Textile from the Islamic World
Ashmolean Museum
Until 13 June Islamic Art never fails to fascinate with its strong sense of
aesthetics. From pottery to carpets, paintings to architecture,
miniatures to fabrics, there is a vast array of styles. The
aftermath of September 11 has almost totally erased awareness of
this diversity from the popular imagination, replacing it instead
with a rather one-dimensional and bleak idea of the religion.
Media representations of Islam have focused entirely on the
aspect of jihad, adding fuel to the Western misconception that
Islamic culture is devoted to terrorism and oppression. As a
consequence, Islamic culture in the Western imagination is tied
up with nihilism and creative sterility. A new exhibition at the Ashmolean, which is drawn from the
private collection of Lloyd Cotsen, dispels exactly such a
stereotype. Textiles from the Islamic World showcase a small but
wide-ranging selection of textile fragments from Central Asia and
the Near East, spanning the pre- Islamic period of the First
Millennium A.D. to the 17th and 18th century Safavid Persia. This
seems an ambitious timescale to attempt in what is admittedly a
presentation of “traces of textile art, rather than
monumental pieces”. However, the collage-like assembly of
fabric manages to evoke the impression of an elaborate culture in
miniature. Although many fragments are in faded and frayed
condition, the intricacy of the swatch-pattern makes it a small
effort to imagine the original grandeur of the fabrics. They
display brocades, compound weaves, lampas, plain weaves, samite,
tapestry and twill to provide a snapshot of the expansive weaving
styles of Central Asia. There are only two ’whole’ examples of textile,
which is initially slightly disappointing. It is inevitably
somewhat of a barrier when one is seeking to achieve a sense of
perspective. One of the whole pieces is a fuchsia pink Ottoman
Velvet Carpet from 17th Century Turkey. Indeed, as the
centrepiece of the display there is a marked contrast between its
sprawling size and intact nature, and the other framed fabric
pieces, some no more than six inches in width. This is, I think,
the single criticism that can be levelled against the exhibition:
that the tiny scraps of fabric seem more to be swallowed up by
their incongruous frames, than to have their detail of work
complemented. It is a shame for works that have survived the test
of time to be obscured by their presentation. The outstanding features are the fabled ‘Mongol’
cloths of gold. One feels almost a shade of sadness on viewing
the gold threads dispersing an attenuated shimmer through the
small thin material. I certainly mourned the modern age’s
premium on plastic and lycra in lieu of gold and silver. The
brocade incorporates Chinese symbols such as the dragon, fusing
Islamic motifs like vine and floral patterns with a distinctly
Far-Eastern style. This exhibition is a powerful example of how
broad the cultural influence of Islam was in Asia and the diverse
character of its complex culture. It must be seen to be believed.ARCHIVE: 0th week TT 2004 

Shoe Fly Baby, the 2004 Asham Award short story anthology, is
eclectic to say the least. Taking us from a London brothel, to a
cancer ward, to a “utopian” state in which Ritalin is
added to the water supply, these stories reflect a wide range of
human experience. However, I would also argue that they vary in
quality. While some of these stories stand out for their
emotional intensity, stylistic sophistication or, in two cases,
downright strangeness, others are less engaging and even banal.
Nevertheless, the wide variety within this collection makes it an
enjoyable read. The Asham Award, named for the house in Sussex
where Virginia Woolf once lived, aims to encourage new female
writers. One of the questions that this anthology left me with,
however, is whether or not an anthology containing solely women
writers is actually necessary. In addition to revealing their own experience, these authors
are also just as deft at revealing the perspective of men.
Rachael McGill’s ‘Butter Fish Parrot Fish’ shows
us a man carrying his baby daughter into a pub, while Naomi
Alderman’s ‘Gravity’ quite successfully narrates a
man’s entire life in the span of 14 pages. The most
impressive of these efforts to assume a new perspective is
undoubtedly the First Prizewinning story by Victoria Briggs. Set
in a North London brothel, ‘Shoe Fly Baby’ tells the
story of Halim, who stares in awe at a shop window lined with
trainers, and that of Debra, the prostitute who dances for him in
five-inch heels. Repudiating any preconceptions the reader might
have about power relations and victimisation, this story is
strong and unsettling. In my opinion, it resonates quite well
with Francine Stock’s ‘Antechamber’ in which a
cancer patient tells us about her experience with strength,
humour, and not the slightest trace of sentimentality. In a sharp contrast to this, Carey Jane Hardy’s
‘Face to Face’ takes on a tone of deep emotion as a
woman most slowly come to terms with her loss of eyesight.
Selected from over 900 entries, the stories in this collection
are of high quality. And the wide range of stories offered by
Shoe Fly Baby ensures that every reader is likely to find at
least some appealing. While you probably will not like all of the
stories in this collection, it undoubtedly a great way to spend
an afternoon. Bloomsbury, Paperback, £6.99ARCHIVE: 0th week TT 2004 

