For centuries, trading caravans made epic journeys across the Saharan sands to reach the markets of the legendary city of Timbuktu, where they traded salt, gold, slaves, textiles, €”and books. By the mid-fifteenth century, Timbuktu had become a major center of Islamic literary culture and scholarship. The city's libraries were repositories of all the world's learning, housing not only works by Arab and Islamic writers but also volumes from the classical Greek and Roman worlds and studies by contemporary scholars.The astonishing manuscripts of Timbuktu form the lavish visual heart of this book. Beautifully graphic, occasionally decorated, these exquisite artifacts reveal great craftsmanship as well as learning. All were written in the Arabic script, but not all are in Arabic, for they also feature a range of local African languages.Aside from scholarly works, the surviving manuscripts include a wealth of correspondence between rulers, advisers, and merchants on subjects as various as taxation, commerce, marriage, divorce, adoption, breastfeeding, and prostitution, providing a vivid insight into the ordinary life and values of the day.

This groundbreaking book examines portable art collections assembled in the courts of Greater Iran in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Made for members of the royal families or ruling elites, albums were created to preserve and display art, yet they were conceptualized in different ways. David Roxburgh, a leading expert on Persian albums and the art of the book, discusses this diversity and demonstrates convincingly that to look at the practice of album making is to open a vista to a culture of thought about the Persian art tradition. The book considers the album's formal and physical properties, assembly, and content, as well as the viewer's experience. Focusing on seven albums created during the Timurid and Safavid dynasties, Roxburgh reconstructs the history and development of this codex form and uses the works of art to explore notions of how art and aesthetics were conceived in Persian court culture. Generously illustrated with over 175 images, many rare and previously unpublished, the book offers a range of new insights into Persian visual culture as well as Islamic art history.

A publication of the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., in association with University of Washington Press, Seattle, c1988. Beautiful color plates show highlights of this historic collection.

This delightful notebook portrays the cultural influences that led Mohieddin Ellabbad to become one of Egypt's finest illustrators. These pages offer readers of all ages rare insight into the history and traditions of Arabic literature, and how Arabic writing is an integral part of the image in the Arabic pictorial tradition. First published in French in 1999 as Le carnet du dessinateur, this book reads right-to-left (as does the original Egyptian versio), and includes all of the original Arabic calligraphy, with English translations in the margins.

This volume is a catalog of a major exhibition held at the Musée Rath, Geneva, in 1985 and was published in association with the Musée d'art et d'histoire, Geneva. Each piece is beautifully photographed with extensive notes on its significance. Chapters on Private Collectors and Islamic Arts of the Book; The Arts of the Book; and Lacquer, Oil-paintings and Later Arts of the Book comprise a substantial portion of this volume.

Three stories from the Khamseh (a Perian masterpiece written during the last thirty years of the twelfth century A.D.) - "Khosrow and Shirin," "Layla and Majnun," and "The Seven Princesses" appear here in abridged prose, illustrated by a wide-ranging series of Iranian miniatures which have become some of the most beloved motifs of Iranian pictorial arts.

Published in honour of Basil W. Robinson, Keeper Emeritus of the Victoria and Albert Museum and a key contributor to the growing scholarly interest in Persian miniatures for over 50 years, this book contains both personal appreciations of his work and a bibliography of his writings. The contributions cover Persian painting from Ilkhanid to Qajar times, and include material from Turkey, Central Asia, and India.

Full color plates of Safavid miniatures that illustrate such Persian literary classics as The Shah-nama of Firdawsi, Collected Works of Mir 'Ali Shir Nawa'i, Diwan of Hafiz, Khamsa of Nizami, and Haft Awang of Jami.

Paintings and manuscripts (color, as well as black and white plates) from throughout the Arab lands, Ottoman Turkey, Iran, and India from the collection of an Isma'ili Shi'a Muslim, Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan, the younger son of the late Sultan Sir Mohammad Shah.

Extensive explanatory texts accompany full-page color plates and black and white photographs. Published in co-operation with The British Library.

"Most historians are agreed that the European playing cards are of Oriental and according to some, more specifically, of Saracenic origin," but that "not a single pack of Arabic playing cards has ever come to light." So begins L. A. Mayer's paper on Mamluk Playing Cards that details the "almost complete pack of cards which is exhibited to-day (1939) in the Treasury of the Top Kapu Saray in Istanbul." Mayer's original paper included only 10 illustrations, and received little notice due to the advent of World War II. That situation is rectified with the publication of this book, which also includes two other early playing card sets among its 57 black and white figures and 5 color plates.

In this exquisite oversized volume spanning 1200 years of history, celebrated scholar Professor Nasser D. Khalili (called "the cultural ambassador of Islam"), presents a benchmark visual history of the peoples, the cultures, and the artworks that have defined the Islamic world. The material culture of the Muslim people is arrayed here, ranging from huge architectural projects to minutely detailed miniature paintings, exquisitely patterned silk textiles and bold calligraphy. The oversized format of this volume includes foldouts, a compass card, and other creative devices which immerse the reader in the magnificent sweep of the arts of Islam in a unique and accessible way. Diverse developments throughout the Islamic world are compared simultaneously across time and place, and specific objects and buildings seen in the light of key events in Muslim history. From calligraphy to carpets, armor to architecture, this book voluptuously reveals the immense heritage handed down through Islamic artists over the centuries and examines their relationship to their Western peers.

