Islamic Art Circle at SOAS

November lecture to be given by Dr Sterenn Le Maguer-Gillon, archaeologist and lecturer at the Institut Catholique de Paris on the topic The Art of Olfaction: Incense Burners in Medieval Islamic Society (7th-15th Centuries) on Wednesday, 17 November at 18.00 London Time. This will be a webinar, so please sign up with me by 15 November at my SOAS address: rw51@soas.ac.uk.

This lecture aims to explore the role of incense burners in the Medieval Islamic world (7^th-15^th cent.). We define as “incense-burner” any container having served for burning with aromatic products in a secular context. The use of perfuming guests with incense is attested in wealthy contexts as well as in the lower classes, demonstrating how important this ritual is. Different types of incense burners were produced, either in ceramic, soft stone or brass, and used to perform hospitality rites. This lecture will look at the place of these objects in the Medieval Islamic society through the textual sources as well as the archaeological documentation available. 

November 2021 poster-2

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