Ceramics from Islamic Lands

Islamic pottery is one of the hidden treasures of world ceramics. However, its full breadth and diversity has often been overshadowed by the legacy of China and Europe although Islamic pottery cedes nothing to these great traditions in beauty or technical inventiveness.

This richly illustrated work, now available in paperback, presents a comprehensive history of the subject. It is a catalogue of the al-Sabah Collection in Kuwait – one of the few truly great collections in private hands, and one that is well able to portray the unfolding story of Islamic pottery over its thousand-year history.

Here are detailed descriptions of over 400 individual objects grouped in geographical and chronological sequence, accompanied by over 900 colour photographs. Most pieces are published here for the first time, but a number of breathtaking items from old collections are rescued from obscurity and made accessible again.

Clear, informative essays trace the history of Islamic ceramics from the eighth century AD to the heights of refinement in sixteenth and seventeenth century Turkey and Iran, to the destructive impact of nineteenth century industrialisation.

This important volume will appeal to the interested general reader, as well as becoming an invaluable reference work for the student and specialist.