China Gallery

Islam’s strong ties to China are expressed in art, from fine ceramic vessels to distinct strokes in calligraphy.

There is a long association between Islam and China. According to Chinese records, Muslim emissaries visited the Tang emperor within a few decades of the Caliphate being established.

The message of Islam was welcomed most enthusiastically in major trading centres, such as Xian and Guangdong, and later in China’s western provinces. By the Song dynasty (960 - 1279), there were mosques throughout China. The high point of Islam in China was during the Ming era (1368 - 1644), when Muslims acquired unprecedented political influence.

Calligraphy has always been a revered art form in China. This coincides with the Islamic ideal, although the results are often very different from the calligraphic works of other parts of Islam. Qur’ans from China follow a universal pattern, albeit using the special Sini script. More distinctive are the calligraphic scrolls that take a traditional, Chinese approach.

This is a very rare dated Ming Quran. Emperor Zhengde (r. 1491 - 1521) who reigned just prior to the completion of this manuscript had numerous Muslim advisors at his court and also several items of porcelain decorated with Islamic calligraphy.

One important area of Chinese art in which calligraphy plays a comparatively small part is ceramics. Objects made for the domestic market rarely put much emphasis on the written word, in Chinese or any other language. Among the exceptions are highly prized Ming dynasty blue-and-white wares with Islamic inscriptions.