Overview
An exquisitely illustrated survey of the decorative motifs and visual themes from one of the great artistic periods in Indian history.Mughal decorative arts delight in arabesque and geometric designs, as well as scenes of nature (flowers, birds, and animals) and human pleasure (music, dancing, feasting, love-making). Master craftsmen at the Mughal and Rajput courts employed a variety of materials and techniques to produce marble panels inlaid with semi-precious stones, sandstone screens perforated with geometric designs, brass vessels inlaid with strips of silver and gold, jade drinking cups, dagger hilts encrusted with rubies and emeralds, and costumes and sashes embroidered with silk and golden threads. No less gorgeous were the vividly toned and exquisitely detailed miniature paintings that portrayed contemporary events as well as epic tales.
Drawing on the finest and most representative examples in public and private collections in India, Europe, and America, this stunning survey examines common decorative motifs and themes in Mughal art. More than 300 illustrations amply convey the virtuoso workmanship and the sheer elegance of design common to all objects. It will be an essential reference work for art historians, designers, and anyone interested in the arts and life of India. 300+ color photographs and illustrations.
Synopsis
An exquisitely illustrated survey of the decorative motifs and visual themes from one of the great artistic periods in Indian history.
Mughal decorative arts delight in arabesque and geometric designs, as well as scenes of nature (flowers, birds, and animals) and human pleasure (music, dancing, feasting, love-making). Master craftsmen at the Mughal and Rajput courts employed a variety of materials and techniques to produce marble panels inlaid with semi-precious stones, sandstone screens perforated with geometric designs, brass vessels inlaid with strips of silver and gold, jade drinking cups, dagger hilts encrusted with rubies and emeralds, and costumes and sashes embroidered with silk and golden threads. No less gorgeous were the vividly toned and exquisitely detailed miniature paintings that portrayed contemporary events as well as epic tales.
Drawing on the finest and most representative examples in public and private collections in India, Europe, and America, this stunning survey examines common decorative motifs and themes in Mughal art. More than 300 illustrations amply convey the virtuoso workmanship and the sheer elegance of design common to all objects. It will be an essential reference work for art historians, designers, and anyone interested in the arts and life of India. 300+ color photographs and illustrations.
Nadine Dalton Speidel - Library Journal
Michell (Architecture of the Islamic World), who is widely published in the fields of Indic art and architecture, here presents a feast for the eyes surveying artworks in the Mogul style drawn from collections in India, Europe, and America. Hundreds of tremendous color illustrations, including many close-up views of masterful metalwork and semiprecious stone inlay, are the book's highlight. The supporting text outlines important rulers and their origins; artistic sources, themes, and influences; materials and techniques; and key monuments. Each piece is a work of artistic ingenuity-a seemingly endless array of color, pattern, and themes emerges. A color portfolio emphasizes how the use of color helped visually distinguish interlocking elements such as flowers and calligraphy. This chapter alone could make a very useful sourcebook for artists; the remaining chapters are the icing on the cake. Supplemental texts might include Oya Pancaroglu's Perpetual Glory: Medieval Islamic Ceramics from the Harvey B. Plotnick Collection, Eleanor Sims's Peerless Images: Persian Painting and Its Sources, or Susan Stronge's Painting for the Mughal Emperor. Recommended for larger libraries and libraries specializing in art, art history, and Indic studies.
Editorials
Library Journal
Michell (Architecture of the Islamic World), who is widely published in the fields of Indic art and architecture, here presents a feast for the eyes surveying artworks in the Mogul style drawn from collections in India, Europe, and America. Hundreds of tremendous color illustrations, including many close-up views of masterful metalwork and semiprecious stone inlay, are the book's highlight. The supporting text outlines important rulers and their origins; artistic sources, themes, and influences; materials and techniques; and key monuments. Each piece is a work of artistic ingenuity-a seemingly endless array of color, pattern, and themes emerges. A color portfolio emphasizes how the use of color helped visually distinguish interlocking elements such as flowers and calligraphy. This chapter alone could make a very useful sourcebook for artists; the remaining chapters are the icing on the cake. Supplemental texts might include Oya Pancaroglu's Perpetual Glory: Medieval Islamic Ceramics from the Harvey B. Plotnick Collection, Eleanor Sims's Peerless Images: Persian Painting and Its Sources, or Susan Stronge's Painting for the Mughal Emperor. Recommended for larger libraries and libraries specializing in art, art history, and Indic studies.
—Nadine Dalton Speidel