COMUNICACIÓN Y PRENSA

Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York)-Catalogues  
Islamic Art.
Ekhtiar, Maryam D.
069.02(747):7.033.3
Signature: 1 M 649

For art-lovers there can be nothing more enjoyable than visiting a good museum, experiencing the object in person, imagining the hands of the artist or craftsman, their historical context, story, relations and influences … Failing this we can always make do with a good catalogue.
The book we are presenting here is undoubtedly a case in point. 
After eight years of study, research, conservation and planning the Metropolitan Museum of Art opened its new galleries dedicated to Islamic Art in November 2011. This book was published to coincide with the inauguration.
The Met’s collection of Islamic art runs to over 12,000 pieces, almost 300 of which are described in this catalogue. An introductory essay details the history of the collection and the theme of the exhibition; from the origins of Islam until the 19th century and geographically from Asia to Spain, the exhibition displays a large variety of objects, materials and techniques, including miniature paintings, illustrated manuscripts, ceramics, wood, textiles, carpets, glass, ivory and metal.
The book also contains seven essays by well-known researchers and scholars including one by Olga Busch entitled “The Art of Spain, North Africa and the Western Mediterranean” (p. 30-51)
The 298 works of art described in the catalogue are in an excellent state of conservation. Some of them come from Spain, such as the column capital from Cordoba (Cat. Nº 40) and the star-shaped tiles from Andalusia (Cat. Nº 43 a-b).
All those visiting the collection are bound to enjoy it, but the reader of this book will have an equally pleasant time as he or she acquires a deeper knowledge of Islamic art via the multitude of visual traditions and the changes that they have undergone over the course of history.