Art from the Islamic civilization : from the al-Sabah Collection, Kuwait Catalogue entries : Manuel Keene, Salam Kaoukji ; photography : Muhammad Ali
Publication details: Milano; Skira, 2011. Description: 331 p.: ill., map.; 28 cmISBN: 9788857212906Other title: from the al-Sabah Collection, KuwaitSubject(s): Art -- Private collections | Art islamique Expositions | Exhibition catalogs | Art, Islamic | Decorative arts, Islamic -- Middle East -- ExhibitionsLOC classification: N 6264 | .C87 2011| Item type | Current library | Call number | Status | Date due | Barcode |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Books | Vitali Hakko Kreatif Endüstriler Kütüphanesi | N 6264 .C87 2011 | Not for loan | 013707 |
In July 1975, Sheikh Nasser Sabah Ahmed al-Sabah showed his wife, Sheikha Hussah Sabah al-Salem al-Sabah, a splendid enamelled glass bottle dating from the Mumluk period (Egypt or Syria, 14th century), the first object of Islamic art he had acquired during one of his travels. It marked the start of an extraordinary adventure that mingled intelligence, love, research, curiosity and farsightedness. In eight years of concentrated and passionate work, the couple collected about 20,000 works of art, including masterpieces, many of which are deserving of study for the way they shed new light on techniques and little-known aspects, or intriguing pieces whose provenance has yet to be unravelled. On the occasion of the Kuwait's National Day in February 1983, Sheikh Nasser and Sheikha Hussah offered their country the inestimable gift of the permanent loan of their collection to the National Museum of Kuwait. This volume illustrates 300 from among the most beautiful objects in the Collection and, for those exploring the Islamic world for the first time, describes its culture and art on a chronological (from the early days to the great 16th-century empires) and thematic basis (calligraphy, geometric decoration, arabesques and figurative art). Lastly, there is a section dedicated to jewels, for which the collection is renowned worldwide
Published to accompany an exhibition
"Itinerary of the exhibition 'al-Fann: Art from the Islamic civilisation.' Palazzo Reale, Milan, 21 October 2010 - 30 January 2011, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, 22 March - 19 June 2011"--Page [7]
Foreword / Hassah Sabah al-Salem al-Sabah
Introduction
Islam
The art of Islam
Catalogue. The origins of Islamic art
8th to 10th centuries ; Variety in Islamic art
11th to 13th centuries ; Expressive maturity
14th and 15th centuries ; The apogee of the great empires
16th to 18th centuries ; Calligraphy in Islamic art ; Geometry in Islamic art ; The arabesque in Islamic art ; The figurative in Islamic art ; The jewelled arts ; Islamic coinage