Kategoria BISAC: Art >> Middle Eastern

While the occupation of Iraq and its aftermath has received media and political attention, we know very little about the everyday lives of Iraqis. Iraqi men, women, and children are not merely passive victims of violence, vulnerable recipients of repressive regimes, or bystanders of their country s destruction. In the face of danger and trauma, Iraqis continue to cope, preparing food, sending their children to school, socializing, telling jokes, and dreaming of a better future. Within the realm of imagination and creative expression, the editors find that many Iraqi artists have not only...

Imperial Threads brings a new perspective to Islamic art by exploring the connection between four major dynasties--the Ottoman (1299-1923), Timurid (1370-1507), Safavid (1501-1736) and Mughal (1526-1857) empires--that mark the start of the early modern period.

(Due to the development of firearms during that period, these dynasties are commonly referred to as the "Gunpowder Empires.") Focusing on carpets as the primary medium, the volume also features manuscripts, metalwork, ceramics and more. Across a wide range of mediums, we find a selection of recurring...

Elephant ivory is a tactile, beautiful, and workable material. It can be made into many different forms and is the strongest material in the animal kingdom. It has been highly prized from the Paleolithic to the present day, and the impact on elephants has been severe--indeed, the Syrian elephant was hunted to extinction. Long ago, during the early first millennium bce--"The Age of Ivory"--literally thousands of carved ivories found their way to the Assyrian capital city of Kalhu, or modern Nimrud, in northern Iraq. The majority were not made there but arrived as gifts, tributes, or booty...