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.

Since the 7th century, Islamic artists, artisans, architects and craftsmen have attempted in their work to reflect their beliefs and cultural values in the most beautiful way they can in every medium and material available to them. A subject that spans a millennia-and-a-half and covers every walk of life in every corner of the globe is no easy thing to distil for children, but Mary Beardwood has succeeded in making it fun as well as factual, exciting as well as educational. Following her successful title, A Children's Encyclopaedia of Islam, Mary's new book invites her young (and old) readers into a fascinating world in a way that will inspire them to delve deeper. Aimed at a readership age of eight years and above, Discovering Islamic Art simply and concisely introduces the fundamental elements of this huge subject - calligraphy, arabesques and geometric patterns. It also features painting, pottery, architecture, astrology, landscapes and cityscapes, woodwork and metalwork, arms and armor, science and inventions, manuscripts and books, and every page is generously illustrated. With each topic is included an activity sheet to encourage further engagement, to help children have fun and to remember more. The book is designed not only to appeal to young readers, but with parents and teachers in mind. The hard cover makes for a long life, and the disguised wiro binding facilitates the photocopying of the activity sheets so that many pupils can simultaneously enjoy them. There are links to websites and further reading, a map showing the Islamic dynasties; each spread poses questions - all of which are answered by closer examination of the illustrations. This book is not only entertaining and educational but, in this age of cultural divergence and religious misunderstandings, goes a long way to helping children understand the world of Islam and appreciate its artistic treasures.

The two-volume Companion to Islamic Art and Architecture bridges the gap between monograph and survey text by providing a new level of access and interpretation to Islamic art. The more than 50 newly commissioned essays revisit canonical topics, and include original approaches and scholarship on neglected aspects of the field. This two-volume Companion showcases more than 50 specially commissioned essays and an introduction that survey Islamic art and architecture in all its traditional grandeur Essays are organized according to a new chronological-geographical paradigm that remaps the unprecedented expansion of the field and reflects the nuances of major artistic and political developments during the 1400-year span The Companion represents recent developments in the field, and encourages future horizons by commissioning innovative essays that provide fresh perspectives on canonical subjects, such as early Islamic art, sacred spaces, palaces, urbanism, ornament, arts of the book, and the portable arts while introducing others that have been previously neglected, including unexplored geographies and periods, transregional connectivities, talismans and magic, consumption and networks of portability, museums and collecting, and contemporary art worlds; the essays entail strong comparative and historiographic dimensions The volumes are accompanied by a map, and each subsection is preceded by a brief outline of the main cultural and historical developments during the period in question The volumes include periods and regions typically excluded from survey books including modern and contemporary art-architecture; China, Indonesia, Sub-Saharan Africa, Sicily, the New World (Americas)

The great Islamic Dynasties of the Mediterranean are the protagonists of this book, together with their fascinating artistic and cultural legacy. Thirty-nine scholars, museum curators and experts in cultural heritage, from 14 countries in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East, are the authors of the 22 chapters that take the reader through 13 centuries of Islamic history from the period of the Prophet Muhammad up until the end of the Ottoman Empire (1922). Discover Islamic Art in the Mediterranean is a collaborative work that was written for all those who share our idea that there is not only one history, but that at least as many histories as peoples exist. The idea of this book is to contribute to a historically more accurate and thus more authentic understanding of Islam by offering different perspectives of interpreting history, art and culture. This Book is published to complement the www.discoverislamicart.org Virtual Museum and its cycle of 18 Virtual Exhibitions Discover Islamic Art in the Mediterranean.

"The evolution of book art and painting in the Islamic world is the product of diverse regions and periods. Islamic art flourished in the great cities and centers of learning of the ottoman Turks, the Iranian Qajars, and the later Indian Mughals, spreading across a region that extended from the Atlantic Ocean to China. In this volume, Greg Grabar, a world-renowned specialist on Islamic Art, introduces a wide range of illuminated manuscripts from the 8th to the 17th century, placing them in their temporal and spatial context as well as identifying the main centers of artistic creation. Illuminated manuscripts of the Koran, epic poetry, and scientific works are accompanied by a text explaining the subject, describing it particular visual features, and highlighting its artistic qualities. The working methods of the artists and calligraphers are reconstructed. [...] In the book's final section the author turns towards the key moments in history, society, faith, devotion, and other aspects of the Islamic world which are represented in the images." -- Book jacket.

The Middle Ages were a period of tremendous cultural and scientific advancement in the Islamic Empire—ideas and inventions that shaped our world. Did you know that: • The numbers you use every day (Arabic numerals!) are a Muslim invention? • The marching band you hear at football games has its roots in the Middle East? • You are drinking orange juice at breakfast today thanks to Islamic farming innovations? • The modern city's skyline was made possible by Islamic architecture? The Muslim world has often been a bridge between East and West, but many of Islam's crucial innovations are hidden within the folds of history. In this important book, Bryn Barnard uses short, engaging text and gorgeous full-color artwork to bring Islam's contributions gloriously to life. Chockful of information and pictures, and eminently browsable, The Genius of Islam is the definitive guide to a fascinating topic.