Earthly Beauty, Heavenly Art

Published in conjunction with the 1999-2000 exhibition held in De Nieuwe Kerk in Amsterdam, this large (slightly oversize at 9x12), well-illustrated catalog makes a nice addition to the literature, both for the breadth, quantity, and excellence of the objects that were included in the exhibition and for the European viewpoint of its essays. Various questions common to Islamic art are addressed in initial essays written by Mikhail Piotrovsky, director of the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg. The catalog that follows is arranged by topic e.g. court life, themes of paradise, the Koran and medium. Distributed by Ashgate. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)