BONHAMS INDIAN & ISLAMIC DEPARTMENT HOST DOUBLE BOOK LAUNCH FOR V&A PUBLICATIONS
Alice Bailey, Head of Bonhams Islamic and Indian Art Department will host a double book launch on April 3rd, two days prior to the department’s next sale at Bonhams on April 5th.
The books are: `Islamic Arts From Spain’ by Mariam Rosser-Owen, and `Iranian Textiles’ by Jennifer Weardon and Patricia L. Baker.
Alice Bailey comments: “These two new V&A publications represent important and much needed forays into areas which have been hitherto understudied in the field of Islamic Art. The high quality of the research and beauty of these books ensure their place in any art collector or enthusiast’s library.”
‘Islamic Arts From Spain’ tells the fascinating story of the art and design produced in Spain under Islamic rule, and examines the long-lasting influence of Islamic Spain on European decorative arts. This book looks first at patronage during the ‘Golden Age’ of the Umayyad caliphate, from the mid tenth to the early eleventh century before discussing the Nasrid dynasty that ruled from Granada in a territory much reduced by the resurgent Christian monarchs of northern Spain. It also explores the phenomenon of the `Mudejar’, Islamic-influenced arts produced for non-Muslim patrons in the Renaissance and the craze for the `Alhabresque’, a style promoted by European designers such as Owen Jones.
Addressing the creation, suppression, rediscovery and influence of Islamic art in Spain from the eighth to the twentieth century, the book is lavishly illustrated with objects drawn from the V&A’s collections – from exquisite ivory caskets, marble tombstones and capitals and architectural models and jewellery, textiles and ceramics.
Mariam Rosser-Owen is a curator in the V&A's Middle Eastern Department. She has published extensively on ivories from the medieval Mediterranean, and contributed to Palace and Mosque: Islamic Art from the Middle East (V&A 2004). She co-edited the volume, Revisiting Al-Andalus: Perspectives on the Material Culture of Islamic Iberia and Beyond (2007).
The second book, `Iranian Textiles’ presents for the first time, over 200 Qajar textiles and describes the political and economic context against which they were produced. Many of these beautiful fabrics will seem surprisingly familiar – so strong was their influence on European manufacturers. This collection, published with new photography and superb details, will interest interior designers, textile students and anyone involved in fashion.
Jennifer Wearden retired as Senior Curator of Textiles at the V&A in 2004, but continues to work with the museums collections and is an Honorary Research Fellow. Patricia L. Baker (1942-2008) was a freelance lecturer, consultant and author specializing in the study of Islamic textiles and glass.
Bonhams, founded in 1793, is one of the world's oldest and largest auctioneers of fine art and antiques. The present company was formed by the merger in November 2001 of Bonhams & Brooks and Phillips Son and Neale UK. In August 2002, the company acquired Butterfields, the principal firm of auctioneers on the West Coast of America. Today, Bonhams offers more sales than any of its rivals, through two major salerooms in London: New Bond Street, and Knightsbridge, and a further five throughout the UK. Sales are also held in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Carmel, New York and Boston in the USA; Toronto, Canada; and France, Monaco, Hong Kong and Dubai. Bonhams has a worldwide network of offices and regional representatives in 25 countries offering sales advice and valuation services in 57 specialist areas. By the end of 2009, Bonhams had become UK market leaders in ten key specialist collecting areas. For a full listing of upcoming sales, plus details of Bonhams specialist departments, go to www.bonhams.com
