Beyond the Palace Walls: Islamic Art from the State Hermitage Museum Book

Features: * photographs of paintings, textiles, jewelry, costumes, carpets, weapons from palaces of Shahs, Sultans and Princes *an Ottoman Turkish campaign tent never before removed from St. Petersburg's Winter Palace *stunning illustrations and authentic text This stunning publication accompanies an arresting exhibition on through November 6 at the Royal Museum, Edinburgh. Beyond the Palace Walls offers an array of exquisite objects that originally graced the royal interiors of Shahs, Sultans and Princes in Iran, Turkey and other parts of the Muslim world and have been housed within the walls of the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg. Included, as well, is material from the collections of the National Museums of Scotland. The reader will be enchanted with the diversity and beauty of these priceless objects. The centerpiece is an 18th century Ottoman Turkish campaign tent, never before seen outside the State Hermitage. It was chosen to represent the splendor with which Muslim rulers chose to surround themselves when they were on the move beyond the palace walls of their capitals and royal cities. Paintings, textiles, jewelry, titles, costumes, carpets and weapons complete this story. Following the preface by Professor Mikhail Piotrovsky, the catalogue is divided into four parts, each heavily illustrated: Early Islamic Art: 7-13th centuries; the Chinese influence; the European influence; and diplomacy, warfare and tradeRead More