Text and Image in Medieval Persian Art

Investigates the interaction between word and image in medieval Persian art through a series of case studies Technically some of the finest produced anywhere, the artworks created in greater Iran from the tenth to the sixteenth century are also intellectually engaging in showing the lively interaction between the verbal and the visual arts. Focusing on five objects produced in the main media used during this period (ceramics, metalwares, architecture, illustrated manuscripts, and textiles), this beautifully illustrated study shows how artisans played with form, material, and decoration to engage and "speak to" their audiences. It also shows how the reception of these objects has changed and demonstrates that their present context - whether on a museum shelf or in the middle of an excavation - has implications for our understanding of the past. Each chapter begins with a careful study of the object and moves to broader theories of function, reception, and display. Key Features - Includes over 100 colour illustrations of the objects and buildings explored in the text - Studies five different media: ceramics, metalwares, architecture, illustrated manuscripts, and textiles - Looks at what happened to the objects since production and the impact of their current display - Gives a nuanced view of Persian art in the context of Iranian history Sheila S. Blair is Norma Jean Calderwood University Professor of Islamic and Asian Art at Boston College and Hamad Bin Khalifa Endowed Chair of Islamic Art at Virginia Commonwealth University. She has written and edited numerous books on all aspects of Islamic art, including Islamic Calligraphy (Edinburgh University Press, 2006). Cover image: Humay After His Wedding (c) The British Library Board (Add. 18113, f. 45v). Cover design: Cathy Sprent. [EUP logo] www. euppublishing. com