From the supreme confidence of the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem to the scores of exquisite buildings of Ottoman Istanbul; from the extraordinary virtuosity of Persian painting in the fifteenth century to the vivid ceramic tradition of Ottoman Iznik, Hillenbrand does justice to both the highlights and the ongoing evolution of the full range of Islamic arts. Supported by a glossary of Islamic terms, a time line, and maps, this book traces the architecture, calligraphy, book illumination, painting, ceramics, textiles, and metalwork of a vastly accomplished and influential civilization.

In spite if its astonishing impact upon the modern world, the civilization of Islam is still Terra Incognita for many in the West. The thirteen contributors to this volume, all eminent specialists, aim to remedy that situation. Chapters on Islamic art and architecture, Cities, Islamic literature and Islamic music treat artistic themes directly, but art is used throughout to illustrate this very readable introduction to the World if Islam.

This volume is a catalog of a major exhibition held at the Musée Rath, Geneva, in 1985 and was published in association with the Musée d'art et d'histoire, Geneva. Each piece is beautifully photographed with extensive notes on its significance. Introductory and thematic essays cover such topics as the Aesthetics of Islam, Private Collectors and Islamic Arts of the Book, Lacquer, Oil-paintings, Ceramics, Metalwork, Arms and Armour, Carpets and Textiles, Architectural Ornament and Decorative Arts, and the Art of Islamic Coinage.

Tells of Islamic art which represents an area stretching from Spain to India, a culture which unites scores of disparate peoples and a time-span of a thousand years. This second edition includes: Early Islamic art, The Abbasid period, Art in Persia until the Mongol conquest, Spain, Egypt and North Africa until c. 1200, Mesopotamia: tenth to thirteenth centuries, Persia: the Mongol period, Syria and Egypt: Twelfth and thirteenth centuries, Later Islamic art in North Africa, Spain and Sicily, The Seljuks of Rum, The Ottoman Turks. Persian art: the later fourteenth and early fifteenth centuries, and The later Safavid age.

Beautifully translated from the 1976 French Edition, this 9-lb. volume includes 1,118 illustrations, 174 of which are full page color plates. Author Papadopoulo was a Sobonne professor and Director of the Centre d'Esthetique de l'Art Musulman in Paris. An extensive Glossary, Notes, Bibliography, and Index, are preceded by a Lexicon whose sections include Political Figures and Holy Men, Theologians and Mystics, Philosophers and Scientists, Historians and Geographers, Poets and Prose Writers, Painters, Calligraphers, and Architects throughout history.

This exquisitely and extensively illustrated book allows readers to identify those elements and themes that define art forms as Islamic, and to examine them in works of painting and metalwork, in calligraphy and manuscripts, ceramics, glass, wood, and ivory comprising one of the most imposing collections of arts from across the Muslim world. Arranged thematically--in chapters focusing on religion and belief, the supernatural and natural worlds, feasting, the hunt, war, music, and power--Islamic Art in Detail provides a much-needed cultural context for these widely varied works while pointing out exceptional features.

An introduction to The al-Sabah Collection, this book was written to commemorate the opening of the new Museum of Islamic Art in the Kuwait National Museum in 1983. The book is rich with images of objects from the collection and a descriptive text that explains the origins of the collection and the museum. The Museum's current website is at: http://darmuseum.org.kw/dai/about/kuwait-national-museum/

Based on a loan exhibition from the al-Sabah Collection, Kuwait, organized by the Trust for Museums Exhibitions, Washington, D.C. in 1990, this volume's introductory chapter on "Patronage in Islamic Art" is followed by a chronological depiction of the development of art in Kuwait.

The Islamic invasions of India brought in an influx of ideas and concepts that led to an exciting new synthesis of cultures – the Turkish, the Persian, and the Indian. By the 16th and 17th centuries, Mughal ateliers, workshops, and builders had ushered in an age of true splendour. Islamic, and especially Mughal, art tells a tale of kings and nobles who, while they conquered and ruled, also devoted their energies to the pursuit of excellence in the arts.
This special Marg publication pays homage to a remarkable cultural synthesis which took place over a period of 600 years. Profusely illustrated, it projects with scholarly perception one of the most interesting periods of India’s artistic history. (Publisher's description)

Five essays explore aspects of aesthetics in classical Islamic thought in light of contemporary theories, offering new perspectives on Islamic art and architecture with examples ranging from the Qur'an and the Alhambra to the works of present day artists and philosophers. Valerie Gonzalez balances her analysis of this philosophy (moral, logical, and scientific) of beauty with the equally important analysis of the perceptual experience of beauty.

