cover image Islamic Art & Patronage

Islamic Art & Patronage

Hoag, John D. Hoag. Rizzoli International Publications, $75 (313pp) ISBN 978-0-8478-1366-7

Besides oil, Kuwait has another treasure: a world-class collection of Islamic art assembled by members of the country's ruling family. This lavishly illustrated catalogue of an exhibition touring the U.S. showcases a dazzling array of objects, including colorful Iranian ``splash ware'' pottery, Egyptian rock-crystal bottles, Indian Mughal crystal bowls inlaid with gems, and a 17th-century concentric view of Venice by a Turkish artist. Prayer rugs, star-shaped tiles, gilded leather book bindings, brass astrolabes, carved ivory boxes, illuminated manuscripts, jewelry and textiles attest to the artistic refinement that marked Islamic life between the sixth and 18th centuries. Led by Atil, an art historian at the Smithsonian, a team of scholars contributes essays that argue tendentiously that patronage increases cross-fertilization among the arts and fosters regard for art as a useful social and economic activity. (May)