Slow Looking at Object
The first and main object that I have chosen is a brass water-jug made during the Islamic age acquired in Sri Lanka. According to the article, Brass in the medieval Islamic World by Niece, Brass was the generally preferred alloy in the medieval Islamic world because of its availability of zinc materials and the lack of tin. It was also easily casted and decorated, and as seen on the object I have chosen. Brass does not rust; however, it does lose its zinc component when submerged in water, causing the metal to weaken its structural integrity. This might also explain why this particular jug has sustained more damage around the neck of the jar, and near the tip of the spout. It could be more susceptible to wear and loss of its metallic component compared to the body because of its thinner component and more exposure to water back in the days.
Water jugs were used mainly in medieval times much like how canteens were used, in order to store water to bring home, but in larger volumes. Water-jugs were also used to store freshly caught fish before taking it back home. This particular jug, however, because it does not have a lid or any forms of closing structure, its purpose would have been to transport a small amount of water for portable use such as cooking, cleaning or even drinking. When the fisherman pulled out the brass jar from the river, it took no effort in coming apart, however, its physical component remained intact for the fisherman to believe it will be worth a lot of money in the copper market. This shows that water-jugs that were designed, decorated, or even had an intricate structure were owned mainly by families and individuals who could afford such tools, and not common for farmers and fishermen to have.
This water jug has a long neck as portrayed in the story, and upon closer look, it takes the shape of an animal, its head pointing towards the sky and fang-like teeth grabbing on to the neck of the jar. Its eyes are also prominent, as depicted in the description of the Jinni. The throat of this creature is quite literally an alley, as it is connected to the base of the jar from the entrance. This water-jug was acquired in Sri Lanka, its form reminiscent of the Islamic prominence around that period.
The second object I have chosen is a manuscript of the Ethics of Nasir founded in Pakistan dated back to ca.1590-1595. Nasir al-Din Tusi (1201-74) is a foremost philosopher, and this manuscript treats the classical Aristotelian topics of Ethics. I chose this object to draw connections to the thoughts and learnings of virtue which is portrayed by the story, Fisherman and the Demon.
First composed in 1235 by Nasir al-Din Tusi, a religious scholar during 13th-century Iran, this manuscript was one of the most important medieval Person treatises on ethics. His work was universal in scope and did not relate to any other particular Islamic school of thought, however still exerted an enormous influence on the subsequent works of advice on the rulership, and ethical statecraft.
Dating back to ca. 1590-1595, both the interior and exterior of this manuscript is heavily worn from the fade of text and saturation of the letters, however, still has maintained its structure quite well. The materials used on this are opaque watercolour, ink and gold on paper. This particular copy of the manuscript is illustrated and contains 17 full-page colour paintings.
The third object I have chosen is a medieval painting of a monster, specifically the Div Akvan from the manuscript, Shahnama of Firdawsi. Also known as The Book of Kings, it is an epic poem written through the subject of Persian mythology and the history of medieval Iran. In this painting, the spotted orange Div (demon) is holding the sleeping Rustam above his head, ready to throw him into the sea.
The painting itself is surrounded by thin and gold, large red borders. The materials used in this painting are opaque watercolour and gold. Like the manuscript as described previously, the use of opaque watercolour and gold in text and illustrations were common. Vibrant colours as clearly seen in this painting of Div Akvan would have also been used to portray the Jinni from the original text, and despite being described as a “hideous monster”, the Jinni would have been a colourful demon much similar to this Orange Div.
The physical character traits of this orange Div poses numerous similarities to the Jinni described in the text, A Thousand and One Nights. The pincer-like fangs, piercing eyes and wide nostrils perfectly describe a similar demon with the Jinni portrayed in the passage. Its tails, talons, as well as its animal-like features, are connected to the depiction portrayed by the brass water-jug, where the spout is shaped like an animal head. This shows that the depiction of animals serves numerous functions within Islamic art. Figural depiction of animals in forms of human beings and sentient beings alike serve as a parallel to demons and Jinni having animalistic features.