The Evaluation of Pseudo-Kufic in Military Weapons and Clothing Depictions

Abstract

The subject of the study was the military weapons in the depictions and the pseudo-kufic in clothes. The pseudo-kufic, which were seen in Byzantine and Western art in the 9th century, and which were applied in Christian religious structures as of the 10th century, were evaluated by scientists as a purely symbolic form of semantic and visual expression that was borrowed from a foreign language that could not be read. Their special meanings and legibility were mostly not considered, and were considered purely as ornaments or decorative elements. The dual nature of pseudo-kufic, in which Arabic names, verses, good intentions, and wishes were conveyed, allowed them to spread in a wide range and be evaluated as a transitional decoration at the crossroads of various fields. It was reported previously that the practices explained with various expressions such as trade, conquest, occupation, captives, and interaction had an essentially apotropaic meaning, and those that could not be read were ornaments that had decorative designs. It was determined that pseudo-kufic in depictions of military weapons and clothing had a special meaning, and therefore, they were frequently applied in Byzantine painting, illustrated manuscripts, and small handicrafts. The Arabic independent letters in the depictions of military clothes and weapons, the texts in the form of the abbreviation of the verse Al-Mulk or Al-Mulk Lillah had a U-form or mirror form structure. The application of the verse Al-Mulk or Al-Mulk Lillah on military weapons and clothes depictions in practice shows that the expression of power was at the forefront rather than the meaning of property in buildings and other works. This symbolizes that pseudo-kufic had a symbolic meaning rather than ornamentation in military areas, and that they had very special and protective meanings such as reclaiming the areas where the works were located from the Arabs. Aside from the aesthetic and symbolic characteristics of pseudo-kufic, theoretical questions and problems were also evaluated, and it was aimed to determine the application purpose of the interaction between Christian-Islam in military depictions.