gems, Arabic science, Islamic jewelry, ancient jewelry, Persia, Iran, Afghanistan, Central Asia, ivory

Metalwork and Material Culture in the Islamic World: Art, Craft and Text – Essays Presented to James W. Allan, edited by Venetia Porter and Mariam Rosser-Owen (I.B. Tauris, 2012), is a richly illustrated scholarly volume that explores the material and visual culture of the Islamic world across vast temporal and geographic spans. With a special focus on metalwork—including new studies on Mosul, Fatimid, Mamluk, and Qajar examples—it also encompasses architecture, ceramics, ivories, textiles, painting, and contemporary art. This collection not only honors the contributions of James W. Allan but also advances the fields of Islamic art history and material culture studies by presenting new findings and reinterpretations of key artefacts and artistic traditions.