Description: This is the first in a set of four volumes of studies by Oleg Grabar. The articles included represent major contributions to the understanding of the formative centuries of Islamic art, focusing on the Umayyad and Fatimid dynasties in greater Syria and in Egypt, and on the Mediterranean or Iranian antecedents of early Islamic art. Historical, cultural, and religious themes are introduced to help explain how a new art was formed in the central lands of the Near East, and how its language can be retrieved from visual or written sources.
Review Quotes: Prize: Best work in the field of Islamic Studies, World prize for the Book of theYear of the Islamic Republic of Iran 'Ashgate has provided a handsome, well-illustrated production at what, for this rarified material, is a remarkably reasonable price.' CAA Reviews 'This volume is packed with nuggets for the curious.' Saudi Aramco World 'Ashgate Variorum has now acknowledged Grabar's signal contribution to the field with a beautifully produced four-volume collection of his shorter publications. Grabar's former students and numerous other fans will welcome the ready access this matched set affords to scores of Grabar's articles... Even readers broadly familliar with Grabar's variegated contributions to the field will find something new here. In its very thougthful thematic arrangement, this collection presents a comprehensive methodological overview that truly lives up to its series title, Constructing the Study of Islamic Art... All in all, this marvelous collection by a truly memorable man belongs in every serious art history collection.' Religion and the Arts