Islamic Metalwork

The Nuhad Es-Said Collection of Islamic metalwork is one of the finest in private hands. It contains examples of inlaid bronzes and brasses from 6th/12th and 7th/13th Herat and 7th/13th century Mosul, from Ayvubid Syria, Saljuk Anatolia, the Mamluk empire and the Dehli sultanate, and from Il-Khanid, Timurid and Safavid Iran. Inlaid with gold, silver and copper, and bearing planetary and astrological figures, mystical symbols, and effusive dedications to sultans and petty rulers, these objects take the reader into a world where superstition, religion and politics jostle for supremacy, and are evidence that works of art reflect the societies they serve. An extensive introduction puts the collection in its social and artistic context. This is followed by the catalogue which describes and discusses each piece in detail. Every object is illustrated with at least one colour plate and there are numerous black and white photographs. In this revised edition the author has updated all important aspects of the text; he has also added a table of analyses with a short commentary at the end of the book.