ARTH 391F and 533AB: Islamic Art

This text offers a thematic exploration of both court and everyday Islamic art--from its beginnings until the late seventeenth century--in the Islamic world from Spain to Afghanistan.

Islam, the second largest and the youngest of the major world religions, has changed the world and left its mark on human history since the appearance of the prophet Mohammed in the seventh century. Islam: Art and Architecture follows the historical development and artistic expressions of the Islamic dynasties and regions.

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.

Islamic Arts, a comprehensive survey covering a thousand years, highlights those characteristics that connect the various arts of the Islamic lands without minimizing the differences. The book is divided into three time periods - 600-900, 900-1500 and 1500-1800 - and each section analyses architecture, the arts of the book, decorative and applied arts.

Islamic geometric designs are admired worldwide for their beauty and marvelous intricacy, yet they are seldom understood. In this handsomely illustrated volume, Eric Broug analyzes and explains these complex designs in their historical and physical context.

Here is an historical survey of the development of modern painting in the Islamic world from the 19th century to the present.

Since human representation is forbidden in Islamic religious monuments, design & ornamentation reach unparalleled heights in Islamic tiles, mosaics, stucco, brickwork, & ceramics, enhanced by brilliant color.

This reference work includes articles on the art, history, religion, cultural practices, and political economies of Muslims from the seventh-century in West Asia to today's Muslim societies throughout the continents of Asia, Africa, the Subcontinent, Europe, and the Americas.

Islamic peoples account for one-fifth of the world's population and yet there is widespread misunderstanding in the West about Islam. Francis Robinson and his team set out to address this, revealing with the help of sumptuous illustration, insight, and expertise, the complex and sometimes contrary nature of Muslim culture.