.C (fig. 5). In general; illustrating plants was referring to names of both rulers and regions.15 Palm trees that appeared from Naqqada III to the dynasty Zero that mostly was symbol of state and power; it was the important plants in Egyptian lands; especially on desert borders. Regarding to its worth; Palm trees were illustrated on utensils16 , on the chapel designated for god worshipping,17 in architectural columns as in pyramid temple of Sahure from the 5th dynasty (pl. 3), and within tombs as the tomb of puyemre from the 18th dynasty (pl.4). Since 323 B.C the Hellenistic period began,18 Hellenistic art and culture emerged and flourished for three centuries; began depending on other earlier styles, and later their own additions dominantly appeared. By the first century B.C., Rome was a center of Hellenistic art production.19 Interest in Greek art and culture remained strong during the Roman Imperial period. For centuries, Roman art was greatly under the influence of Hellenistic traditions.20 Another source of Islamic art is the Sassanian (226-637 A.D) art. The prevailing decorative motifs of which were: winged animals, mythological figures within square or circular medallions, scrolling grape branches, pinecones, acanthus leaves, palm fronds – in shape of complete fans, semi fans which is palmette shape, heart shaped, or lobed tips-21 and several trees. These trees were known in ancient oriental, Indian, and European religions as arborvitae. Sometimes; this tree was depicted in the form a palm-tree that signifying prosperity, happiness, and glory. Other times, willow tree was employed; to symbolize death, or the use of cypress tree to signify sadness.22

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- j. Vandier, Manuel I-1, fig. 100, 1952, pp. 146, 147 - Cialowicz, K. M., platettes, OEAE, 2001, p.19 16 - Petrie, W. F., Quibell, J.A, Naqqada and Ballas, London,1896, pl. Lii no. 39, 40,42 17 - Ibid, pl. Lii no. 45,49 18 - Between 334 and 323 B.C., Alexander the Great succeeded in creating a wide spread empire extended from Greece and Asia Minor through Egypt and the Persian Empire in the Near East to India. 19 - The conventional end of the Hellenistic period is 31 B.C., the date of the battle of Actium 20 - Hemingway, Colette, and Seán Hemingway. "Art of the Hellenistic Age and the Hellenistic Tradition". In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/haht/hd_haht.htm (April 2007) 21 .315 ،314 ‫ ص ص‬،2001 ،‫ ﻣﺤﺎﺿﺮات ﻓﻰ اﻟﺤﻀﺎرة اﻹﺳﻼﻣﯿﺔ‬،‫اﻟﺴﯿﺪ ﻋﺒﺪ اﻟﻌﺰﯾﺰ ﺳﺎﻟﻢ‬ 22 .10 ‫ ص‬،‫ اﺳﻄﻮرة ﺷﺠﺮة اﻟﺤﯿﺎة‬، ‫ﺳﻌﺎد ﻣﺎھﺮ‬ 15

Most of these previously mentioned elements also were prevailing in Byzantine art,23that began in the 4th century A.D with the emergence of Constantinople and reached its peak in the time of emperor Justinian in the 6th century A.D. This art depended in its composition on several sources: Hellenistic, Roman, and Sassanian arts.24 In Byzantine art depiction of people had been set off, framed, or linked by geometric and vegetal designs. In Islamic times, these subsidiary elements became the major artistic scenes.25 Another source affected the Islamic art was the Oriental Christian arts; these had spread in the Near East, for three centuries before Islam. These were centralized in Egypt, Syria, and Jazirăh. These arts were mostly influenced by Hellenistic and Byzantine arts. In Syria; Muslims in the Umayyad era adapted many architectural and decorative elements in churches, monasteries, tombs, beside Mosaic ornaments, colored floral branches, and grapes leaves and bunch. In Egypt; Coptic art was dominant; it derived the basic factors from the ancient Egyptian art, the Greco-Roman art- known as as-Sakandry-, the Byzantine, and the Sassanian art. Acanthus, grapes leaves, and palm trees (pl. 5) were the most prominent floral ornaments in Coptic and Christian art in Syria. Therefore, these arts were the source of these elements in the Islamic art; and later developed through different periods. Islamic conquest didn’t end these Christian arts in Egypt, Syria, and Jazirăh, but continued in prospering because the Arab conquerors followed these local elements.26

III- Vegetal patterns a mean to overcome imitating nature Islamic art had been characterized with many properties; of these, diversity, unity, hating space areas, and remoteness from imitating and emulating God creation. For being not wrongdoing;