"Doris Behrens-Abouseif's book provides a panorama of the concepts of beauty in classical and post-classical Arabic culture through the 15th century, drawing on Arabic texts from philosophy, theology, mysticism, poetry, and literary criticism as well as historiographic sources and tales from the Thousand and One Nights."--BOOK JACKET.

Modern Arab Art provides a historical and theoretical overview of the subject from the 1940s through today. Author Nada Shabout recognizes the important distinction between Arabic art and Islamic art, and views them as overlapping rather than synonymous subjects. Central in her investigation are questions of colonialism, Orientalism, class, and the duality of tradition and modernity. Shabout also offers a penetrating analysis of the use of the Arabic letter, a major trend in modern Arab art.

Color plates of some of the spectacular pieces amassed late in Charles Lang Freer's life, when 'he collected in areas not yet in vogue with the avowed purpose that the works of art he possessed serve to awaken our people to the importance of the Eastern civilizations as cradles of learning and beauty.'

In this beautifully illustrated book, Wijdan Ali (painter, art historian, and lecturer at the Institute of Diplomacy, Amman, Jordan) offers a historical survey of the development of modern painting in the Islamic world from the 19th century to the present. She provides background on dominant artistic traditions before 1900 as well as an evaluation of the loss of traditional aesthetics under the impress of Western culture. Ali also explores the persistence and reemergence of calligraphic art as an expression of national artistic identity, and hers is the first book to consider in depth the modern calligraphic school. Her discussion incorporates the historical, political, social, and economic factors that brought about artistic and aesthetic changes in the region.

Co-Published by Harry N. Abrams (New York) and the Smithsonian Institution Press (Washington, DC), this volume includes beautiful color photographs that depict Turkish history, architecture, the art of the book, ceramics, and rugs and textiles.

Persian art, with its detailed ornamentation, color, floral decoration, and intricate craftsmanship, includes some of the most beautiful works of art ever created. This book discusses the art of Persia in all its variety, relating it to the political and economic issues of the time.

For the first time a broad overview is taken of the various art forms throughout Jordan’s history, rather than the country being regarded strictly chronologically or geographically. This volume includes chapters on sculpture, pottery, applied arts, mosaics, writing, traditional costume and folk jewelry. Neither architecture nor coins have been treated separately, although architecture is included in the introductory chapter on the archeology and history of Jordan. Color photography throughout.

From 1250 to 1517 C.E., "the Mamluk sultans established a formidable empire, ruling Egypt, Syria, and Palestine, their frontiers extending from southeastern Anatolia to the Hijaz and incorporating parts of Sudan and Libya. Soon after coming to power, they defeated the Mongols and expelled the last of the Crusaders from the Near East. Trade and agriculture flourished under Mamluk rule, and Cairo, their capital, became one of the wealthiest cities in the Near East and the center of artistic and intellectual activity." (p. 12). This volume highlights Mamluk illuminated manuscripts; metalwork; glass; ceramics; woodword, ivory, and stone; textiles and rugs; and illustrated manuscripts with beautiful color photography and extensive text.

This book examines where women have represented themselves in art, architecture, and the written word in the Muslim world. The authors explore the gendering and implicit power relations present in the positioning of subject and object in the visual field and look specifically at occasions when women publicly adopted the stance of the viewer, speaker, writer, or patron. - Bookjacket

This book brings a new approach to the study of the arts of the Middle East. By dealing in one volume with dance, music, painting, and cinema, as experienced and practiced not only within the Middle East but also abroad, Images of Enchantment breaks down the artificial distinctions - of form, geography, 'high' and 'low' art, performer and artist - that are so often used to delineate the subjects and processes of Middle Eastern artistic culture. The eighteen essays in this book cover themes as diverse as Bedouin dance, the music of Arab Americans, cinema in Egypt and Iran, Hollywood representations of the Middle East, and contemporary Sudanese painting.

Historian and ethnomusicologist Sherifa Zuhur has once again commissioned and edited authoritative essays from noteworthy scholars from around the globe that explore the visual and performing arts in the Middle East. What differentiates this volume from its predecessor is its investigation of theater, from the early modern period to the contemporary. Topics include race and national identity in Egyptian theater, early writing in the Arab theater in North America, Persian-language theater from its origins through the twentieth century, Palestinian nationalist theater, and a survey of the work of noted Egyptian playwright Yusuf Idris. Other aspects of the arts are not neglected, of course, as further avenues of dance, music, and the visual arts are explored.

"The transformation of Islamic architecture and ornament during the eleventh and twelfth centuries signaled profound cultural changes in the Islamic world. Yasser Tabbaa explores with exemplary lucidity the geometric techniques that facilitated this transformation, and investigates the cultural processes by which meaning was produced within the new forms. Iran, Iraq, and Syria saw the development of proportional calligraphy, vegetal and geometric arabesque, muqarnas (stalactite) vaulting, and other devices that became defining features of medieval Islamic architecture. "--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

This book explores how collecting and scholarship in the field of Islamic Art developed between c.1850 and c.1950, the period when the intellectual foundations for the study of Islamic art were established. Stephen Vernoit outlines the formation of collections, the role of exhibitions, museums and libraries, the growth of the art market, and the emergence of scholarship.

