Over the course of ten centuries, Islam developed a rich written heritage that is visible in paintings, calligraphies, and manuscripts. The Islamic Manuscript Tradition explores this aspect of Islamic history with studies of the materials and tools of literate culture, including pens, inks, and papers, Qur’ans, Persian and Mughal illustrated manuscripts, Ottoman devotional works, cartographical manuscripts, printed books, and Islamic erotica. Seven essays present new scholarship on a wide range of topics including collection, miniaturization, illustrated devotional books, the history of the printing press in Islamic lands, and the presence and function of erotic paintings. This beautifully produced volume includes 111 color illustrations and provides a valuable new resource for students and scholars of Islamic art.
Industry Reviews
This handsome, large-format volume presents eight essays written in conjunction with an exhibition of the rich collection of Islamic books at Indiana University. The introductory essay by editor Gruber provides a concise overview of the field from the time of the Prophet Muhammad to the modern period, including general remarks on the important place of calligraphy and painting in books within Islamic culture. Other essays treat topics dealing mostly with the early modern period. Particularly interesting and unusual are essays on Ruth Adomeit's collection of miniature manuscripts and on the miniature volumes in Indiana. Other essays discuss a 19th-century illustrated Turkish prayer manual, the earliest (18th-century) official Turkish printed books, a cartographic volume from the earliest Ottoman press, a 19th-century condensed Shahnama made for a Sikh patron in India, and a late-19th- or early-20th-century amuletic manuscript from northern Nigeria. Because such late manuscripts are less frequently studied by scholars, these essays make a valuable contribution. Noteworthy are the more than 100 color reproductions of very high quality and often-large scale. This book is a pleasure to hold and to read. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-level undergraduates through faculty/researchers; general readers. -Choice
