The formation of Islamic Art

"Oleg Grabar, in this book of exceptional subtlety and taste, surveys and extends his own important contributions to the study of early Islamic art history and works out an original and imaginative approach to the elusive and complex problems of understanding Islamic art. ... He has given us a stunning example of the creative possibilities that inhere in the tension between the study of concrete materials in accord with a specific discipline and reflection on the meaning of the specific subject for the civilization as a whole." - American Historical Review - back cover.