A lavishly illustrated, authoritative presentation of the history of Islamic luxury textiles For centuries, luxury textiles were symbols of status, wealth, and power at Islamic imperial courts from the Atlantic to the Indian Ocean, setting standards for beauty and fueling prosperous, urban economies. This book offers an unparalleled examination of Islamic luxury textiles, drawn from the Cleveland Museum of Art’s exemplary collection as well as from museums on four continents. Leading scholar Louise W. Mackie offers a generous overview of the cultural significance of these textiles, as well as descriptions of primary motifs and patterns, and explanations of various techniques used in their production. With singular insight into distinctive artistic characteristics of wealthy dynasties and periods, the text—complemented by more than 450 sumptuous illustrations—pinpoints luxury textiles as a vital link between art, culture, and history of the Islamic world. This book offers a much-needed contribution to scholarship on both textiles and Islamic art, and paves the way for further study and appreciation of these objects.

Symbols of Power: Luxury Textiles from Islamic Lands, 7th–21st Century

Arts & Photography

Mackie, Louise W.

Collections, Catalogs & Exhibitions

The Cleveland Museum of Art

Status symbols, diplomatic gifts, artistic mediums and economic treasures--figured silk fabrics were among the most powerful and most characteristic artistic products of the Ottoman Empire. Wars were fought for control of silk revenues, and governments devoted major bureaucratic efforts toward the organization, regulation and taxation of silk production. Ipek: The Crescent &amp; the Rose is the most comprehensive and magnificently illustrated overview of Ottoman silk textiles of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Its lavish, full-bleed, six-color reproductions of fabrics from the Topkapi Palace in Istanbul, and from lesser-known ecclesiastical treasuries in the Balkans, Sweden, Poland and Russia, demonstrate the creativity of Ottoman weavers in rich detail, and will appeal to anyone with an interest in design or a general appreciation for visual delights. Accompanied by scholarly essays that shed light on the different historical, legislative, economic and technological factors that determined the history of these textiles.

Ipek: The Crescent & The Rose: Imperial Ottoman Silks and Velvets

Denny, Walter B.

Atasoy, Nurhan

Denny, Walter

History & Criticism

Azimuth Editions

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Books by Mackie, Louise W.