Exploring Islamic Art: From Objects to Its Markets
Overview of the Course
Led by Dr Richard McClary, University of York
Discover the richness, diversity, and history of Islamic art in this three-session course, which takes you on a journey from the creation of artworks to their circulation in global markets. Ideal for anyone interested in art, history, or cultural heritage, this course combines academic insight with vivid storytelling to bring Islamic art to life.
Course Overview
Session 1: What is Islamic Art? An Introduction
The course begins with the origins and scope of the term “Islamic Art” in the context of nineteenth-century European scholarship. Explore the main categories of material culture, including ceramics, textiles, metalwork, and the arts of the book. Understand the links between art, architecture, and archaeology, and discover the key dynastic styles, iconic objects, and the power of script.
Session 2: Islamic Art and Its Markets
Session two examines how Islamic art objects have circulated from their places of creation to global collections. Trace the rise of Paris and London as market hubs, the evolution from primary to secondary markets, and the roles of collectors, dealers, and museums. Gain insight into the modern art market, including key participants and high-performing items over the last two decades.
Session 3: Tulips and Domes: Ottoman Art and Architecture in the Sixteenth Century
In the final session, we focus on the golden age of Ottoman art during the sixteenth century, featuring the masterpieces of Sinan and the reign of Suleyman. Explore the apotheosis of Iznik ceramics, the proliferation of the tulip motif across various media, and the monumental mosques and manuscripts that defined this period. Learn how political figures shaped the production and use of art in everyday life.If you have any questions, let us know.
Following the course, participants have the opportunity to join a three-day tour of Istanbul, led by Dr Richard McClary, which will bring the themes and objects discussed in the lectures vividly to life. Running from 7–9 May 2027, the tour is designed to contextualize the course by visiting key monuments, museums, and sites of Ottoman art and architecture, allowing students to experience firsthand the domes, tiles, and tulip motifs explored in the final lecture. This immersive approach is a hallmark of our programmes, ensuring that learning extends beyond the classroom into the real-world settings that shaped Islamic art.
Click the button below to find out more about the Istanbul Tour
Duration
3 week online course (One 1 -hour session per week via Zoom)
All sessions will be recorded and sent out to participants
Dates
13, 20, 27 April 2027 (online course)
Time
7.00 - 8.00pm (BST)online course
Fee
3 week course €290
€2780 course and Istanbul tour (purchase online below)
Lecturer’s Biography
Dr Richard Piran McClary
Dr Richard Piran McClary is a senior lecturer in Islamic Art and Architecture at the University of York. He received his doctorate from the University of Edinburgh in 2015. He has lectured extensively on a range of subjects related to the Islamic art market, and medieval Islamic art and architecture around the world. He has conducted fieldwork in India, Iran, Turkey, Central Asia, North Africa and across the Middle East. He held a Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellowship at the University of Edinburgh from 2015 to 2018, examining the surviving corpus of Qarakhanid architecture in Central Asia. His first monograph, entitled Rum Seljuq Architecture 1170-1220. The Patronage of Sultans was published by Edinburgh University Press in 2017, and his second, Medieval Monuments of Central Asia. Qarakhanid Architecture of the 11th and 12th Centuries, also with EUP, came out in 2020 while his latest monograph, on mina’i ware, was published in 2024. He has co-edited a volume with Andrew Peacock, entitled Turkish History and Culture in India. Identity, Art and Transregional Connections (Brill, 2020), and edited Stucco in the Islamic World (EUP, 2025) as well as publishing numerous articles and book chapters on the topic of Islamic art and architecture. He has published articles in Muqarnas, Iran, and the Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society. He has served as a trustee and the Research Director for the British Institute of Persian Studies and is co-founder and managing editor of the Journal of Islamic Art and Architecture.