This volume is the result of an international conference held at Uppsala University in 1992. Internationally well-known scholars analyse new aspects on the challenging theme of Islamic art and culture in Sub-Saharn Africa (which has not hitherto been paid the attention it merits), with special attention to art, architecture, archaeology and aesthetics. The anthology gives an overview of the present state of research and identifies unexplored areas for further studies. The articles are well illustrated with photographs, drawings and maps.

Based on the Arts of the Hausa exhibition held at the Commonwealth Institute, London, Apr.-June 1976.

Written in 1976, this highly readable volume is very broad in scope, covering Islamic art, architecture, literature, music, science, warfare, Iran, Turkey, and India, all in one volume. A Chronological Chart of Islam and excellent bibliography are included. Large black and white and color illustrations are used throughout.

This opulently illustrated book describes and illustrates the fascinating ways that imported art objects inspired improvements and new variety in Italian decorative arts. From Italian textiles featuring Islamic and Asian motifs to ceramics and glassware that reflected Syrian techniques and ornamental concepts, this book gives an extraordinary view of the influence of imported Oriental goods in Italy over three crucial centuries of artistic development. Rosamond Mack traces Italy's emerging decorative arts tradition as she discusses textiles, ceramics, glass, bookbinding, and metalwork; she also considers how Italian painting reflects trans-Mediterranean trade and travel. Painters represented carpets and ceramics from the East in their works, as well as textiles with bands of writing replicating or suggesting Arabic script, negotiating cultural differences in their borrowings. Mack provides useful summaries of the history of Renaissance decorative arts and presents a balanced and carefully researched view of the controversial topic of East-West artistic exchange.

This opulently illustrated book describes and illustrates the fascinating ways that imported art objects inspired improvements and new variety in Italian decorative arts. From Italian textiles featuring Islamic and Asian motifs to ceramics and glassware that reflected Syrian techniques and ornamental concepts, this book gives an extraordinary view of the influence of imported Oriental goods in Italy over three crucial centuries of artistic development. Rosamond Mack traces Italy's emerging decorative arts tradition as she discusses textiles, ceramics, glass, bookbinding, and metalwork; she also considers how Italian painting reflects trans-Mediterranean trade and travel. Painters represented carpets and ceramics from the East in their works, as well as textiles with bands of writing replicating or suggesting Arabic script, negotiating cultural differences in their borrowings. Mack provides useful summaries of the history of Renaissance decorative arts and presents a balanced and carefully researched view of the controversial topic of East-West artistic exchange.

Chalky blues, sultry ochres, imperial reds, 1,000 Tiles dazzles with the brilliant color and design that has adorned even the farthest reaches of the world down through the centuries. From Mesopotamian to Post-modern examples, each exquisite tile or tile plate is presented in rich color and matched with a profile describing its origin, history, symbolism, and decorative motifs, as well as providing information on techniques such as fire glazing and dust pressing. Arranged by period and style, this comprehensive book makes it easy to access tiles from any era or movement.

Shows a selection of plates from Arabic art from the monuments of Cairo since the seventh century until the late eighteenth century.

You really CAN'T tell a book by its cover! Forty colored plates, each plate containing from 8 to 20 reproductions, illustrate approximately 600 examples of ornaments from Ancient Egypt, Syria, Turkey, Persia, Bokhara, Samarkand, Chinese Turkestan, India, Siam, China, Japan; and from those of the Tartars, the Siberian peoples, the Lapps, the Kirghiz, the Turcomans and the peoples from the Pamir Plateau. 12 pages of Introduction and Details of Plates preface this book.

"Ever since the discovery of the existence of seventeen space groups in two dimensions by Fedorov in 1891, it has been speculated that all seventeen could be found in Islamic art. But it is in this book that this remarkable fact is for the first time detailed and analysed, with beautiful illustrations. Rarely is there such a thought-provoking blend of esthetics and geometry with abstraction." - C N Yang. Abas and Salman have assembled a fascinating collection that combines art, history, culture, science, mathematics and philosophy. Their examples range from a 12th-century minaret in Uzbekistan via the Alhambra in Granada to modern computer graphics of Koranic calligraphy on dodecahedrons and tori. They conclude by speculating on the prospect of creating Islamic patterns in virtual reality, where 'a seeker after unity in science and art would be able to submerge himself or herself in exquisite Alhambras of the mind'. Judging by the evidence presented here, it would be an unforgettable experience. With a Foreword by Michael Atiyah - New Scientist

"Ever since the discovery of the existence of seventeen space groups in two dimensions by Fedorov in 1891, it has been speculated that all seventeen could be found in Islamic art. But it is in this book that this remarkable fact is for the first time detailed and analysed, with beautiful illustrations. Rarely is there such a thought-provoking blend of esthetics and geometry with abstraction." - C N Yang. Abas and Salman have assembled a fascinating collection that combines art, history, culture, science, mathematics and philosophy. Their examples range from a 12th-century minaret in Uzbekistan via the Alhambra in Granada to modern computer graphics of Koranic calligraphy on dodecahedrons and tori. They conclude by speculating on the prospect of creating Islamic patterns in virtual reality, where 'a seeker after unity in science and art would be able to submerge himself or herself in exquisite Alhambras of the mind'. Judging by the evidence presented here, it would be an unforgettable experience. With a Foreword by Michael Atiyah - New Scientist

