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Nasser D Khalili
The Timeline History of Islamic Art and Architecture by Professor
Nasser D. Khalili, to be published by Worth Press in November 2005,
is a major new work which provides a comprehensive overview of the
arts of Islam for the general reader. Never before has there been
a publication that brings every aspect of this vast subject together
both geographically and chronologically. Through its ingenious format,
The Timeline History of Islamic Art and Architecture presents the
magnificent sweep of the arts of Islam in an attractive and accessible
way.
The Islamic era began in the year 622 AD with the Hijra (or emigration)
of the Prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Medina. Within little more
than a few decades of the Prophet's death in 632, Islam had already
spread to territories stretching from the Atlantic to the China
Sea and from North Africa to the frontiers of Siberia and, within
a few centuries, sizeable Muslim communities had been established
across an even wider area. Civilisations of very different religious,
historic and artistic backgrounds were thus united under Islam.
The culture of the Muslim peoples is accordingly rich and varied,
encompassing vast architectural projects, minutely detailed miniature
paintings, exquisitely patterned silk textiles and bold, sophisticated
calligraphy.
The term 'Islamic art' broadly describes works produced by Muslim
artists for Muslim patrons. 'Islamic' does not imply that the art
is exclusively religious in content or use, indeed a significant
portion is secular. It is 'Islamic' because its artistic vocabulary
is partly rooted in Muslim philosophical thought and shaped to some
extent by the spirit and doctrines of the Muslim faith. This is
why it can be discussed as a whole in spite of the wide geographical
area in which it was produced and the fact that Muslim artists and
architects have been influenced and enriched by the artistic traditions
of the other cultures with which they came into contact.
Paramount in importance and status is calligraphy and the role it
played both as an art form in its own right and in the decoration
of other art works and buildings. As the medium through which the
Qur'an was recorded, the Arabic script acted as a spiritually unifying
factor. Another important characteristic of Islamic art is the extensive
use of scrollwork, arabesques, geometric motifs and interlace patterns.
However, contrary to popular assumption, figural imagery also plays
an important role in Islamic art. Although Islamic traditions prohibit
the representation of human beings and animals in a religious context,
the rule does not extend to secular art. It is misconceptions such
as this that this publication will help to dispel.
Until now, histories of the art of Islamic lands have either been
very general or highly focused on particular regions or types of
artifact, so that a whole range of books has needed to be consulted
to fit the vast jigsaw puzzle together. In The Timeline History
of Islamic Art and Architecture, the 16 spectacular pages of the
Timeline itself present a chronological overview of the major developments
in Islamic art and architecture and enable the reader to see at
a glance what was happening in the different countries of Islam
during the same period. The Timeline is divided into five main geographical
regions: North Africa and Spain; the Middle East (Egypt, Syria,
Palestine, Iraq and the Arabian Peninsula); Asia Minor (Turkey);
Iran and Central Asia (including Afghanistan and the Central Asian
Republics); and the Indian subcontinent. This arrangement is based
both upon regional styles of art and architecture and spheres of
political power as they stood until the late 19th/early 20th centuries
and does not take account of modern national boundaries. Dates are
presented according to both the Islamic and Western calendars. Diverse
developments throughout the Islamic world can be compared simultaneously
across time and place, and specific objects and buildings seen in
the light of key events in Muslim history. The publication has more
than 750 colour images showing the magnificence of Islamic architecture
as well as exquisite objects, the majority from The Khalili Collection,
one of the world's most important and comprehensive private collections
of Islamic art.
Following the Timeline are fourteen lavishly illustrated chapters
devoted to architecture and to individual arts -calligraphy, Qur'an
manuscripts, miniature painting, bookbinding, lacquer, pottery,
glass, metalwork, scientific instruments, jewellery, arms and armour,
carpets and textiles, and coins. The Timeline History of Islamic
Art and Architecture also contains a section devoted to the histories
of the major dynasties of the Islamic world, with lists of the most
important rulers. A four-page gatefold map gives the locations of
historical and cultural sites, and the Muslim calendar and dating
system are explained. The main text is supplemented by a glossary
of key Islamic and art historical terms, a list of the major collections
of Islamic art in museums, galleries and private collections throughout
the world, suggestions for further reading, and an index. Finally,
in a pocket at the back of the book is a rotating wheel, on one
side of which the reader can see landmark achievements of Islamic
art and on the other find key facts about the modern Islamic nations.
Professor J.M. Rogers, Honorary Curator of The Khalili Collection,
formerly of the British Museum and the School of Oriental and African
Studies, University of London, notes in his foreword: "It is time
to turn to the achievements of Islamic culture, notably to the art
and architecture of Islam, which over the centuries has contributed
no less than Islamic science to the West. "The present overview
for the interested non-specialist, taking account of both the history
and geographical range of Islamic cultures, is thus timely. It will
be read with profit by anyone anxious to discover more of the major
contribution of Islam to the history of world culture."
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Professor Nasser D. Khalili is a graduate, Associate Research
Professor, and Member of the Governing Body at the School of Oriental
and African Studies, and Honorary Fellow of the University of London.
DETAILS
English Version
Published by Worth Press Limited
186 pages; fully illustrated in colour, gatefold map, glossary and index
37.2 x 25.4 cm
hardback with dust jacket (slip-cased)
1-903025-17-6
2005
£25/$50
THIS PUBLICATION WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE THROUGH OXBOW BOOKS BUT VIA
WORTH PRESS LIMITED (worthpress@aol.com)
Arabic Version
186 pages; fully illustrated in colour, gatefold map, glossary and index
37.2 x 25.4 cm
hardback with dust jacket (slip-cased)
1-874780-89-7
2007
£25/$50
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