ReSIA (Research Seminar in Islamic Art): Ornament and Light in Mughal Architecture

In this seminar we will examine how carved and pierced Jali screens interweave aspects of shade and privacy while at the same time allow light to be shaped into patterns. We will explore these aspects in relation to the wider arts and aesthetics of the Mughal period.

Carved and pierced jali screens are among the many outstanding features of Mughal buildings. They provide shade and privacy and allow light to be shaped into patterns and silhouettes. Jalis can be understood in their practical and social dimensions, stylistic and technical evolution, and metaphorical language of light and ornament. This seminar will interweave all these aspects in relation to the wider arts and aesthetics of the Mughal age.

Speaker

Dr. Navina Najat Haidar received her doctorate from the University of Oxford’s Oriental Institute and an MA from SOAS, University of London. She presently serves as Nasser Sabah al Ahmad al Sabah Curator in Charge of the Department of Islamic Art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. From 2002-2011 she was involved in the planning of the Museum’s permanent Islamic galleries. This lengthy undertaking involved coordination between many specialists from the areas of academia, design and architecture and included special features such as the Moroccan court, constructed by artisans from Fez.

Navina has curated a number of special exhibitions, including “Sultans of Deccan India, 1500-1700: Opulence and Fantasy” (2015); “Treasures from India: Jewels from the Al-Thani Collection” (2014); and “Divine Pleasures: Rajput Painting from the Kronos Collection” (2016). She is currently planning a future exhibition on the patronage of the Mughal emperor Jahangir. She is the author of Jali: Lattice of Divine Light in Mughal Architecture (Ahmedabad, 2023).

Registration 

If you wish to join this event please register by following the link at the top of the page.