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23

.316 ،315 ‫ ص ص‬،‫ ﻣﺤﺎﺿﺮات ﻓﻰ اﻟﺤﻀﺎرة اﻹﺳﻼﻣﯿﺔ‬،‫اﻟﺴﯿﺪ ﻋﺒﺪ اﻟﻌﺰﯾﺰ ﺳﺎﻟﻢ‬ .341 ‫ ص‬،‫م‬1997 ،1 ‫ ﺟـ‬،‫ ﻗﺮطﺒﺔ ﺣﺎﺿﺮة اﻟﺨﻼﻓﺔ ﻓﻰ اﻷﻧﺪﻟﺲ‬،‫اﻟﺴﯿﺪ ﻋﺒﺪ اﻟﻌﺰﯾﺰ ﺳﺎﻟﻢ‬ 25 - Sheila Blair, Jonathan Bloom, Islam art and architecture, edited by Markus Hattstein and Peter Delius, 2000 , p. 124. 26 .313 ،312 ‫ ص ص‬،‫ ﻣﺤﺎﺿﺮات ﻓﻰ اﻟﺤﻀﺎرة اﻹﺳﻼﻣﯿﺔ‬،‫اﻟﺴﯿﺪ ﻋﺒﺪ اﻟﻌﺰﯾﺰ ﺳﺎﻟﻢ‬ 27 - Marçais, G., Remarques sur l’sthetiqic Musulmane, annals de l’institut d’etudes orintales l’univesite d’alger, col.II, 1938, pp.55-57. 24

Islamic

ornament’s basic components are calligraphy, vegetal patterns, geometric patterns, and figural representations. 28 Another reason for Muslim artist’s interest in floral ornaments; was that Holy Qur’an is full with several signals to plants, vegetables and several crops referring to trees and their benefits, plants and their indication for Allah’s might and singleness. Several Qur’an verses that mentioned plants; drag artist’s attention to plants artistic extent.29 God says: “And He it is Who sends down water from the cloud, then We bring forth with it buds of all (plants), then We bring forth from it green (foliage) from which We produce grain piled up (in the ear); and of the palm-tree, of the sheaths of it, come forth clusters (of dates) within reach, and gardens of grapes and olives and pomegranates, alike and unlike; behold the fruit of it when it yields the fruit and the ripening of it; most surely there are signs in this for a people who believe” 30. This verse asks people to meditate on the beauty spots in these plants and to enjoy their splendor view, as splendor is morale nourishment.31 However, Prophetic Hadiths32, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) mentioned several types of trees, and kinds of plants and their fruits,33 as the Muslim was symbolized with the tree. In the saḥiḥin of the speech of ibn Omar that he said, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “there is a tree; its leaves didn’t fall down. This symbolizes the Muslim, so tell me what is it? People thought it is Bawady tree, Abdullah ibn. Omar said, I thought it is the palm tree, but I was shy, so the audience said tell us what is it Prophet Muhammad: he (peace be upon him) said it is the palm tree”, Published by alBukhary. The similarity between the palm tree and the Muslim is the prosperity, abundant benefits, and the permanent shade, tasty fruits; its origins are stable with branches in the sky.34

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- Department of Islamic Art, "The Nature of Islamic Art", In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/orna/hd_orna.htm (October 2001) 29 - ،‫ اﻟﻄﺒﻌﺔ اﻷوﻟﻰ‬،‫ ﻣﻜﺘﺒﺔ زھﺮاء اﻟﺸﺮق‬،"‫ اﻟﺮﻣﺰﯾﺔ اﻟﺪﯾﻨﯿﺔ ﻓﻰ اﻟﺰﺧﺮﻓﺔ اﻹﺳﻼﻣﯿﺔ "دراﺳﺔ ﻗﻰ ﻣﯿﺘﺎﻓﯿﺰﯾﻘﺎ اﻟﻔﻦ اﻹﺳﻼﻣﻰ‬،‫ﻋﺒﺪ اﻟﻨﺎﺻﺮ ﯾﺎﺳﯿﻦ‬ .115 ‫ ص‬،‫م‬2006 ،‫اﻟﻘﺎھﺮة‬ 30 - Qur’an, sura al-An’am, verse no. 99. 31 .41 ‫ ص‬،‫م‬1973 ،‫ اﻟﻘﺎھﺮة‬،‫ دار اﻟﺸﺮوق‬،‫ ﻣﻨﮭﺞ اﻟﻔﻦ اﻹﺳﻼﻣﻰ‬،‫ﻣﺤﻤﺪ ﻗﻄﺐ‬ 32 - hadith means oral traditions relating to the prophet 33 .118 ‫ ص‬،‫ اﻟﺮﻣﺰﯾﺔ اﻟﺪﯾﻨﯿﺔ‬،‫ﻋﺒﺪ اﻟﻨﺎﺻﺮ ﯾﺎﺳﯿﻦ‬ 34 .21 ‫ ص‬،1 ‫ﺟـ‬،‫ت‬.‫ د‬،‫ دار إﺣﯿﺎء اﻟﻜﺘﺐ اﻟﻌﺮﺑﯿﺔ‬،‫ﻣﺘﻦ اﻟﺒﺨﺎرى‬،(‫اﻟﺒﺨﺎرى ) أﺑﻰ ﻋﺒﺪ ﷲ ﻣﺤﻤﺪ ﺑﻦ اﺳﻤﺎﻋﯿﻞ‬

