Author Description

The first study of 'Amirid artistic and cultural patronage in medieval Islamic Spain Drawing on a wide range of sources - history, poetry, archaeology, epigraphy, architecture, and objects in different media from diverse international collections - Mariam Rosser-Owen explores the ways in which the 'Amirid dynasty (the regents of the last Umayyad caliph of al-Andalus) used artistic and cultural patronage to express the legitimacy of their de facto rule. Al-Mansur, to whom the 11 year old Hisham II delegated the reigns of power, is usually perceived as patronising only the art of war. However his monumental construction at the Great Mosque of Córdoba, as well as the objects he commissioned and the art he consumed in private, show another side to his attempts to express the 'Amirid's legitimacy. This richly illustrated book, with its arguments based on close readings of buildings and objects, defines the characteristics of 'Amirid art and patronage and brings out their artistic and cultural interest. Key Features Beautifully illustrated with 90 colour images Discusses objects including ivory, marble, textiles and wooden minibars Features some of the finest works of art created in the history of Islamic civilisation including the famous Andalusi ivories and the Great Mosque of Córdoba