Wiley Islamic Art and Visual Culture: An Anthology of Sources

Islamic Art and Visual Culture is a collection of primary sources in translation accompanied by clear and concise introductory essays that provide unique insights into the aesthetic and cultural history of one of the world's major religions. Collects essential translations from sources as diverse as the Qur'an, court chronicles, technical treatises on calligraphy and painting, imperial memoirs, and foreign travel accountsIncludes clear and concise introductory essaysSituates each text and explains the circumstances in which it was written--the date, place, author, and political conditionsProvides a vivid window into Islamic visual culture and societyAn indispensable tool for teachers and students of art and visual culture Review "Recommended. Lower-and upper-level undergraduates; general readers." (Choice, 1 October 2011) "Much-needed and thoughtfully compiled, this anthology of primary sources will be a welcome resource for those who teach Islamic art history." (Book New, 1 August 2011)  From the Inside Flap Islamic Art and Visual Culture is a collection of primary sources in translation that serve as evidence for visual and cultural history. These essential translations are taken from sources as diverse as the Qur'an, court chronicles, letters, technical treatises on calligraphy and painting, imperial memoirs, endowment deeds, legal judgments, foreign travel accounts, and city management manuals. Clear and concise explanatory essays situate each text and explain the circumstances in which it was written -- the date, place, author, and political conditions -- and each object, building, and site is described. The perfect tool for teachers and students of art and visual culture, this powerful and varied collection provides a vivid window into Islamic visual culture and society. From the Back Cover Islamic Art and Visual Culture is a collection of primary sources in translation that serve as evidence for visual and cultural history. These essential translations are taken from sources as diverse as the Qur'an, court chronicles, letters, technical treatises on calligraphy and painting, imperial memoirs, endowment deeds, legal judgments, foreign travel accounts, and city management manuals. Clear and concise explanatory essays situate each text and explain the circumstances in which it was written -- the date, place, author, and political conditions -- and each object, building, and site is described. The perfect tool for teachers and students of art and visual culture, this powerful and varied collection provides a vivid window into Islamic visual culture and society. About the Author D. Fairchild Ruggles is Professor of Landscape, Art, and Architectural History at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Her first book, Gardens, Landscape, and Vision in the Palaces of Islamic Spain (2000), won the Eleanor Tufts Award from the American Society for Hispanic Art Historical Studies. Her most recent book is Islamic Gardens and Landscapes (2008), which won the J.B. Jackson Prize from the Foundation for Landscape Studies. Her edited and co-edited books include Women, Patronage and Self-Representation in Islamic Societies (2000), Cultural Heritage and Human Rights (2007), Sites Unseen: Landscape and Vision (2007), and Intangible Heritage Embodied (2009).