Workshop Talk with Fatima Esmail, “Artistic Identity at the Cultural Crossroads: Early Medieval Sindh and its Artifacts”

EODIAH Fellow Fatima Esmail's thesis explores the visual and material culture of early medieval Sindh (9th to 11th century CE), where Islamic, Persian, Hindu and Buddhist traditions converged to create a multicultural space. Through a study of artifacts recovered from the ancient-medieval ruins of al-Mansurah and Banbhore in Sindh the project investigates cross-cultural exchange, trade networks and local artisanal practices that shaped the aesthetic forms. It culminates in the creation of a detailed digital catalog of the significant cultural material which is now dispersed across museums in Pakistan and the UK.

Fatima was born, raised and educated in the city of Karachi in southern Pakistan. In the US she worked as an administrative professional for a number of years before embarking on her higher education journey. In 2018 she joined the Edith O’ Donnell Institute of Art History as part of the first MA Art History cohort and has also served enthusiastically as a Teaching Assistant supporting faculty in undergraduate courses in history, literature and art history. Currently a doctoral candidate in the Bass School of Arts, Humanities and Technology, as well as a returning Fellow of EODIAH, she is a dedicated scholar of medieval Islamic art and material culture, exploring the intersections of art, history and culture and bringing to the forefront artistic traditions of understudied regions and time periods to bridge gaps in scholarship.

RSVP: [email protected]

Image: Door Knockers with a Kufic inscription, Bronze, 883-84 CE (Habbarid Dynasty of Sindh), Findspot – archaeological ruins, al-Mansura, Sindh, National Museum Islamabad, Pakistan
Photo credit: Fatima Esmail