
Like a garment wrapped around a body, Islamic ornament is both a supplement and a self-contained piece of art. Drawing on an endlessly rich arsenal of patterns and motifs-geometrical, vegetal, epigraphic, figural-Islamic artisans cover surfaces densely, filling space with an...

The first comprehensive study of the history, function and significance of ornament in Islamic art. Heavily illustrated with magnificent examples of Islamic ornament, it surveys how motifs developed and became integrated into patterns. This volume covers the period 700-1600 AD...