This publication, a superb ‘work of art’ in itself, comprises over 650 colour illustrations and includes a number of works that have never been exhibited before, such as a detailed panoramic water colour of Mecca, painted in 1843, which is the earliest known visual record of the Holy City. Covering both religious art and secular art, from architecture to decorative arts to rare manuscripts of the Holy Qur’an, art lovers will be thrilled by the diversity and depth exhibited within these pages.
Most of the pieces photographed have been shown in exhibitions around the world and are finally brought together into this magnificent catalogue. This book illustrates not only the remarkable beauty of Islamic art itself but also the degree to which it, and the societies which produced it, have enriched the world as we know it. An appreciation for beauty connects all cultures and by making these rare pieces accessible to anyone seeking the beauty of Islam, The Arts of Islam hopes to contribute to a broadening of understanding between cultures and faiths.
Forty years in the making, The Nasser D Khalili Collection of Islamic art comprises some 20,000 works and is one of the most thoroughly researched and published in the world. It encompasses the entire history of Islamic art from its beginnings in the 7th century until the present day.
Professor J.M. Rogers – Fellow of the British Academy; Honorary Curator, Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art; Former Deputy Keeper of the Department of Oriental Antiquities, British Museum, London; inaugural Nasser D. Khalili Chair of Islamic Art and Archaeology, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London; specialist in many aspects of Islamic culture and history, especially Seljuk and Ottoman arts
Rudolf Abraham – Former Deputy Curator, Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art, London
Manijeh Bayani – Specialist in Persian and Arabic epigraphy; contributor to most of the catalogues in the Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art series
Deborah Freeman – Former Assistant Curator, Al-Sabah Collection, Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah, Kuwait; specialist in Arabic and Persian manuscripts
Roberta Marin – Assistant Curator, Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art; tutor of the post-graduate Diploma in Asian Art, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London
Dr Pedro Moura Carvalho – Former Deputy Director, Art and Programs, The Asian Art Museum, San Francisco; specialist in Mughal art and European contributions to the arts of India, Iran, Japan and China post 1500
Nahla Nassar – Curator and Registrar, Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art and the Hajj and the Arts of Pilgrimage Collection; special interest in the history of Islamic pilgrimage-related textiles
Charlotte Schriwer – completed a PhD in Islamic History at the University of St Andrews in Scotland, and holds an MA in Islamic Art and Archaeology from the School of Oriental and African Studies. She was employed as assistant to the Curator of Islamic Collections at the Chester Beatty Library in Dublin, and was the Sydney coordinator of The Arts of Islam: Treasures from the Nasser D Khalili Collection exhibition, at the Art Gallery of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia.
Tourism Development & Investment Company [TDIC]; [A revised and expanded edition of the book first published in 2007] 28 x 24cm; 400 pages; English and Arabic editions; with over 650 colour illustrations; hard cover – out of print
