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The early history of Islam following the death of
the Prophet Muhammad can be characterized by
glorious wars and victories on the one hand and
by jealousy, intrigue, and deceit on the other.
When the Umayyad Dynasty ruled in splendor
from their capital at Damascus, a coin such as
this would have been recognized and traded
throughout their expanding empire. The rulers of
the Umayyad Dynasty, beginning with the
founder, Mu'awiyah, claimed a blood relationship
with the Prophet via his sister, Umm Habibah,
and his Abu-Sufyan, the leader of the Meccan
Quraysh. As the Islam spread across North Africa
and into Europe, political rivalry began to emerge
between the Caliphs. These family feuds would
culminate in 749 A.D. when the entire Umayyad
clan was murdered, save for abd-al- Rahman,
who fled to Spain and founded an independent
Umayyad Caliphate there. In part, this division
between opposing Muslim factions of Shi’ite and
the Sunni continue to this day. Overall, the
period of the Umayyad Dynasty can be
characterized by a love of luxury. Great palaces
were erected in the capital of Damascus. It is
also noted that the Caliphs Yazi I and II were
"passionate friends of sport, music and lady
singers."
The Umayyad Dynasty was a formative period in
the development of Islamic art. The main artistic
influences were culled from the lands they
occupied, including the late antique Classical
tradition prevalent in the Eastern Mediterranean
and the arts of the Byzantine and Sassanid
Empires, especially in regards to formal shapes
and decorative motifs. Over times, artist began
to fuse these influences together, adding their
own innovations, until ultimately creating an art
that was uniquely their own. This terracotta
vessel has a wide body that tapers into the neck,
which is topped with a spout in the form of a
ram’s head with thin slit eyes and arching horns.
A handle extends from the back of the ram’s
head to the shoulders of the vessel. The
shoulder of the vessel and the lower half of the
body are decorated with impressed foliate floral
motifs that recall Classical art.
- (CK.0099 (DC.0704))
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