Vegetal patterns appeared as away from nature and the tendency to abstraction by virtue of Islamic appeal to the Muslim to not stop towards things external perception, but to elevate with his thought to behind the temporal materiality.35 IV- The development in vegetal patterns in Islamic art A question put forth; whether Islamic art started from nil? or there were earlier sources to depend on? Through historical sources; it was uncovered that while countries conquered by Muslims were dominated by Sassanians and Byzantines; so there were artistic traditions already widespread with superior artisans who continued to work in their heritage styles even under Muslim rulers. As a result; early Islamic masterpieces were greatly influenced by these prior arts. Shortly, Islamic art began gradually to have its own characteristics influenced by Muslim faith and its rites. This mostly began from the Umayyad Caliphate. For dominating vast regions and everlasting for long time; Islamic art was subjected to several national styles and influences, so it passed by several developments. Although Muslims in this time were of variant ethnics and cultures, Islamic art has basic characteristics.36 Vegetal patterns as one of the basic ornamental motifs; was employed alone or in combination with other major types of ornament to adorn even structures or mobile masterpiece. In early Islamic times; vegetal motifs were mostly influenced by the existing Byzantine (eastern Mediterranean) and Sasanian (Iran) traditions. As a result these motifs tended to semi naturalistic, this was followed by widespread and diverse experimentation in order to suit and get the admiration of the new Muslim rulers. Towards the 4th century A.H / tenth-twelfth centuries A.D, floral motifs tended to abstraction, and Islamic art had its own characteristics; of these; a modified decorative technique of intertwined floral branches and crossed ones with pendulous flowers with neither beginning nor end. This technique identified by the European historians as “arabesque”. 37 35

.125 ،124 ‫ ص ص‬،‫ اﻟﺮﻣﺰﯾﺔ اﻟﺪﯾﻨﯿﺔ‬،‫ﻋﺒﺪ اﻟﻨﺎﺻﺮ ﯾﺎﺳﯿﻦ‬ - Department of Islamic Art "The Nature of Islamic Art". In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/orna/hd_orna.htm (October 2001) 37 - Department of Islamic Art. "Vegetal Patterns in Islamic Art". In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/vege/hd_vege.htm (October 2001)

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During the 6th century A.H; floral ornaments became full of vitality as a result of artistic mainstreams coming from Turkistan with Turkish tribes who dominated the Abbasid Caliphate under the name of Seljuk.38 Another artistic mainstream influenced Egypt and Syria; this came from the Zangids in Tikrit. While in the 8th century A.H; Islamic art was influenced by styles and techniques of the Far East that accompanying the Moguls conquest. As a result; floral ornaments had been liberated from the style of Samarra, so extremely tended to naturalism. In the 10th century A.H; European mainstreams influenced the Islamic art, baroque and rococo technique is the most brilliant.

39

This mainstream appeared in Iraq and Iran - under the Safavid rule - after

exploring the route of “The Cape of Good Hope”, and extended to the rest of Islamic countries -under the Ottoman era- through the European occupation for most regions in Balkān Peninsula.40 -

Samples of modified vegetal patterns 1. Grapes leaves; first appeared blooming, then contracted, and later become devoid of vitality, and became pierced, incised, and taken unfamiliar shapes mostly remote from its original appearance. 2. Acanthus leaves; it appeared with serrated tips full of vitality, then appeared with veined lines sometimes folded, other times flowering.41 3. Palm tree; it was employed into several forms from ancient Egypt and until the Islamic eras. Of these shapes; tall trunk tree with serrated longitudinal leaves, other times palmetto w...