Media coverage of the Danish cartoon crisis and the destruction of the Buddhas of Bamiyan left Westerners with a strong impression that Islam does not countenance depiction of religious imagery. Jamal J. Elias corrects this view by revealing the complexity of Islamic attitudes toward representational religious art. Aisha's Cushion evaluates the controversies surrounding blasphemy and iconoclasm by exploring Islamic societies at the time of Muhammad and the birth of Islam; during early contact between Arab Muslims and Byzantine Christians; in medieval Anatolia and India; and in modern times. Elias' inquiry then goes further, to situate Islamic religious art in a global context.

Known as an expert on Islam, Sufism, and Islamic arts & crafts, Burckhardt presents in-depth analyses of seminal examples of Islamic architecture, from Spain and Morocco to Persia and India. He examines Quranic calligraphy and illumination, arabesque, carpets and rugs, Persian miniatures, and much more in this beautifully color illustrated volume.

It is laid down in the Qur'an that at least once in their lives, Muslims should undertake the annual spiritual pilgrimage - the Hajj - to the holy city of Mecca. There, within a sanctuary, lies the Ka'ba - a cube of black granite that is the literal center of a Muslim's world and the compass point towards which daily prayers are made. This striking little book not only takes the reader on a journey, but celebrates the skill and creativity of artists, craftspeople, and the pilgrims themselves who have responded to the call of Hajj over the centuries. It features illuminated manuscripts, wall paintings and photographs, calligraphy, textiles, scientific instruments, decorative tiles, maps, ceramics, metalwork, and powerful works by contemporary artists.

Based on an Exhibition entitled "The Here and the Hereafter" held at the Hood Museum of Art at Dartmouth College, this volume contains beautiful photographs that accompany essays such as "The here and hereafter in Islamic religious thought," by A. Kevin Reinhart, "Popular Islamic perceptions of paradise gained," by Gene R. Garthwaite, "Reflections of paradise in Islamic art" and "The Catalogue of the exhibition," by Walter B. Denny, and "Designing the exhibition," by Charles W. Moore.

Although oil painting is not native to Persia, the patronage of the Qajar family (who ruled Persia from about 1780 to 1925) and some of their wealthier subjects produced vividly hued oil paintings of Royalty and other subjects, including modestly-clothed women and girls (somewhat rare previously in Persian art). Beautiful full-color plates from the Amery collection fill the latter part of this volume.

This book presents the history and development of Islamic pottery through ninety selected vessels and tiles, displayed in 100 beautiful photographs. Early Islamic and Fatimid period luster wares are represented by outstanding vessels, and a large dish showing an enthroned ruler dating from the 14th century is found in the early Persian section. The Ilkhanid period is represented by many rare items, matched by a wide variety of previously unstudied Timurid vessels.

Sir Alan Barlow's original extensive collection of Islamic pottery was scattered across five museums, but appear here together with several key photographs from other collections, added in order to represent the full breadth of Islamic Pottery. Extensive notes on each period are accompanied by color and monochrome photographic plates.

Beautiful color photographs are interspersed throughout these chapters: Early Ottoman ceramics; Iznik blue-and-white; Iznik and Khutahya; Iznik evolves; The peak of perfection; Iznik, China and the western world; The collapse of the kingdom; Later.

This volume focuses on pottery of the Timurid period
(c. 1370-1505), which is named after Timur, or Tamerlane, a ruler of Turco-Mongol origin, who established a dynasty
over Iran and Afghanistan. The painted motifs of Timurid pottery evolved from Chinese blue and white porcelain.
The authors used a combination of stylistic and petrographic analyses which allowed them to discern where and when each piece included here was created. Petrographic analysis identifies the pottery's origins by examining the nature of the minerals and rock inclusions found within each of the ceramic pieces. The authors conclude by envisioning the ceramic industry during this period and placing Timur pottery within the larger context of Islamic ceramics. Black and white photographs throughout, with color plates at the back of the book.

Raqqa, in Syria, had its first Islamic flowering in the late 8th century, when it was the residence of the legendary Abbasid caliph Harun al-Rashid. Interest in the city was kindled in the West in the late 19th century, by, among other things, the publication of the Arabic literary classic The Thousand and One Nights, in which Harun al-Rashid was a central character. At the same time, ceramics purportedly connected to the legendary caliph were excavated in Raqqa. Speculation about the site and the objects unearthed there has abounded for more than a century. In this important volume, Marilyn Jenkins-Madina describes the dramatic journey these ceramics took from discovery in Raqqa to the emporiums of Paris and New York, the drawing rooms of great collectors, and The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Using art historical detective work, archival documents, and scientific data, the author convincingly establishes provenance and dating, placing these beautiful wares in a clear historical context for the first time.

