Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 76 Page 77 Page 78 Page 79 Page 80 Page 81 Page 8259 THE COLLECTION OF ELINOR LANDER HORWITZ ‘50 FACULTY PERSPECTIVE: ALEX DIKA SEGGERMAN A TREMENDOUS GIFT OF 43 CERAMIC OBJECTS AND 25 miniature paintings from the collection of Elinor Lander Horwitz ‘50 has fundamentally transformed the museum’s holdings in Islamic art. The gift arrived in summer 2016, in time to be featured in my survey course on Islamic art and architecture in fall 2016. In the spring semester, I will teach a colloquium in the museum, during which students will curate the collection’s first installation of a selection of the objects in May 2017. The range of objects in the Horwitz collection, from ninth-century bowls to 17th-century portraits, tells a compelling story of the development of Persian image-making between the rise of Islam and the advent of colonialism that will make taking an Islamic art class at Smith a truly unique experience. After graduating from Smith, Elinor Horwitz moved to Washington, D.C., where she authored numerous books and magazine articles and raised three children. She began collecting Islamic art after a visit to the Freer/Sackler Galleries sparked her interest in Mughal and Persian miniatures. At the Freer, she also met curator and eminent scholar Richard Ettinghausen. Her correspondence over 15 years with Dr. Ettinghausen— also a part of Elinor Horwitz’s gift to the museum, along with her library—traces the arc of her collecting with his guidance, as he identified dealers, auctions and objects of interest and quality. During the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s, Elinor Horwitz periodically visited New York to attend auctions and meet dealers. During this time, she also traveled twice to Iran when her hus- band worked there briefly teaching neurosurgery. There are many notable and beautiful objects among the ceramics, including an early 13th-century Nishapur spherical turquoise jug decorated with birds, two small apothecary jars and a large Kashan luster dish with a king and queen enthroned in its center. A ninth-century Abbasid bowl is decorated with a (pos- sibly pregnant) camel, sure to be a highlight for young museum visitors. An unusual Kashan white oil jug, which takes the form of a Greek lekythos, showcases the global connections of pre-modern Islamic art. Also among the Horwitz gift are paintings of a Mughal prince, men relaxing in a hammam bath house, dancing dervishes, a composite camel and many scenes from the Persian epic, the Shahnameh. The Horwitz collection will transform the teaching of Islamic art at Smith, and the accompanying library and archives will provide a rich resource for exploration of the formation of the discipline itself. It will serve as the basis for a cutting-edge set of courses and independent research projects that will expand Smith students’ knowledge and understanding of Islam and the Muslim world. I am excited to share this exceptional group of artworks with students. Alex Dika Seggerman is a Mellon Five College Post-Doctoral Fellow in the Art Department, Smith College LEFT TO RIGHT: Gift of Elinor Lander Horwitz, class of 1950. Unknown. Iraq, probably Samarra. Bowl with two camels, 10th century CE. Earthenware, luster-painted on opaque white slip; Unknown. Iran, possibly Nishapur. Pierced turquoise spherical jug with molded birds in medallions, 13th century CE. Stonepaste, glazed in translucent turquoise; Nar Sing. Indian, Mughal. Portrait of Prince Daniyal, 17th century. Ink, opaque watercolors and gold on paper; Unknown. Iran, Safavid. Two lovers, ca. 1550. Colored inks and gold on paper; Unknown. Iran, Kashan or Rayy. Eightpointed-star-shaped tile, 13th century CE. Stonepaste, luster-painted on opaque white slip with blue accents