The appearance of Muhammad in Arabia in the year 610 had no effect whatever on art in Arabia and no common single homogenious Islamic style is to be found from India to the Straits of Gibraltar. All kinds of influences, in accordance whit local conditions, are evident such as for example, Antique, Early Christian, Byzantine, Phoenician, Hebraic, Babylonian, Assyrian, Persian, Egyptian, and even Indian influences. These together whit what remained of Arabian art, combined whit their own original contributions, were all formed into one whole one single new style.
As the pictorial reproduction of men and animals was forbidden by the Islam religion, Islam art was obliged to confine itself to geometric and vegetable Ornament. This command however appear to have been promulgated in the later periods of Islamism and to have originated in the fanatism of the Mohammedan priesthood, for animal ornaments have been found which date from more ancient times. There is a general absence of plastic work in Islam art, the moslims appear to have had no understanding for this class of work.
For information about this subject link for a large two part documentary to google video ….