The ancient city of Nishapur in northeast Iran was actively excavated from 1935-1940 by the Iranian Expedition of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The great quantity of pottery uncovered is treated extensively in this volume, with chapters on: buff ware, color-splashed ware, black on white ware, polychrome on white ware, slip-painted ware with colored engobe; opaque white ware and its imitations; opaque yellow ware; ware with yellow-staining black; monochrome ware; Chinese wares; alkaline-glazed ware and its molds, and unglazed ware. Some color, and extensive black and white photographs.

This is a survey of Islamic ceramics from ninth-century lustre-ware, 16th- and 17th-century blue and white to 17th-century "Gombroon Ware". The pieces illustrated are mainly from Turkey and Iran. Color photographs throughout.

The Nuhad Es-Said Collection of Islamic metalwork is one of the finest in private hands. It contains examples of bronzes and brasses inlaid with gold, silver and cooper from 6th/12th and 7th/13th Herat and 7th/13th century Mosul, from Ayvubid Syria, Saljuk Anatolia, the Mamluk empire and the Dehli sultanate, and from Il-Khanid, Timurid and Safavid Iran. An extensive introduction puts the collection in its social and artistic context; followed by the catalogue which describes and discusses each piece in detail and includes color plates.

Arranged chronologically, pieces from each time period are generally introduced, and then specific pieces are featured in black and white (sometimes color) photographs that explain and describe each piece in detail.

Included in The Crown Jewels of Iran are chapters on imperial regalia, arms of conquest, warrior's treasure, an imperial connoisseur, Jiqas, of sport and war, from the imperial household, jewellry, and the Great Globe. The collection of Crown Jewels of Iran is one of the world's greatest gem collections, and this tome shows photos of some of the world's largest and most historic diamonds, gems, and priceless jewelled artworks such as the great jewel-studded Globe of the World (pp. 140-143), and the Peacock Throne (pages missing from this copy). The Darya-i-Nur (p. 53) is of particular interest as it is one of the world's largest diamonds (and the world's largest pink diamond).

For centuries, the design woven into Oriental rugs and the distinctive artistry of each rug-weaving area has reflected an uninterrupted cultural and historical tradition. Following a history of rug making and an explanation of the techniques and materials used, the characteristics of Persian, Turkish, Caucasian, Turkmen, Indian, Chinese, and European rugs and tapestries are richly illustrated and described through 300 color plates and an authoritative text.

Sumptuous and breathtakingly beautiful Iranian textiles from the Victoria and Albert Museum's unrivaled collection are displayed in this beautiful book. One title in a successful series, Iranian Textiles presents more than 200 examples produced during the first half of the 19th century, with close-up photographs that reveal the unique woven, printed, and embroidered designs.

Turkoman carpets were made in deserts and steppes in Central Asia, on the eastern shores of the Caspian Sea, in the oases of Turkmenia and the villages along the banks of the Amu Dara, and some of them even in the ranges of the Hindu Kush. Turkoman carpets, with their severe geometric forms and wide variety of red hues aroused the interest of Europeans only a few decades ago; the Turkoman population never exceeded more than about one million and almost all their rugs were made for their own use. Within the small proportion of the total that has survived, this book examines the ornaments, colors, and weaving techniques particular to each tribe, which represent an incredible amount of ornamental variety.

This study is one of the most comprehensive studies to date on the Kashmir twill-tapestry shawl, woven from the fine undercoat of the Himalayan Shawl-goat. The author's careful research has produced an excellent history of the Kashmir shawl trade and its designs, shown in both color, and black and white, photographs.

Translated from German, this comprehensive work approaches the study of oriental carpets from the perspective of "Carpet Studies," which includes their depiction and use throughout history, individual 'groups' of carpets, collections in museums all over the world (including carpets in Mosques, and the war losses of the Berlin Museums during World War II). Special issues such as verses in carpets, carpet pairs, and carpets of unusual shape are also treated here, with both color and black and white photography throughout.

This volume includes the identification of oriental carpets by design, materials, structure, and dyes. It addresses valuing carpets, their historical origins and modern copies, and also includes sections on symbolism, and border designs, as well as universal, geometric, and floral designs. Color, and black and white, photographs and diagrams throughout.

The practice of the intricate, ancient arts of embroidery throughout the Ottoman Empire gave rise to splendid representations of flowers in silk and gold. With sumptuous colour photography throughout, Flowers of Silk and Gold examines the history of the various stitches, fabrics and designs employed, and gives an engrossing insight into an unfamiliar though much-fantasized world.

A thorough, illuminating guide to the Arabic alphabet and writing styles that throughout the centuries has been linked to the secular and religious worlds of Islam. The history and meaning of each letter of the alphabet is given, as well as its cultural, religious and philosophical significance. Profusely illustrated, this volume shows that Arabic script is both an art form and a means of communication.

This attractive book covers the origins and development of various scripts, the six styles of cursive writing, and includes numerous black and white photographs of Islamic calligraphy in both historic and modern settings.

