Venetia Porter

Well illustrated volume giving a history of Islamic tiles. Most of the illustrations are from the collection of the British Museum, where the author works. Notably absent are the tiles of Islamic Spain, or Andalucia, however most other regions are well represented and discussed.

The designs on Islamic tiles were initially inspired by designs originally used for other ceramics, such as eating or storage vessels. Inspiration for some of the styles came from as far as China, while other styles grew out of native pre-Islamic traditions. Not only used inside buildings, but also on exteriors, the tradition of tiles became integral to the architecture of many different places. The skill in production of tiles, and the detail and range of styles developed in the Islamic lands, arguably outstripped that of anywhere else.

Not an exhaustive review on the topic, but good as an introduction.… (mere)

This book is the companion to the exhibit "Hajj: Journey to the heart of Islam" in the British Museum last year. Hajj is the pilgrimage that Muslims take to Mecca. Each of the seven chapters deals with an aspect of the journey, from praying in the direction of Mecca, to the journey itself, to coming home. At the beginning of each chapter, Porter writes a one-page introduction outlining the aspect under exploration and giving some history or background information, followed by the plates and comments on each painting, textile, or other art pictured.

The plates were beautiful, and the written information largely helpful in explaining what each item was and what it illustrated. I had not seen the exhibit itself, but still found the book an enlightening read about Hajj and the art of it, from paintings to maps to photographs and more. Some of it is quite stunning, in fact, making me wish I could see the art in person. Because the artwork was so good, I was disappointed in the typos I found ("hin" for "him" and a sentence that cut off, for example). I would not typically choose this type of book for myself, but it is part of the Muslim Journeys bookshelf that I'm working on reading titles from. Recommended if you're interested in the topic or in art.… (mere)

This collection of mostly color illustrations was published as a companion to a British Museum exhibition. Photographs on high quality paper illustrate various aspects of Hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca undertaken by millions of Muslims each year. Objects illustrated include maps of Mecca, tools for calculating the direction of Mecca and times of prayer, pages from illustrated manuscripts, souvenir/keepsake items like certificates and decorative tiles, textiles, Egyptian wall paintings, and photographs. The book also includes a few illustrations of the sites and relics of Medina, a stopping-point for many pilgrims on their way to or from Mecca. Readers like me who know little about the Hajj beyond its name will learn basic details of the dates and rituals of the annual pilgrimage.

The book is small, and while the quality of the illustrations doesn’t seem to be compromised by the page size, the accompanying text does. Readers whose eyes aren’t as young as they used to be will need reading glasses or a magnifying glass to read the small print. The “further reading” list of about two dozen works would be more useful if the citations included publisher names. Maybe this information was omitted so that the bibliography would fit into the allotted space. If that’s the case, I would have included the publisher’s name and omitted the location.… (mere)