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LondonNet
Art Review
A
Broadening Spirit
Covering the wide span of a thousand years, the RAA explores the
highly spiritual and spirited culture of the Turks.
Turks - A Journey of a Thousand Years, 600-1600
Royal Academy of Arts
Date: 22 Jan - 12 April 2005
Times: 10am - 6pm daily (last admission 5:30pm)
Late night openings: Friday and Saturdays until 10pm (last admission
9:30), except 12 March.
Prices: UKP11; UKP9 seniors & disabled; UKP7 NUS/ISIC
card holders; UKP4 12 - 18 years and income support; UKP3 8-11
years; 7 and under free.
 Glass
cases enclose the gold-leafed script of the Koran, detailed finely
on thin sheets of paper; rugs woven in tiny red, green and black
silks adorn the walls; jugs bejewelled and etched elaborately
are lined up in neat rows, and it is easy to sense the spirituality,
interlaced deeply into Turk culture, and transforming through
the centuries.
The
RAA exhibit, heavily sponsored by Turkish petroleum giant Aygaz,
the Turkish Garanti Bank and metal producer Corus, pulls together
more than 350 works, borrowed from the Topkapi Saray Museum and
the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art of Istanbul. This is the
first ever exhibit to solely focus on the development of Turkish
culture, and a number of the works have never been exhibited outside
of Turkey.
Starting
with the nomadic Uyghurs, of the 7th century, the exhibit begins
with the silk trade, highlighting the variety of religions within
the region through texts and textiles. The Seljuks then, around
the 11th century, place the first large influence on Turkish culture.
As Sunni Muslims, the Seljuks incorporated the traditional ways
of Muslim life, in government and institution and as seen through
texts and the well-known 'moon-face' persona, typical of Persian
poetry.
Seen
in elegant manuscripts, an entirely new visual language materialised
during the great reign of Timur in 1370, when Timur centralised
religion and focused on a more centralised lifestyle. Portraits
of Timur, as in most leaders, show him riding in on white horse,
majesty tied around his saddle in the likes of colourful battle
gear.
The
focus then moves finally towards the Ottomans, who slowly grabbed
the reigns of the Turks after Timur's death, at the beginning
of the 15th century. Seizing Constantinople during the reign of
Mehmed II, the Turks received another burst of inspiration in
the world of arts and literature, shown by the richly lavish portraits
and highly extravagant jugs, urns and swords wrought by Turks
under the Ottomans.
Through
the wide spectrum of historical context and religious rule, this
exhibit provides an intimate peek into the evolution of Islamic
arts, from the heart of Persia. It displays a closeness to spirituality
and a resolve of culture that perseveres today.
Megan
M. Retka
Guide
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