This book is the catalogue of an exhibition of The Asia Society, New York, and includes Kufic and other scripts from all over the world. Helpful explanatory ext accompanies a color or black and white photograph of each entry.

Although only the second half of this book focuses on islamic calligraphy, this beautifully designed book presents such beautiful specimens as the 14th-century Syrian glass bottle decorated with Arabic thuluth characters. Essays and individual entries provide historic background, stylistic analysis, and translation. The layout shows a fine balance between text and plates/details. -from Library Journal

From mosques to markets, from citadels to cemeteries, this text is a survey of the entire field of Islamic architecture. Although Islamic buildings may make an immediate visual impact, it can be useful to know something of the society which they serve. This text relates the architecture to the social areas of religion, power structure, commerce and communal life, placing emphasis on function and meaning rather than on style and chronology. The text contains photographs, drawings and plans that highlight the variety of building type and design. Building materials, techniques, and principles of decoration are also described and explained, and a comprehensive inventory of the key buildings of the Islamic world concludes this study.With a complete survey of key monuments and 758 illustration, 112 in color.

This beautifully conceived and produced survey of Islamic architecture explores the glorious world of the caravansarai, mausoleum, palace, and mosque. Focusing on the multifaceted relation of architecture to society, Robert Hillenbrand covers public architecture in the Middle East and North Africa from the medieval period to 1700. Extensive photographs and ground plans -- among which are hundreds of newly executed three-dimensional drawings that provide an accurate and vivid depiction of the structure -- are presented with an emphasis on the way the specific details of the building fulfilled their function. Included are chapters on religious and secular architecture and the architecture of tombs. Here the student or historian of Islamic architecture will find an astonishing resource, including Maghribi palaces, Anatolian madrasas, Indian minarets, Fatimid mausolea, and Safavid mosques, each rendered in lavish illustrations and explained with incomparable precision.

This small, concise paperback depicts the architecture of the Timurids, Safavids, India's early Sultanates and Mughal Empire, and the Ottomans with illustrations and color photographs.
Whitney Library of Design; History of Architecture, No. 7.

This book includes chapters on the role of calligraphy and geometry, as well as a social and geographical overview of contemporary mosques. Beautiful full-page color photographs.

In August 1969 a firebomb was set off in the al-Aqsa Mosque in the heart of one of the holiest places in Jerusalem. A devastating blaze severely damaged the thousand-year-old building's interior and reduced one of the jewels of Islamic art - the Minbar of Saladin - to ashes. An extraordinary piece of craftsmanship, the Minbar, or pulpit, had been installed by Saladin in the mosque on his triumphant recapture of Jerusalem from the Crusaders in 1187. Made of 16,000 pieces of intricately carved wood, adorned with ivory and ebony, it was widely acknowledged as a pinnacle of Islamic design and woodcarving. This book on the Minbar's reconstruction tells of the quest to fathom the principles of Islamic sacred geometry and to decipher how the Minbar's complex patterns were created, followed by a worldwide search for materials and for craftsmen who still possessed the necessary skills.

An architectural historian and practising urban designer aims to raise understanding of traditional buildings in the Arab-Islamic world, and reveals the problems faced by historic cities in the light of Western influence.

Published by Yale University Press Pelican History of Art. Virtually all the masterpieces of Islamic art - the Alhambra, the Taj Mahal, and the Tahmasp Shahnama - were produced during the period from the Mongol conquests in the early thirteenth century to the advent of European colonial rule in the nineteenth. This beautiful book surveys the architecture and arts of the traditional Islamic lands during this era. The authors describe over two hundred works of Islamic art of this period and also investigate broader social and economic contexts, considering such topics as function, patronage, and meaning. The authors conclude with a provocative essay on the varied legacies of Islamic art in Europe and the Islamic lands in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

The most complete visual record of this profound monument ever published. Stunning photography with informative essays.

Fez: City of Islam is undoubtedly one of Titus Burckhardt's masterpieces. It conveys a profound understanding of the sacred roots that nourish Islamic culture and civilisation. In Fez: City of Islam, Burckhardt writes of the history of a people and their religion. The book relates the teachings, parables and miracles of many centuries and demonstrates not only the arts and crafts of Islamic civilisation, but also its sciences and administrative skills. Burckhardt's unique black and white photographs from the 1930's, and 41 new color illustrations are included.

The Dome of the Rock, the beautiful Muslim shrine in the walled Old City of Jerusalem, was fully restored to its original state in the last half-century. This book tells the story of the Dome of the Rock, from the first fateful decades of its creation, to its modern acquisition of different and potent meanings for Muslim, Christian, and Jewish cultures.

The history of the area now known as Iran, but often still referred to as Persia, spans millennia, boasting a rich and complex artistic and cultural legacy. Iran: The Art and Architecture of Persia, presents its readers with archaeological landscapes, monuments, sculptures, carpets, and dazzling ornaments and art objects from this stunning artistic milieu. Scarcia and Curatola write in an engaging, refreshingly accessible manner, catering both to specialists and to novices wishing to immerse themselves in this captivating region and its art. Dynamic and absorbing, this book and its over 200 color photos will take readers on a virtual tour of this region and the art it has produced over the centuries.