Martin is a man of destiny – or at least we are assured
as much with mounting insistence throughout Swallowing the Sun.
He has escaped, by dint of stubborn grit, from his brutal
childhood in a Belfast slum, but in his new middle-class
existence he feels awkward and uncomfortable. He is suspicious of
this bourgeoisie to which he suddenly belongs, and is overawed by
money and soft furnishings. Furthermore, he has an old taste for
violence (instilled of course by his father) that is only lying
dormant. And when things in the cosy family unit start to fall
apart, the old horror returns. David Parks makes so much of these tragic totems that you
feel, after a while, like enquiring as to the precise nature of
Martin’s relations with his mother, and whether he has
consulted an oracle recently. But to give away anything much of
the plot would be to spoil the most enjoyable aspect of this
novel. Parks tells a good yarn, and the pace of the narrative mounts
steadily and effectively, even if it seems to lack an ending. But
Parks isn’t content just to say what happens next; he wants to
have a deep and meaningful dialogue with you. Sometimes this
means that he overloads sentences, describing characters’
thoughts with overweight diction, as when Martin has a moment of
reflection in the school hall. However, Parks can show great
sensitivity to the significance of places and objects; a mobile
phone that reappears several times, effectively registers the
shifting boundary between public and private speech in the novel. The objects in Martin’s museum form a lapidary bulwark against
the ravages of time and Martin’s demons. David Parks might
sometimes sound like he’s swallowed a thesaurus rather than the
sun, but he writes compellingly when telling a story and not
thinking about fate. Bloomsbury, hardback, £14.99ARCHIVE: 0th week TT 2004

Ever since Byron immortalised the famous simile “like
dervishes, who turn as on a pivot” in Don Juan, the dervish
has remained an enchanting fixture in the Occidental imagination.
Sari Gul, the only group in Europe trained in the mystical art of
whirling, mesmerised Oxford audiences into a reverie. For two
blissful hours, the Sheldonian metamorphosed into a cosmic
playground. As followers of the Mevleviyya Sufi order, the entire evening
was conducted more as a religious ceremony than as a performance.
Prayers in Arabic and poetry in Persian accompanied the highlight
of the evening, ‘The Dance of the Planets’, which
symbolised the spiritual journey of every human. With one hand
turned upwards to the heavens, and the other down to the earth,
Sari Gul’s white robes bloomed like luminous corollas, as
the whirling gust beneath their garbs guided them to
enlightenment. They mimicked the harmonious play of the planets
above. Each movement was wrought with such hypnotic grace, that every
individual in the audience sat captivated in leaning pose. One
could still feel the constraints of Western classical notation in
a music style that demands improvisation, a legacy of Sari
Gul’s European background. Nonetheless for one night, Oxford
watched philosophy in action. ARCHIVE: 0th week TT 2004

