banner
- Museum number
- Af1997,08.2
- Description
-
Rectangular banner made of hand-woven natural-coloured silk with turned and machined hem at one end. Other end terminates in two bands of loose warp threads flanked by worked cloth. Decorated throughout with characters and figures in black acrylic paint. Central square with spiral, stylised hands and Arabic numbers; flanked by numerous vertical strokes arranged in horizontal lines. Top of banner has line of Arabic numbers and above, vertical strokes and triangles. Bottom of banner has series of stylised hands. Banner made and designed by the Algerian artist Rachid Koraichi in 1989.
- Production date
- 1989
- Dimensions
-
Length: 310 centimetres
-
Width: 195 centimetres
- Curator's comments
-
Rachid Koraichi is an Algerian artist now resident in Tunisia. This banner formed part of his 'Salome' series, originally exhibited at the Pompidou Centre in Paris in 1990.
-
Rachid Koraichi uses a wide variety of symbols based on Arabic and Berber writings, magical number systems and Chinese and Japanese characters as well as cryptograms of his own invention. He works on canvas, paper, ceramic, glass, metal and silk. He frequently produces works in a series of seven, or uses seven elements in his designs, relating to the Muslim cosmogony of seven heavens, seven planets, etc. His works form part of the collections of major museums in London, Paris, Tunis, Baghdad and Amman.
The art of calligraphy in North Africa stems from the significance of the written word of the Qur'an, the sacred scripture of Islam, believed to be the literal word of God. Various schools of style, as well as individual calligraphers can be traced back as far as the seventh century, the first century of Islam.
During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries the introduction of printing brought about the demise of the professional scribe, but calligraphers remained highly regarded. By the twentieth century the influence of Western languages created social and political tensions. By 1950 calligraphy became a symbol of cultural and political identity against colonialism. By 1960 the lettrisme (hurrufiyoun) movement flourished as 'painting by letters' became the dominant mode of artistic expression. By 1970 certain artists had tranformed the traditional conventions of calligraphy into various abstract forms.
- Location
- Not on display
- Condition
- Good.
- Acquisition date
- 1997
- Acquisition notes
- Af1997,08.1 to 4 were purchased from Rose Issa in London.
- Department
- Africa, Oceania and the Americas
- Registration number
- Af1997,08.2