Arts of Jordan

Group 6:

Leader: Gabrielle Obusan

Members: Angela Manuel,

Johanna Oandasan,
Darel Nadeau, Christopher
Ivan Pagatpatan
 Jordanian art
• Jordan’s traditional arts are highly influenced by Islamic art and other traditions
from the region. Traditional art and craft is vested in material culture including
mosaics, ceramics, weaving, silver work, music, glass-blowing and calligraphy.

• Two of the most significant arts found in Jordan are ceramic arts and mosaic arts.
Many of these pieces include Islamic motifs and themes as well as Islamic
calligraphy. If you’ve ever seen Islamic calligraphy, it’s an art in and of itself. Some
can be quite elaborate. Mosaic art has been discovered in many of the
archaeological sites throughout the country and is a skill that is still being
encouraged today. In fact the government started a mosaic school in order to
preserve the mosaics that are found in these various historical sites. It’s set up in
the city of Madaba, which is known for its large mosaic map of the Holy Land.
 Weaving
• Jordan has a long-established rug-making industry dating back to the
country’s pre-Islamic, Christian communities. Mafrash (rugs) are usually of the
flat, woven kind, known as kilims, compared with carpets that have a pile. To
this day, especially in Madaba and Mukawir, it’s possible to watch kilims being
made that are based on early Byzantine designs. Even if you hadn’t intended to
buy one of these woolen rugs, you’ll find it impossible not to get carried away
by the enthusiasm of the carpet vendors, who will good-naturedly unfurl all
their rugs for you without much prospect of a sale.

Examples of
Weaving in
Jordan
 Embroidery
• Embroidery used to be an important skill among Jordanian women, who
would traditionally embroider the clothes they would need as married women
in their teenage years. Some still learn the craft as youngsters today, despite
embroidery becoming something of a dying art. Embroidery among the elder
generation continues to provide an occasion for women to socialize, often
with a pot of tea. Palestinian embroidery is famed throughout the region, and
you’ll see the characteristic red embroidery cross-stitch on traditional dresses,
known as roza, in shops across Jordan. Purses featuring intricate flower
designs in silk thread make delightful (and portable) mementos.

Examples of
Embroidery
in Jordan
 Mosaics
• The craft of mosaic-making has a noble and distinguished lineage in Jordan.
Mosaics are made from tiny squares of naturally colored rock called tesserae.
The first part of the process is preparing the stone, which is hewn in blocks from
the rock face and then cut into thin cuboid rods. These are then snipped by
pincers into the tesserae. The smallest tesserae make the most intricate designs
but they are much harder to work with and the mosaics take longer to assemble.
It’s rather like the knots on a carpet – the more tesserae per centimeter, the
finer and more valuable the mosaic. Many workshops in the Madaba area will
ship items to a home country for visitors.
Examples of
Mosaics in
Jordan
 Copperware
• Some of the oldest copper mines in the world are traceable in Jordan (especially
near Feinan, now in the Dana Biosphere Reserve). Copper is used to make everyday
utensils, as well as for heirlooms such as the family serving dish, copper tray or coffee
pot. These pieces are mostly replicated for the tourist industry, but you can still find
the genuine articles – with a bit of spit and polish, they’ll light up the corner of a room
back home. Quality pieces can be found in the antique shops in Amman, many of
which are attached to top-end hotels. You won’t find an antique older than about 50
years (and it’s illegal to export anything older than 100 years), but the items are likely
to have been much loved by the families who once used them.
Examples of
Copperware
in Jordan
 Jewelry
• A bride traditionally receives a gift of jewelry on her wedding day as her dowry, and this
remains her personal property. The most common designs are protective silver amulets, such
as the ‘hand of Fatima’ (daughter-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad). These are used as
protection from evil spirits known as djinn (‘genie’ in English). Antique items such as silver
headdresses decorated with Ottoman coins and ornately decorated Bedouin daggers
(straight, rather than the famously curved Yemeni and Omani versions) are becoming harder
to find. Many of the most beautiful antique pieces were crafted by Circassian, Armenian and
Yemeni silversmiths in the early 20th century. Much modern silver jewelry in Jordan, or the
strings of beads made of regional stones, echo traditional designs.
Examples of
Jewelry in
Jordan
Thank you for
listening!