Blair, Sheila

Islamic arts by Jonathan Bloom( Book )

28 editions published between 1997 and 2013 in 4 languages and held by 1,949 WorldCat member libraries worldwide

In this comprehensive survey, the authors highlight those characteristics that connect the various arts of all the Islamic lands, without minimizing the differences. Dividing the time into three periods: 600-900, 900-1500 and 1500-1800, they set the artistic development in each era within its historical context and use art as a window into Islamic culture. Written in an accessible style, and illustrated throughout with photographs, maps and plans, the book captures the essence of Islamic culture as expressed in its buildings, books and applied arts, and provides an introduction to the subject for both the student and the general reader

The art and architecture of Islam 1250-1800 by Sheila Blair( Book )

32 editions published between 1994 and 2002 in English and held by 1,817 WorldCat member libraries worldwide

They discuss, for example, how the universal caliphs of the first six centuries gave way to regional rulers and how, in this new world order, Iranian forms, techniques, and motifs played a dominant role in the artistic life of most of the Muslim world; the one exception was the Maghrib, an area protected from the full brunt of the Mongol invasions, where traditional models continued to inspire artists and patrons. By the sixteenth century, say the authors, the eastern Mediterranean under the Ottomans and the area of northern India under the Mughals had become more powerful, and the Iranian models of early Ottoman and Mughal art gradually gave way to distinct regional and imperial styles

Islam : a thousand years of faith and power by Jonathan Bloom( Book )

17 editions published between 2000 and 2004 in English and held by 1,283 WorldCat member libraries worldwide

Historians Jonathan Bloom and Sheila Blair provide a comprehensive and accessible overview of the origin of this extraordinary religion, culture, and belief system that often has been misunderstood in the West. In its first thousand years, while Europe suffered through the Dark Ages, Islamic civilization flourished in a string of glittering cities such as Cordoba, Fez, Cairo, Istanbul, Baghdad, and Samarqand. Muslims expanded the boundaries of human knowledge in literature, art, science, and medicine. Bloom and Blair tell the remarkable story of Islam's rise to world prominence, from its revelation to Muhammed and its extraordinary spread within a century of the Prophet's death, through its golden age of empire and the forging of a rich new culture, to the changes it experienced after the Mongol invasions of the thirteenth century

The Grove encyclopedia of Islamic art and architecture( Book )

13 editions published in 2009 in English and held by 599 WorldCat member libraries worldwide

"Deals with all aspects of Islamic art and architecture ranging from the Middle East to Africa to Central, South, and East Asia and includes entries on artists, rulers, writers, ceramics, sculpture, metalwork, painting, calligraphy, textiles, and more"--Provided by publisher

Islamic calligraphy by Sheila Blair( Book )

21 editions published between 2006 and 2008 in English and held by 577 WorldCat member libraries worldwide

"This book is an important contribution to a key area of non-western art, being the first reference work on the art of beautiful writing in Arabic script." "The extensive use of writing is a hallmark of Islamic civilization. Calligraphy, the art of beautiful writing, became one of the main methods of artistic expression from the seventh century to the present in almost all regions from the far Maghrib, or Islamic West, to India and beyond. Arabic script was adopted for other languages from Persian and Turkish to Kanembu and Malay. Sheila Blair's groundbreaking book explains this art form to modern readers and shows them how to identify, understand and appreciate its varied styles and modes. The book is designed to offer a standardized terminology for identifying and describing various styles of Islamic calligraphy and to help Westerners appreciate why calligraphy has long been so important in Islamic civilization." "The argument is enhanced by the inclusion of more than 150 colour illustrations, as well as over 100 black-and-white details that highlight the salient features of the individual scripts and hands. Examples are chosen from dated or datable examples with secure provenance, for the problem of forgeries and copies (both medieval and modern) is rampant. The illustrations are accompanied by detailed analyses telling the reader what to look for in determining both style and quality of script."--Jacket

Images of paradise in Islamic art by Sheila Blair( Book )

13 editions published in 1991 in English and held by 460 WorldCat member libraries worldwide

Gifts of the Sultan : the arts of giving at the Islamic courts by Linda Komaroff( Book )

7 editions published in 2011 in English and held by 407 WorldCat member libraries worldwide

Rivers of paradise : water in Islamic art and culture( Book )

5 editions published in 2009 in English and held by 344 WorldCat member libraries worldwide

For millennia the collection, distribution, and symbolism of water have played pivotal roles in the lands where Islam has flourished. This book is the first to address this important subject. A diverse spectrum of scholars covers a wide range of topics: from the revelation of Islam in the 7th century to todayʹs conservation and development issues, from watering oases in the Moroccan desert to the flooded plains of Bengal. Copiously illustrated with beautiful color photographs and newly drawn plans and maps, this book will provoke readers to appreciate and acknowledge the essential, if often invisible and transitory, roles that water played in the arts of the Islamic lands and beyond

Epic images and contemporary history : the illustrations of the great Mongol Shahnama by Oleg Grabar( Book )

9 editions published in 1980 in English and held by 341 WorldCat member libraries worldwide

Islamic inscriptions by Sheila Blair( Book )

17 editions published between 1996 and 1998 in English and held by 338 WorldCat member libraries worldwide