This is a study in vernacular architecture covering the Middle East and North Africa, particularly concentrating on the interaction between religion and society on the one hand and building practice and city planning on the other. Using various sources, some of which date back to the fourteenth century, the author convincingly contends that building and urban development accomplished within the Arabic-Islamic cultural framework achieved a high level of sophistication.

This is the first book-length study of the art and architecture of the Fatimids, the Ismaili Shi'i dynasty that ruled in North Africa and Egypt from 909 to 1171. The Fatimids are most famous for founding the city of al-Qahira (Cairo) in 969, and their art; particularly textiles and luster ceramics, but also metalwork and carved rock-crystal, ivory and woodwork; has been admired for nearly a millennium. In this engaging and accessible book, Jonathan M. Bloom concentrates on securely dated and localized examples of Fatimid art and architecture. His discussions focus on significant examples and are illustrated with over 100 photographs, many in color, and extensive notes and bibliography provide guidance for further reading and research.

This book examines the architectural tradition which developed with the religious culture of Islam. Essentially heir to the Roman development of space, it had its source in the ubiquitous courtyard house, while the development of the mosque as both place of worship and the centre of the community, its form a response to the requirements of prayer set out in the Koran, was given a range of forms as the conquests of Islam came up against the traditions of Egypt, Persia, India and China. The architecture of Islam encompasses a high proportion of the world's most beautiful buildings. This book covers the whole range in unprecedented breadth and depth.

Once one of the largest cities in the world, Isfahan is an ancient metropolis that sits across timeless trade routes. It became the glittering capital of Iran’s greatest dynasty, the Safavids, during the 16th century. Shah Abbas I (1587–1629) in particular helped to transform it into a city rich in art, cultural wonders, and architecture rich in form and surface decoration. This astounding survey provides a history of the city from its earliest days up through the early 20th century and features dozens of color, and black and white, photographs, engravings, and examples of the tilework and architecture from across the centuries that make Isfahan the cultural crown of Iran.

Winners of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture are presented, as well as essays which include: "Islamic philosophy and the fine arts," by Mushin S. Mahdi; "Symbols and signs in Islamic architecture," by Oleg Grabar; "Conservation of the historic environment for cultural survival," by Dogan Kuban; "Islam, urbanism, and human existence today," by Mohammed Arkoun; "Islamic architecture and the poor people of Islam," by Mahbub Ul-Haq; "Urban housing in the third world : the role of the architect," Charles Correa; "Changing roles and procedures in the design of public buildings," by Mona Serageldin and François Vigier; "On recreational and tourist complexes," by Yasmeen and Suhail Lari; "On educational facilities," by Ismail Serageldin; "On mosque architecture," by Nader Ardalan. Beautiful black and white and color photography.

Written by a Professor of the History of Architecture at Istanbul Technical University, these scholarly volumes focus on "The Mosque and its Early Development," in Part 1, and the development of Mosque architecture by regions, and religious architecture other than mosques, including religious memorial and tombs of Holy Men, Madrasas, and the Muslim 'convent' (ribat, khanqah, and zawiya) in Part 2. Black and white photographic plates are included. (Iconography of religions. Section XXII, Islam. fasc. 2 & 3. Institute of Religious Iconography. State University Groningen)

Celebrates the vibrant and sophisticated arts of urban Senegal and provides an in-depth look at Senegalese art forms related to the Islamic movement known as Mouridism (Murīdīyah). Extensive notes and a bibliography are included, as are gorgeous insightfully captioned color images.

Despite its extraordinary richness, Islamic architecture has rarely been studied for its conceptual and symbolic significance. In this volume, Nader Ardalan and Laleh Bakhtiar examine the architecture of Persia as a manifestation of Islamic tradition and demonstrate the synthesis of traditional Persian thought and form. The most fundamental principle of Sufism, the inner, esoteric dimension of Islam, is that of unity in multiplicity. This view sees in every aspect of reality a reflection of a transcendent source which is given symbolic expression through all of man's activities, most directly and importantly through his works of art. The Sense of Unity is illustrated with photographs, drawing, charts, and tables which are an integral part of its argument and which exemplify, in abundant and striking detail, the principles discussed in the text.

This book details the architectural history of Istanbul with both black and white and color photographs.

From Agra to Cordoba, wonderful profusions of pattern (such as plant forms, geometries, starbursts) are portrayed here in brickwork, mosaic, stucco and ceramic. Four successive approaches to Islamic architectural ornament are presented in this richly illustrated book: the historical viewpoint; materials and techniques; ornamental designs; and the aesthetics of ornamentation. Beautiful color photography throughout.

From Agra to Cordoba, wonderful profusions of pattern (such as plant forms, geometries, starbursts) are portrayed here in brickwork, mosaic, stucco and ceramic. Four successive approaches to Islamic architectural ornament are presented in this richly illustrated book: the historical viewpoint; materials and techniques; ornamental designs; and the aesthetics of ornamentation. Beautiful color photography throughout.