Skip to main content

Search

My Visit
Donate
Home Smithsonian Institution

Site Navigation

  • Visit
    • Museums and Zoo
    • Entry and Guidelines
    • Maps and Brochures
    • Dine and Shop
    • Accessibility
    • Visiting with Kids
    • Group Visits
      • Group Sales
  • What's On
    • Exhibitions
      • Current
      • Upcoming
      • Past
    • Online Events
    • All Events
    • IMAX & Planetarium
  • Explore
    • - Art & Design
    • - History & Culture
    • - Science & Nature
    • Collections
      • Open Access
    • Research Resources
      • Libraries
      • Archives
        • Smithsonian Institution Archives
        • Air and Space Museum
        • Anacostia Community Museum
        • American Art Museum
        • Archives of American Art
        • Archives of American Gardens
        • American History Museum
        • American Indian Museum
        • Asian Art Museum Archives
        • Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, African Art
        • Hirshhorn Archive
        • National Anthropological Archives
        • National Portrait Gallery
        • Ralph Rinzler Archives, Folklife
        • Libraries' Special Collections
    • Podcasts
    • Stories
  • Learn
    • For Caregivers
    • For Educators
      • Art & Design Resources
      • Science & Nature Resources
      • Social Studies & Civics Resources
      • Professional Development
      • Events for Educators
      • Field Trips
    • For Students
    • For Academics
    • For Lifelong Learners
  • Support Us
    • Become a Member
    • Renew Membership
    • Make a Gift
    • Volunteer
      • Smithsonian Call Center
      • Ambassador Program
      • Museum Information Desk
      • Docent Programs
      • Behind-the-Scenes
      • Digital Volunteers
      • Participatory Science
  • About
    • Our Organization
      • Board of Regents
        • Members
        • Committees
        • Reading Room
        • Bylaws, Policies and Procedures
        • Schedules and Agendas
        • Meeting Minutes
        • Actions
        • Webcasts
        • Contact
      • Museums and Zoo
      • Research Centers
      • Cultural Centers
      • Education Centers
      • General Counsel
        • Legal History
        • Internships
        • Records Requests
          • Reading Room
        • Tort Claim
        • Subpoenas & Testimonies
        • Events
      • Office of Human Resources
        • Employee Benefits
        • How to Apply
        • Job Opportunities
        • Job Seekers with Disabilities
        • Frequently Asked Questions
        • SI Civil Program
        • Contact Us
      • EEO & Small Business
        • EEO Complaint Process
        • Individuals with Disabilities
        • Small Business Program
          • Doing Business with Us
          • Contracting Opportunities
          • Additional Resources
        • Special Emphasis Program
      • Sponsored Projects
        • Policies
          • Combating Trafficking in Persons
          • Animal Care and Use
          • Human Research
        • Reports
        • Internships
    • Our Leadership
    • Reports and Plans
      • Annual Reports
      • Metrics Dashboard
        • Dashboard Home
        • Virtual Smithsonian
        • Public Engagement
        • National Collections
        • Research
        • People & Operations
      • Strategic Plan
    • Newsdesk
      • News Releases
      • Media Contacts
      • Photos and Video
      • Media Kits
      • Fact Sheets
      • Visitor Stats
      • Secretary and Admin Bios
      • Filming Requests

Excavation of Samarra (Iraq): Fragments of Wall-Paintings, from the Palace of the Caliph (Dar al-Khilafa, Jawsaq al-Khaqani, Bayt al-Khalifah), Square Reception-Hall Block, Room Identified as a Harem

