Palace and Mosque Islamic Art from the Middle East

by Stanley, Tim

• ISBN13: 9780810965621
• ISBN10: 0810965623
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2004-08-10
• Publisher: Victoria & Albert Museum

Summary

The arts of Islam, a great and ancient culture, are presented here in all their astonishing richness and diversity. From the Middle East came the earliest astrological clocks, the finest ceramics and lusterware, the development of calligraphy and Arabic scripts, and the intricate craft of carpet-weaving, among many other profoundly significant cultural developments. This cradle of empires was also a vibrant commercial center, exporting raw materials, skills, and techniques to surrounding lands and spreading its web of influence from southern Spain to northern India. This beautifully illustrated book provides a fascinating introduction to Islamic art and culture, drawing from the world-famous collections at the Victoria and Albert Museum. It accompanies an exhibition touring to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., and the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth.

Author Biography

Tim Stanley is Senior Curator of the Middle Eastern collections at the V&A.

Table of Contents

Introduction : a sense of geography	p. 7
Prayer, time and space	p. 14
What is Islamic art?	p. 17
The Sasanian inheritance	p. 20
The art of the Qur'an	p. 26
Textiles and burial	p. 32
The non-Muslim presence	p. 38
The Isfahan cope	p. 40
The issue of images	p. 43
A Safavid clock dial	p. 46
The Chelsea carpet	p. 54
An Ottoman tradition in Calligraphy	p. 60
Khusraw and Shirin	p. 66
The Ardabil carpet	p. 74
The poetic environment	p. 77
Ivories from Spain	p. 80
Hoards	p. 88
Patrons and markers	p. 91
A rock-crystal ewer	p. 94
The minbar of Sultan Qa'itbay	p. 100
The luck of Edenhall	p. 108
Interaction	p. 111
Caskets and hunting horns	p. 114
A bowl from Malaga	p. 120
Silver and brass	p. 126
Armistice day, 1918	p. 132
Epilogue : Islamic art in South Kensington	p. 134
Robert Murdoch Smith	p. 136
The dynasties	p. 138
Table of Contents provided by Blackwell. All Rights Reserved.