Art of Islam, Language and Meaning (Library of Perennial Philosophy Sacred Art in Tradition)

Known as an expert on Islam, Sufism, and Islamic arts & crafts, Burckhardt presents in-depth analyses of seminal examples of Islamic architecture, from Spain and Morocco to Persia and India. He examines Koranic calligraphy and illumination, arabesque, carpets and rugs, Persian miniatures, and much more while making illuminating comparisons with Christian, Hindu, and Buddhist art. Beautifully illustrated in color, this masterpiece is presented in a revised, commemorative edition containing 285 new illustrations and a new Introduction. CONTENTS 6 Foreword by Seyyed Hossein Nasr 8 Introduction by Jean-Louis Michon 10 Preface 16 Chapter I Prologue: The Kaʿba 18 Notes to Chapter I 23 Chapter II The Birth of Islamic Art 24 1 The Second “Revelation” 24 2 The Dome of the Rock 25 3 The Umayyads 30 4 Mshattā 32 5 The Great Umayyad Mosque at Damascus 35 Notes to Chapter II 45 Chapter III The Question of Images 46 1 Aniconism 46 2 The Persian Miniature 49 Notes to Chapter III 58 Chapter IV The Common Language of Islamic Art 60 1 Arab Art, Islamic Art 60 2 Arabic Calligraphy 69 3 The Arabesque 79 4 The Sphere and the Cube 90 5 The Alchemy of Light 97 Notes to Chapter IV 102 Chapter V Art and Liturgy 104 1 The Nature and Role of Sacred Art 104 2 The Miḥrāb 107 3 The Minbar 111 4 Tombs 113 5 The Art of Apparel 119 Notes to Chapter V 122 Chapter VI The Art of Sedentaries and Nomadic Art 124 1 Dynasties and Ethnic Groups 124 2 The Art of the Carpet 130 3 Knightly Art 139 Note to Chapter VI 141 Chapter VII Synthesis 142 1. Variety in Unity 142 2. The Great Mosque of Kairouan 145 3. The Great Mosque of Córdoba 149 4. The Mosque of Ibn Tulun at Cairo 155 5. The College Mosque of Sultan Hasan in Cairo 163 6. Ottoman Mosques 173 7. The Shah Mosque of Isfahan 196 8. The Taj Mahal 207 Chapter VIII The City 216 1. Musllim Town-planning 216 2. Art and Contemplation 237 Glossary 243 List of Illustrations 246 Index 251 Acknowledgments 254 Biographical Notes 255 1933316659,9781933316659 World Wisdom,2009 Presents analyses of seminal examples of Islamic architecture, from Spain and Morocco to Persia and India. This book examines Koranic calligraphy and illumination, arabesque, carpets and rugs, Persian miniatures, and more while making illuminating comparisons with Christian, Hindu, and Buddhist art.