Art in an Early Global World at WAM: A WAM/College of the Holy Cross CollaborationMain MenuAmanda Luyster17d39c1ecea88fb7ff282fe74a410b89478b8327Created by the Worcester Art Museum and the College of the Holy Cross, with the Worcester Public Schools AP Art History class of 2024. Financial support provided by the Medieval Academy of America and "Scholarship in Action" at Holy Cross.
Who made the Reclining Cat?
1media/DP372046.jpg2024-03-28T13:31:14-07:00Richard Lent3e723f35a685aebf07b8b602f188f085f3fa0c8f448019image_header2024-12-29T19:12:47-08:00Kaitlyn Stantonb847c59711f808b2e6157272d3d302def34e0168The creator of the reclining cat sculpture lived in the 1100s or 1200s in greater Iran, but we do not know their name. This anonymity is typical for craftsmen of the period, where individual recognition for such work was rare. The maker would have been a skilled artisan, likely working in a specialized workshop that produced metalwork. Such workshops were common in medieval Islamic cultures, where the techniques of metallurgy, inlay, and decorative inscriptions were passed down through generations. The artisan responsible for this piece would have been well-versed in these techniques, as well as the symbolic and aesthetic norms of the time. This craftsman would have operated within a guild or a community of artists that shared and upheld high standards of artistry, often under the patronage of the ruling class or wealthy merchants.
Audrey Wang, Class of 2025, College of the Holy Cross
1media/reclining cat, head_thumb.jpg2024-04-14T14:28:34-07:00Reclining cat, detail2Detail of Reclining Cat, made in greater Iran, 1100s or 1200s, 1949.20.media/reclining cat, head.jpgplain2024-08-18T09:48:29-07:0020150616104925-0400
