Overview
The Kitāb Naʿt al-Ḥayawān is the earliest of a group of illustrated manuscripts dealing with the characteristics of animals and their medicinal uses. The present study considers both the confluence of textual traditions within this work and the stylistic and iconographic relationships of its illustrations, which make it a key witness to early thirteenth-century Arab painting. After a re-evaluation of previous approaches, emphasis is placed on relating image to text, on stylistic affiliations, and on the modalities of production, supported by technical analyses undertaken for the first time. In elucidating the particular context of this unique manuscript, the study contributes to our understanding of a critical period in the development of Middle Eastern painting and art.
Full Product Details
Author: Anna Contadini ,
Leen Spruit
Publisher: Brill
Imprint: Brill
Weight: 1.245kg
ISBN: 9789004201002
ISBN 10: 9004201009
Pages: 266
Publication Date: 11 November 2011
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General
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: Available To Order
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Reviews
'This is the first detailed study of an illustrated bestiary from the Islamic world. It sets this 13th-century Arab manuscript squarely within the context of both the Islamic tradition of animal lore and of classical and medieval Christian learning in this field. It is also a meticulous investigation and analysis of the art-historical aspects of this masterpiece of Islamic book painting. As such it is a pioneering and erudite contribution to Islamic art and literature alike.' Robert Hillenbrand ...the case she builds over the course of her book is very well documented and persuasive. Sheila R. Canby (2012). Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, 22, pp 599600. doi:10.1017/S1356186312000363 The book is a significant contribution to the field and will remain a keywork for many years to come. Alison Ohta (2012). Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, 75, pp 569570. doi:10.1017/S0041977X12000663 ...important contribution to the study of the arts of the Islamic book. Jaclynne J. Kerner in caa.reviews December 27, 2012 doi:10.3202/caa.reviews.2012.149 This is a wonderful book, or rather a book full of wonders. Anna Contadini has unearthed and opened up a treasure chest for us, and with a rare combination of artistic perception, historical knowledge and philological skill she is also able to explain to us the various marvellous objects it contains. [...] In sum: a truly splendid achievement. Oliver Kahl in Journal of Semitic Studies 58.2 (2013), 426-429.
'This is the first detailed study of an illustrated bestiary from the Islamic world. It sets this 13th-century Arab manuscript squarely within the context of both the Islamic tradition of animal lore and of classical and medieval Christian learning in this field. It is also a meticulous investigation and analysis of the art-historical aspects of this masterpiece of Islamic book painting. As such it is a pioneering and erudite contribution to Islamic art and literature alike.' Robert Hillenbrand ...the case she builds over the course of her book is very well documented and persuasive. Sheila R. Canby (2012). Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, 22, pp 599-600. doi:10.1017/S1356186312000363 The book is a significant contribution to the field and will remain a keywork for many years to come. Alison Ohta (2012). Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, 75, pp 569-570. doi:10.1017/S0041977X12000663 ...important contribution to the study of the arts of the Islamic book. Jaclynne J. Kerner in caa.reviews December 27, 2012 doi:10.3202/caa.reviews.2012.149 This is a wonderful book, or rather a book full of wonders. Anna Contadini has unearthed and opened up a treasure chest for us, and with a rare combination of artistic perception, historical knowledge and philological skill she is also able to explain to us the various marvellous objects it contains. [...] In sum: a truly splendid achievement. Oliver Kahl in Journal of Semitic Studies 58.2 (2013), 426-429.
Author Information
Anna Contadini, PhD (1992) in Islamic Art, SOAS, London University, is currently Reader in Islamic Art at SOAS. She has worked as Curator at the V&A and the Chester Beatty Library, and as Lecturer at Trinity College, Dublin. Her numerous publications include Arab Painting: Text and Image in Illustrated Arabic Manuscripts, Brill 2007 and 2010, and Fatimid Art at the Victoria and Albert Museum, V&A 1998.
