You could order a similar painting or prints from this web site.

~

1. “If sea-going dhows were of Arabic origin, why are the names of the parts
of the ship, rigging, ship handling, etc. in Farsi, even today?”

‘If” is the operative word.

To the best of my knowledge dhows are mostly associated with Arabs.
However Arabs as we know them today are relative new comers to the middle
East, the Arab peoples having as far as I can tell lived mostly in
historical obscurity until about 1000 years ago.
Prior to that there were many great civilizations in the region including
the Persians.
For long centuries Persian has been a prestigious cultural language.
Farsi, still widely spoken was for a long period the cultural language of
the middle and far East rather as Latin then French now English was / is in
Western civilisations.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persian_language
Certainly Persians would have built and sailed dhows which probably answers
your question.
Even today many Persians are quite offended to be referred to as Arabs

This type of vessel seems to have evolved very gradually and over a very
long time scale, at least 1700 years, I would guess double that.
Although today associated with Arabs, to my eye the basic hull shape has a
vaguely ‘ancient Egyptian’ look to it.
We do know quite a bit about dhows, they appear in may stories and
illustrations and were undoubtedly widely built and dispersed through the
Arabian Seas and Indian Ocean.
My guess would be that early European navigators entering the Arabian Seas
would not have differentiated between local people rather as all Europeans
were ‘white men’ to American Indians.
We also know at least as far back as the time of King Solomon of Israel
ships were trading with India and beyond Chinese ships reach Africa at least
as early as 500 C.E. .
There are Jews in India claiming decent from King Solomon’s sailors and we
know the ancient Israelites like the Greeks were great traders with
settlements through out the ancient world, for example they had colonies in
Bordeaux before the Roman’s arrived.

2. “If dhows were trading in the Indian Ocean “since the time of King Solomon,” and the Portuguese ships didn’t arrive in the Indian Ocean until the 14th Century, is it possible that the ornate transom stern was copied from the baghlahs by the Europeans, instead of the other way ’round?“ 

It is of course possible the Europeans copied large ornate sterns from
the dhows however I think that very unlikely.
All the historical evidence I have read and seen suggests that type of stern
evolved in Europe from the need to build fighting castles onto the Cogs,
Hulks, Carrack of early Europe which in turn were mostly descended from
Scandinavian Round and Long ships. In turn those ships evolved into the
Caravels, Galleons Race Galleons and others that lead directly to the ship
designs of the 17th to 19th centuries
It is possible the large ornate sterns evolved independently however from
what I’ve seem so far the evidence suggests the Baglah type of dhow evolved
under Portuguese influence.
The intrusion of the Portuguese into the Indian Ocean was in many ways a
profound shock for the local sea farers. The Portuguese ships at that time
were much superior to the local craft, more strongly built and much better
armed.
I guess you appreciate, there are many other types of dhow.
Please also note, I was careful not to claim dhows were used by the sailors
of King Solomon.
I wrote: “Almost since time immemorial, for sure as far back as King Solomon
of Israel, large wooden ships have sailed the Indian Ocean and Arab seas”.

Thanks for 2 good questions, I hope my answers are clear and helpful.
If you find our more I’d be delighted to be copied in.

You could order prints of commission a similar painting via this web site…

Your page is available at http://www.winsornewton.com/community/featured-artists/gordon-frickers/?lang=gb

You may of course be aware, Winsor & Newton are a state of the art company who have been making artists materials since about 1820 including for one of the greatest artists of all time, one of my great hero’s JMW Turner.

The page needs some refining. Main thing is it exists!

~

Meanwhile I have much painting and marketing of my art to get on with.

Including finding a buyer for the unique Olympic games “Going for Gold” painting of Ben Ainslie.

~

I’m planning a visit to England with my car late April early May.

Dates will be settled very soon.

~

MJC centre, 13 Rue de la Republique T: +33 (0) 5 63 54 20 67 – 27th January at 20.30 price 8 to 11 Euros.

The concert will feature typical songs from the 11^th to the 15^th centuries of the region.

This will include Latin, Hebrew, Ladino and Arab music, carols of  l’Occitan traditional Jewish – Spanish and or Tunisian, songs of the synagogue and or courtly songs or love.

The theme is one of peace hence the title “Pax, Shalom, Salem”

Le concert “Pax, Shalom, Salam est compose de

chants médiévaux en latin, en hébreu, en ladino et en

arabe. Les trois musiciens revisitent un patrimoine

musical très ancien (des 1l’ et 15, siècles). Chants de

Pèlerinage, Noël occitane, traditionnels judéo-espagnols

ou tunisiens, chants de la synagogue ou d’amour courtois.

Le spectateur est appelée d partir sur les chemins

d’occident pour faire route jusqu’en orient, avec les

musiciens voyageurs.

Car les musiciens par leur goût de la rencontre et de

L’échange, ont toujours été vecteurs de dialogue et de paix.

C’était vrai au moyen-age, c’est encore vrai aujourd’hui !

D’ou le titre de ce concert « Pax, Shalom, Salam ».

Marion G0MBES : chant

Jodel GRASSEI: luth

Elina JEUDI : violon – flûte

Approaching England HMS Pickle off Mounts Bay on course for Falmouth is in the later phase of sketch and research.  

~

This copy of this well known HMS Pickle painting is going to Cornwall and will be beautifully remarqued. 

Nelly’s Brochure    

The famous schooner HMS Pickle is of course featured on this web site.

Much of her history is featured here on this web site and makes a good read plus we still have a few copies left of the stunning and best selling print “I have urgent dispatches“.

“Reference to a presentation on HMS Pickle, could i ask you a few questions,
Do you know the max speed and cruising speed of the schooner and when was the name officially changed?”

~

Je vous (tu) souhaite une très bonne année 2012

‘Tis not the gales but the set of your sails that determines the way you go ~AnonIn France people who have not met for a while still wish each other happy new year, une très bonne année, some times as late as in February.

French etiquette, manners, are some what different to English good manners.

On the whole French people acknowledge people they know rather more than the British do.

I have often seen people cross a square just to say ‘bonjour’ and shake hands rather than pass by a friend or acquaintance.

In most shops there are polite little rituals before and after being served.

Adhering to them is considered courteous.

There is an etiquette attached to the Gallic kiss on the cheeks, some thing most British and Americans are blissfully unaware of so constantly get ‘wrong’.

The French realise they are ‘foriegners’ so are always courteous about this not remarking on the minor blunders.

If you are interested in French etiquette, manners, there are sources on the Internet to guide you.

Happy New year to you.

I rather like the French, most still believe in the old revolutionary cry of ‘Liberty, fraternity, egality, vive la France in 2012.