Islamic Arts - (Art & Ideas) by Jonathan Bloom (Paperback)

About the Book

A comprehensive survey that brilliantly captures the essence of Islamic culture.

Book Synopsis

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 Arts brilliantly captures the essence of Islamic culture.

Review Quotes

"Will revive the wanderlust, even of those who have "been everywhere, seen everything"."--New York Times Book Review

"This is a wonderful new contribution, it reflects current scholarship in a easy to read way and demystifies Islamic art."--Catherine Asher, Department of Art History, University of Minnesota

"Islamic Arts is a visual as well as an intellectual treat, a successful collaboration of the best contemporary authors and the best contemporary design."--Walter B Denny, Department of Art History, University of Massachusetts at Amherst

On the Art & Ideas series

"Art & Ideas has broken new ground in making accessible authoritative views on periods, movements and concepts in art. As a series it represents a real advance in publishing."--Sir Nicholas Serota, Director, Tate London

"The format is wonderful and offers what had long been missing in academic studies: usable manuals for specific themes or periods... I am definitely not alone in welcoming Art & Ideas as a precious set of teaching tools."--Joachim Pissarro, Yale University

"Phaidon's series may prove to be the pick of the crop. It boasts expert but undogmatic texts and a wealth of illustrations."--The Sunday Telegraph

About the Author

Jonathan Bloom and Sheila Blair are among the world's leading experts in their field. A husband-and-wife team of scholars, they hold the Calderwood University Professorship in Islamic and Asian Art at Boston College. They are joint authors of The Art and Architecture of Islam: 1250-1800.