National Museum of Asian Art

Object Details

Local Numbers
FSA A.06 04.PF.21.009
General
- Title is provided by Xavier Courouble, FSg Archives cataloger, based on Friedrich Sarre's publication, "Die Ausgrabungen von Samarra, vol. 3: Die Malereien von Samarra."
Date/Time and Place of an Event Note
Prints related primarly to the second campaign of excavation at Sāmarrāʼ (Iraq), carried out by Ernst Herzfeld on behalf of the Kaiser Friedrich Museum in Berlin in 1912 and 1913.
Creator
Herzfeld, Ernst, 1879-1948
Names
Herzfeld, Ernst, 1879-1948
Collection Creator
Herzfeld, Ernst, 1879-1948
Place
Asia
Iraq
Mesopotamia
Sāmarrāʼ (Iraq)
Iraq -- Salah ad-Din -- Samarra -- Dar al-Khilafa
Topic
Islamic art and architecture series
Topic
Abbasids
Animals in art
Art of the Islamic World
Decoration and ornament
Excavations (Archaeology)
Mural painting and decoration
Stucco
Creator
Herzfeld, Ernst, 1879-1948
See more items in
Ernst Herzfeld Papers
Ernst Herzfeld Papers / Series 4: Photographic Files / 4.21: Photo File 21: Samarra: Malereien
Extent
1 Item (photographic print, b&w, 11.2 cm. x 16.9 cm.)
Date
1911-1913
Archival Repository
Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives
Identifier
FSA.A.06, Item FSA A.06 04.PF.21.009
Type
Archival materials
Photographic prints
Collection Citation
Ernst Herzfeld Papers. FSA.A.06. National Museum of Asian Art Archives. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. Gift of Ernst Herzfeld, 1946.
Arrangement
Prints are organized in sequential number following publication series, "Die Ausgrabungen von Samarra." They are arranged in photo file folders which are housed in document boxes, and stored on shelves.
Collection Rights
Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the repository.
Bibliography
Herzfeld, Ernst, 1927: "Die Ausgrabungen von Samarra, vol. 3; Die Malereien von Samarra. Verlag Dietrich Reimer Ernst Vohsen, Berlin. Abb. 14, p.29."
Genre/Form
Photographic prints
Scope and Contents
- Original publication caption reads, "Djausaq, Harem. Füllhornranken mit jagdtieren und menschlichen gestalten." [Herzfeld, Ernst, 1927: "Die Ausgrabungen von Samarra, vol. 3; Die Malereien von Samarra. Verlag Dietrich Reimer Ernst Vohsen, Berlin. Pp. 22-29 and Abb. 14, p.29.]
- Additional information from Archives staff reads, "Samarra was founded by the Abbasid Caliph al-Mu'tasim (r. 833-842) in 836 AD to serve as his imperial capital. [...] The construction of the many mosques and palaces at Samarra fostered an early flowering of architectural decoration. What mainly survives today are wall revetments in carved stucco and wall paintings on fine gypsum surfaces. Earlier Iranian (Sassanian) decorative styles influenced much of the carved stucco panels found at Samarra. The decoration was primarily based on vegetal forms but later developed into more abstract motifs. The wall paintings illustrate a wide range of subjects such as geometric patterns and courtly scenes with figurative representations of listening and playing music, banqueting and dancing. Depictions of animals, especially camels and birds also feature on fragments recovered from the site. [...] Construction halted at Samarra in about 880 AD and later was abandoned by the Caliph and his court in 892." [Lucia Burgio, Robin J.H. Clark, Mariam Rosser-Owen, "Raman analysis of ninth-century Iraqi stuccoes from Samarra", Journal of Archaelogical Science 34 (2007) 756-762."]
- Additional information from Archives staff reads, "No existing negative."
Collection Restrictions
Collection is open for research.
Related link
Record ID
ebl-1585219957152-1585219959444-2
Metadata Usage
CC0
GUID
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/dc3c606952d-2656-475d-aa82-223993b2fb22

Related Content

  • Ernst Herzfeld Papers

Excavation of Samarra (Iraq): Fragments of Wall-Paintings, from the Palace of the Caliph (Dar al-Khilafa, Jawsaq al-Khaqani, Bayt al-Khalifah), Square Reception-Hall Block, Room Identified as a Harem [graphic]
There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page .
International media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
View manifest View in Mirador Viewer

Footer logo

Link to homepage

Footer navigation

  • Contact Us
  • Job Opportunities
  • Get Involved
  • Inspector General
  • Records Requests
  • Accessibility
  • EEO & Small Business
  • Shop Online
  • Host Your Event
  • Press Room
  • Privacy
  • Terms of Use

Social media links

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn

Get the latest news from the Smithsonian

Sign up for Smithsonian e-news

Get the latest news from the Smithsonian

Email powered by BlackBaud (Privacy Policy, Terms of Use)
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
Back to Top