From Mamluk Imaginings to the Iraq Revolt of 1920: Exploring the Impact of Modernity on the Crafts of the Middle East

Marcus Milwright, British Academy Global Professor in the Department of History of Art, University of York and professor of Islamic art and archaeology at the University of Victoria, Canada.

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The traditional manufacturing sector of the Middle East faced major economic challenges in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Competition from mass-produced goods from Europe led to the decline or disappearance of some crafts, while others adapted to the changing tastes of local clients and tourists. The challenges of Modernity are captured in contemporary writing and surviving objects. The first half of the talk considers the evidence for metalworking in Syria. The principal source on craft activities at this time is the Qamus al-sinaʿat al-Shamiyya (Dictionary of Damascene Crafts), written by three Syrian authors between about 1890 and 1908. The evidence from this and other textual sources can be correlated with the record of inlaid and decorated metalwork produced between the 1860s and World War I. The second half of this talk focuses on five chased copper alloy vessels produced in southern Iraq and depicting the town of Hindiyya (Tuwayrij) on the Euphrates river during the final days of the Iraq Revolt in October 1920. Beyond their obvious significance as visual records of the modern history of Hindiyya, these pieces demonstrate a profound creative engagement with the impact of mechanized warfare on Iraqi society. This paper argues that decorated metalwork provides an important insight into social attitudes in this transformative phase of Middle Eastern history.

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Image: Detail from a chased brass platter showing events in Hindiyya, Iraq, in October 1920. Private Collection