PUBLICATIONS

By Nasser D. Khalili, b.W. Robinson and Tim Stanley

With more than 500 examples of Islamic lacquer - predominantly papier-mâché wares with painted and varnished decoration - the Khalili Collection is probably the largest of its kind.

The most characteristic forms are the bookbinding, the pen box, the casket and the mirror case, but the Collection contains examples of other forms, such as spectacle cases, fans, and a splendid backgammon table.

The material published in Part One offers an opportunity to follow the history of Islamic lacquer from the late 15th century onwards, in centres as far apart as Istanbul and the Muslim courts of India.

At the same time, the development of the decoration, from the Chinese-influenced ornament of the early years to the Europeanizing styles of the 19th century, can be traced with ease.

The Collection contains works by almost every known lacquer painter, including Muhammad Zaman, 'Ali Ashraf, Muhammad Sadiq, Abu Talib al-Mudarris and Lutf 'Ali Khan Shirazi, as well as masters celebrated for work in other media, such as Mu'in Musavvir and Ahmad Nayrizi, and those who are previously unrecorded, such as Muhammad Amin.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Professor Nasser D. Khalili is Honorary Fellow of the University of London and Visiting Professor in the Department of Art and Archaeology at the School of Oriental and African Studies, London.

B.W. Robinson was formerly Keeper at the Victoria & Albert Museum, London; he is an authority on several aspects of Islamic as well as Japanese art and a pioneer in the study of the arts of Qajar Iran.

Tim Stanley is Deputy Curator of the Khalili Collection, and an Ottoman historian who has written mainly on the history of manuscripts and calligraphy .

DETAILS

Part One
276 pages; fully illustrated in colour; line drawings; section with enlarged halftone reproductions of signatures
35.5 x 25.5 cm
hardback with dust jacket (slipcased)
1996 1-874780-62-5
£89 $180

Back to listing