Customer Reviews

Palace and Mosque: Islamic Art from the Middle East

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Tim Stanley is one of the world's authorities on Islamic art and his depth of knowledge enhances this visually stunning book. Created as a catalogue to accompany a traveling exhibition by the same name that visited the United States in 2004, the myriad works included in this fascinating volume are from the Victoria and Albert Museum, perhaps the finest collection of artifacts and art from the Middle East.

Though many readers will be familiar with the mosques and minarets decorated with the complex geometric designs that have graced art and culture books for years, of greater interest are the 'unknown aspects' of Islamic art. Here are reproduction photographs of astrological clocks, objects of art in ceramics and lusterware, wondrous carpets and the variations of the patterns and designs so important to art history, as well as pages of calligraphy and Arabic scripts.

In a time when controversy shrouds appreciation of Islamic culture, this book becomes even more important in broadening our knowledge and appreciation of a culture and world of art too little known to us. Recommended. Grady Harp, December 05

Magnificent Islamic art from the Victoria and Albert Museum is currently on display at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. The exhibition, "Palace and Mosque," is a spiritual experience of stunningly beautiful art-- worth a return trip to see again. The book accompanying the exhibition-- with its delicious array of high-resolution, photographic reproductions-- reveals the full splendor of Islamic art as it offers a perpetual feast for the eye.