Islamic Art Collections

An annotated index and general orientation of Islamic art collections in museums, libraries, other institutions and on private hands. Includes a short description of each collection, its main characteristics, documentation, publications and exhibitions.

This book examines British collectors of so-called Persian art (a broad umbrella term then covering a large portion of Islamic art) in the late 19th century, including ceramics, metalwork, carpets, textiles and woodwork. Based on a foundational event, the very first exhibition of “Persian and Arab Art” held by a London Gentlemen’s Club in 1885, this book follows one generation of men, retracing the subtle shades of difference among “amateurs,” “connoisseurs,” “experts” and “collectors,” and exploring all the mechanisms of the construction of a collective fascination for the Orient. Isabelle Gadoin uncovers some of the first “scientific” analyses of Islamic objects and of the first private notebooks or exhibition catalogues, to provide an in-depth study of the way Westerners talked about Islamic objects and began to define what would become Islamic art history. All the while, Gadoin unravels the skein of Western prejudice, Romantic fancy, sincere admiration and ruthless appropriation, in art collecting, to write a new chapter of Orientalist history. The book will be of interest to scholars working in art history, history of collecting, colonialism and postcolonialism, and Orientalism.

This book explores the great diversity and range of Islamic culture through one of the finest collections in the world. Published to coincide with the historic reopening of the galleries of the Metropolitan Museum's Islamic Art Department, it presents nearly three hundred masterworks created in the rich tradition of the Islamic faith and culture. The Metropolitan's renowned holdings range chronologically from the origins of Islam in the 7th century through the 19th century, and geographically from as far west as Spain to as far east as Southeast Asia.

The present volume offers an overview of collecting and displaying Islamic art during the long nineteenth century. A section of the volume focuses on the figure of the Swiss collector Henri Moser Charlottenfels. Special attention is given to little-known collections in Eastern Europe and beyond. L’ouvrage fournit un panorama du collectionnisme d’art islamique au cours du long XIXe siècle, en mettant l’accent sur la figure d’Henri Moser Charlottenfels et des collections méconnues situées en Europe central, et au-delà.

Masterpieces from the world-renowned Keir collection of Islamic art are comprehensively shown, for the first time, in this publication. A selection of 112 exquisite objects instills an appreciation for the wealth and magnificence of oriental art, with a focus on filling gaps between more widely represented styles and periods with particularly rare and unusal finds. Assembled over a period of fifty years, the collection - internationally known as the Keir collection - of Hungarian Edmund de Unger, encompasses almost all the periods and artistic landscapes of Islamic core-countries, the Mediterranean and central Asia. In its stylistic breadth and archaeological value, the collection measures up to those of all major museums of Islamic art. De Unger has made it his objective to systematically select objects which are rarely represented and styles which still cause controversy among researchers. With a discerning eye, he has tracked them down at markets and, above all, in famous old collections. Among the treasures shown in the volume are calligaphies, books and manuscripts, dating back up to six centuries, along with ceramics, metal art, silk and velvet brocades and awe-inspiring rock crystal objects made during he reign of the Fatimids in Egypt (969-1171). With its illuminating texts and vibrant images, the book makes for a fascinating and inspiring read.