Stucco decoration in Islamic architecture
[7][4] It was commonly used in "Moorish" or western Islamic architecture in the Iberian Peninsula (Al-Andalus) and parts of North Africa (the Maghreb), since at least the Taifa and Almoravid periods (11th–12th centuries).
Stucco decoration was used in Iran, Central Asia and the Greco-Roman Mediterranean,[5] though it was most strongly associated with Iranian architecture under the Parthians and Sasanians.
[12] Examples of early 8th century stucco survive at Umayyad sites like Khirbat al-Mafjar and Qasr al-Hayr al-Gharbi (whose portal is now at National Museum of Damascus).
[2] Towards the 11th century, muqarnas, a technique of three-dimensional geometric sculpting often compared to "stalactites", is attested across many parts of the Islamic world, often carved from stucco.
[13] In the Greater Iranian region, a fairly distinctive style evolved from Abbasid models, employing stucco carved in high relief, especially in the decoration of mihrabs during the periods of Seljuk and Mongol domination.
[2] An earlier Mesopotamian tradition of muqarnas domes, as seen in the Imam ad-Dur Shrine near Samarra (1085–1090), was also passed on to Iran, with an important early example being the Tomb of 'Abd al-Samad at Natanz (1307–1308).
[15]: 90 The existing stucco examples from this period are nonetheless of high quality, as seen in the mihrab of the Madrasa of al-Nasir Muhammad, dated to 1304.
[15]: 154–155 [16]: 226 The lavish stucco decoration of the madrasa's minaret, on the other hand, appears to involve contemporary Maghrebi styles and craftsmanship alongside local motifs.
[19] Archeological evidence near Kairouan in Tunisia and Sedrata in Algeria indicate that the Abbasid style of carved stucco was also introduced to the region of Ifriqiya.
[4] The fashion evolved to favour stucco carved in shallow relief and to cover large surfaces along upper walls and under vaults.
[2] Starting in the 13th century, the Nasrid dynasty in Granada constructed the palace complex known today as the Alhambra, which is replete with rich stucco decoration.
Stucco decoration was also used profusely in the monuments of the Marinid dynasty in North Africa, particularly in madrasas, a number of which have survived in Morocco.
After the mid-14th century, other motifs were added to this repertoire, such as vine and oak leaves inspired by Gothic art and, later, figures of people and animals.
[3][2] Three-dimensional muqarnas was often also carved in stucco,[24][7] most typically found as transitional elements on vaults, domes, capitals, friezes, and doorways.
[26] Figural motifs (such as animals or human forms) are also attested in stucco carving, though they were not in general usage across the Islamic world.
[2] High relief stucco sculpting was still notably employed later to decorate the mihrabs of mosques in medieval Iran, using arabesques of stems and leaves on multiple levels carved in depth.
[4] In art history, the Spanish term yesería is most often associated with carved stucco or plaster on the Iberian peninsula and Latin America.
[citation needed] In historic Nasrid architecture, the composition and color of stucco varied depending upon the purity of gypsum stone and additives used to bestow properties to the mixtures such as hardness, setting time, and binding.
[29] The combination of abundant source material, ease of preparation and handling, wide adaptability for use, and quick setting time accounted for stucco's widespread use.
[citation needed] In Nasrid art, the two basic techniques for creating stucco decoration were carving in situ and casting molds which were then attached to the structure.
For example, additives to slow drying and setting were used on stucco mixtures that were carved in place to allow artisans more time to complete their work.
Age and weather, along with centuries of redecoration and restoration have significantly altered the original appearance of most stucco that date to the Nasrid period.
[32] Current advances in analytical instrumentation that allows for in situ analysis of the stucco are yielding information about original pigments and techniques.
The application of both pigment and gilding to these geometrically complex ceilings showed their knowledge and skill in optical allusion and spatial harmony.
