Ebook: Islamic Arts and Crafts: An Anthology

Islamic art is justly famed for its technological sophistication, varied approaches to ornament, and innovative employment of the written word. But what do we know about the skilled artisans who spent their lives designing and creating the paintings, objects and buildings that are so admired today?

This anthology of written sources (dating from the seventh to the twentieth centuries) explores numerous aspects of the crafts of the Middle East from the processing of raw materials to the manufacture of finished artefacts. You will learn about: the legal and ethical dimensions of the arts and crafts, the organisation of labour in urban and rural contexts, the everyday lives of artisans, the gendered dimensions of making things, and the impact of industrialisation upon traditional methods of manufacture. Each chapter begins with an introduction providing a wider context for the primary sources. There are also suggestions for further reading.

Review
"Marcus Milwright's 'Islamic Arts and Crafts: An Anthology' illustrates his mastery of written sources as well as the diverse materials, processes, and objects they discuss. With substantial scholarly apparatus in the form of notes, bibliography, index, and appendix, it will help shape the growing field of Islamic material culture as well as that of Islamic art." -- Amanda Phillips, University of Virginia, College Art Association Reviews

About the Author
Marcus Milwright is a professor in the Department of Art History and Visual Studies, University of Victoria. His research interests include the art and archaeology of the Islamic world, cross-cultural contact in the Medieval and early Modern periods, traditional craft practices across the Islamic world, and the history of medicine. He is involved in archaeological and art-historical research in the Middle East, Greece, Canada, and Britain.