Varsity Women’s Rugby
Oxford 10 – 7 Cambridge For women’s rugby in Oxford, 2004 was a special year, as both
the Blues and Panthers recorded wins on the same day in their
Varsity matches and for the first time won in every encounter
with the Tabs in league and Varsity fixtures. The 17th women’s Blues Varsity match was a sweet victory
for Oxford, having been narrowly defeated in the previous two
encounters. Oxford won the trophy from Cambridge in a
closelyfought game which ended 10-7, tipping the series even
further in the Dark direction – now fourteen wins to
Cambridge’s three. For much of the first half there was little between the teams,
although Oxford had the best of the possession showing
considerably more flair in their game than Cambridge. Relentless
work by lock Charl Harris and the other forwards to retain and
steal possession meant the backs were provided with good ball
which halfbacks Laura McMullen and Rebecca Young exploited well. Following some powerful runs by centre Chris Liciaga and prop
Kate Chidgey, it was only right that shortly before half-time, it
was Oxford who scored first, as full-back Bethan Walsh completed
a penetrating backs move to put the Dark Blues five points clear
before the break. However, the breath-taking speed of the Cambridge full-back
took Oxford by surprise early in the second half, and the Light
Blues ran in an impressive try between the posts, allowing for an
easy conversion which gave them a two point lead. Obviously upset
by this affront, the heavens opened and unleashed a stream of
painful hail on the players which obscured the markings on the
pitch and caused numerous handling errors on both sides as the
pitch became slow and filthy; perfect for the forwards game which
ensued. The Oxford set plays remained solid, with No 8 Jess Gretton
exherting some impressive control. Oxford maintained pressure on
the Cambridge line for around 20 minutes and when the visitors
managed to kick clear, it seemed the chances of an Oxford revival
had disappeared and heads began to drop in the exhausting
conditions. Despite the loss of inspirational captain Zahler Bryan and
prop Katie Smith to injury, the arrival of the fresh legs of
Claire Ferguson and Lizzie Hardwick gave Oxford renewed
determination. In the 76th minute combination of powerful
forwards play and slick backs hands allowed lock Rosie Collins to
push over, regaining a winning three point advantage for the Dark
Blues. Man-of-the- match was awarded to Kate Chidgey on the
occasion of her third Blue. This was the first televised women’s Varsity match, and
with the level of skill on display, one can only hope that the
profile of women’s rugby within, and beyond the university
will rise further. The Panthers had taken to the field earlier in the morning,
and, despite having lost thier entire front row with the game
only twenty minutes old, secured a hard-fought 10-0 win over the
Cambridge second team thanks to tries by scrum-half Sarah-Jane
Hogg and inside centre Helen Taylor. They now lead their ARCHIVE: 0th week TT 2004

Blues Sailing It is not often that the British weather is obliging towards
sporting events. However, the sun shone and a perfect ten knot
breeze blew as over 200 competitors arrived at Chew Valley lake
for the 2004 British University Sailing Association Team Racing
championships. The event, involving vast numbers of University
crews was hosted this year by Bristol University. It is the high
point in the university sailing calendar. and the three days of
racing is some of the most competitive team racing in the
country. Inland Oxford may perhaps not be able to boast such easy
access to open water as some of its opponents, yet this year
three Oxford teams qualified for the event: two mixed teams and
one ladies team. Led by captain of sailing Nikki Catt (Keble)
represented the University proudly. The first day began with threeleagues, and a round robin in
each league. Oxford 1, with a high seeding of sixth working to
their advantage, fought hard and performed excellently on the
first day. They beat all in their league, only falling victim to
first seed Southampton 1. This took them through to the Gold league the next day. The
lower seeding of Oxford 2 meant they had much to do on the first
day, but led by Captain Rob Grieg-Gran, performed excellently,
securing victories against first and second teams and they also
went through to a second day of racing. The favourable weather conditions held for day two, and racing
in the gold league began with warm sunshine and a strengthening
fifteen knot breeze, which built through the day, leading to cut
down sails being called for. Racing at this higher level was very
competitive, with the second, third and fourth placed teams from
each league coming together to fight it out for the remaining
places in the quarter finals. Oxford 2 continued to show their
best form of the season, winning three out of the eight races,
and worrying many more senior teams. Unfortunately, important losses against Southampton 2 and a
very tight loss to Loughborough 1 led to Oxford 2’s exit
from the competition at the end of day two, coming tenth overall.
Meanwhile Oxford 1’s greater experience showed through and
after winning the all important grudge matches against Cambridge
1 and Oxford 2 made it to through the play-offs to the last
quarter final spot. Day Three dawned with very light winds, and
after a short delay racing got under way, albeit frustratingly
slowly. Oxford 1 took their quarterfinal to a nail biting third race
after the first rounds ended one a piece. Eventually, however,
they lost to Bristol 1. Southampton 1 went on to win the event,
defending their title. In the ladies racing Oxford Ladies
performed well on all three days, reaching the semi-finals, but
did not make it beyond this stage.ARCHIVE: 0th week TT 2004