The Kelsey Museum of Archeology at the University of Michigan curated the exhibit, Pearls of Wisdom: The Arts of Islam. The Kelsey Museum's Pearls of Wisdom website is rich with resources for students and educators of both art and Islam. Visitors to this site can explore photographs of numerous items included in the exhibit, which highlighted works dating back to the 8th century. In curating this impressive collection, the Kelsey Museum borrowed the philosophy of medieval calligrapher Abu Hayyan al-Tawhidi and created four categories that mimic al-Tawhidi's musings on art: everyday beauty (which highlights objects including hair combs and decorative water filters); play and protection (which includes ornate gaming pieces and die); media metaphors (highlighting a number of objects, including ceramics, that mimic other art forms); and illumination (lamps and art pieces that center on light). In addition, visitors can view photographs of architecture, epigraphy, and drawings. Finally, the resources portion of this website includes two videos and four lesson plans for use in the classroom.
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