Islamic Art and Architecture, 650-1250 [Hardcover]

Richard Ettinghausen (Author), Professor Oleg Grabar (Author), Marilyn Jenkins-Madina (Author), Oleg Graber (Author)

Book Description

Series: The Yale University Press Pelican Histor | Publication Date: January 2002

The transformation of a vast area - from central Spain to the delta of the Indus and from the Sahara desert and the Indian Ocean to the Mediterranean, the Caucasus, the Central Asian deserts, and the Hindu Kush - into a land controlled by Islam was accomplished within roughly a century. The traditions of this world were many and diverse, and the historical, political, religious, social and art-historical threads of these varied influences are woven together into an illuminating narrative. This volume presents a historical survey of the period which is based on the wealth of available information and the steps which are being made towards a critical discourse on Islamic art. Within the historical structure, the subject is divided by region, covering architecture, architectural decoration, the art of the book and the art of the object - textiles, ceramics, metalwork, woodwork. The broader impact of Islamic art on the non-Muslim world is also considered. The artistic and social development of identifiable areas, of the people who lived in them and the wealth of different ways of creating a beautiful environment are the focus of this book. It will be richly illustrated and will provide an unsurpassed overview of the origins of Islamic art. It is based on Ettinghausen and Grabar's original text, but has been completely rewritten to take account of subsequent information and methodological advances.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

From the Dome of the Rock to a pair of gold earrings, all manner of art is explored in a new edition of Islamic Art and Architecture 650-1250, which surveys works from Spain, Northern Africa and the Middle East. With new illustrations and an expanded text by the late New York University Institute of Fine Arts professor Richard Ettinghausen, Princeton University Institute for Advanced Studies history professor Oleg Grabar and Metropolitan Museum of Art Islamic art curator Marilyn Jenkins-Madina, the book traces the growth of art centers in Muslim lands and examines buildings, textiles, books, ceramics and other forms.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

This is the second edition of what is probably the standard reference work on Islamic art and architecture, originally written by two of the most eminent scholars in the field and published in the "Pelican" series as The Art and Architecture of Islam, 650-1250. Owing to Ettinghausen's untimely death, the sections on art were reorganized and rewritten by Marilyn Jenkins-Madina, research curator of Islamic art at New York City's Metropolitan Museum of Art. Oleg Grabar rewrote his chapters on Islamic architecture. This edition divides the period into two sections: Early Islamic art, c.650 to c.1000, and Medieval Islamic art, c.1000 to c.1250. Within these divisions, there are three geographic subdivisions Central, Eastern, and Western which are further subdivided into the categories of architecture and architectural decoration, art of the object (as opposed to decorative arts), and art of the book. In the later period, there are some interesting sections on Saljuqs, Artuqids, Zangids, and Ayyubids in Iraq, Anatolia, Syria, Palestine, and Egypt. It is difficult to do justice to this magnificent volume in a short review. It is an authoritative, highly readable, and beautifully produced work that should please specialists and educated readers alike. The photographs are plentiful and clearly reproduced, and many architectural drawings and plans illuminate the topic under discussion. The bibliography and index to the bibliography are very helpful, and notes appear at the end of the book. Highly recommended for academic and larger public libraries. Martin Chasin, Adult Inst., Bridgeport, CT
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Yale University Press; 2nd edition (January 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0300088671
• ISBN-13: 978-0300088670
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.7 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,030,939 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Islamic Art, August 27, 2007

By 

J. Laver "student of architecture" (Southwest USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Islamic Art and Architecture 650-1250 (Paperback)

This book contains the 'nut shell' of Islamic Art and Architecture. There are some plans, and many color photographs. Each project is accompanied by text explaining it and it's cultural significance. For someone who has an interest in the geometries and forms of Islamic Art this book was worth it.