The Medieval Mediterranean between Islam and Christianity: Crosspollinations in Art, Architecture, and Material Culture
Edited by Sami Luigi De Giosa and Nikolaos Vryzidis
The American University in Cairo Press
ISBN: 9781649031877
If you are interested in the connections between Christian and Islamic cultures in the Middle Ages, physical objects can reveal remarkable stories of exchange and interaction. This book brings together ten essays exploring the materials, artifacts, and goods that moved between these two societies, shedding light on the cultural ties that linked the medieval Mediterranean world.
Excerpt:
The present volume presents an array of microhistorical case studies in which the two majoritarian religions in the medieval Mediterranean – Islam and Christianity – met, engaged, and intermingled. The primary aim is to point out what the study of interreligious encounters in the arts of Islam and Christianity can offer within the frame of this new, fluid Mediterranean.
Who is this book for?
These ten essays, most of which focus on the Mediterranean world, with a few extending into the Middle East, examine forms of material culture that blended both Christian and Islamic elements. One essay explores a liturgical object preserved in an important Orthodox monastery in Greece, where a Venetian-made component was combined with another crafted in Seljuk lands. Another examines the influence of Arabic bookbinding techniques in late medieval Italy, while a third looks at the reuse of older architectural elements in Egypt, such as columns incorporated into newly built mosques.
Readers interested in interreligious relations, cultural exchange, or medieval art will find much of value in this collection. Several essays will also appeal to those studying Mamluk-era Egypt and the movement of artistic and architectural traditions across the medieval Mediterranean world.
“The volume has a mild emphasis on Egypt during the Mamluk and Ottoman eras, and the Christian (Coptic, Byzantine, Armenian or Georgian) examples occasionally take a back seat in these discussions. I find this perspective and emphasis refreshing and necessary. Often, the Iberian Peninsula and the Byzantine Empire dominate the discussion of Mediterranean art. The chapters in this volume incorporate these essential culture groups, but diversify the regions and artwork, presenting us with new examples and ideas. The use of microhistory is, for the most part, a successful lens that offers us a new way of exploring the simultaneously fragmented and connective regions around the Mediterranean. The volume will be useful to anyone interested in new content and perspectives on Medieval Mediterranean Art.” ~ review by Justine M. Andrews in The Medieval Review
The Editors
Sami De Giosa is assistant professor at the College of Fine Arts and Design, University of Sharjah. Nikolaos Vryzidis is an assistant professor at the University of West Attica.
The Medieval Mediterranean between Islam and Christianity: Crosspollinations in Art, Architecture, and Material Culture
Edited by Sami Luigi De Giosa and Nikolaos Vryzidis
The American University in Cairo Press
ISBN: 9781649031877
If you are interested in the connections between Christian and Islamic cultures in the Middle Ages, physical objects can reveal remarkable stories of exchange and interaction. This book brings together ten essays exploring the materials, artifacts, and goods that moved between these two societies, shedding light on the cultural ties that linked the medieval Mediterranean world.
Excerpt:
The present volume presents an array of microhistorical case studies in which the two majoritarian religions in the medieval Mediterranean – Islam and Christianity – met, engaged, and intermingled. The primary aim is to point out what the study of interreligious encounters in the arts of Islam and Christianity can offer within the frame of this new, fluid Mediterranean.
Who is this book for?
These ten essays, most of which focus on the Mediterranean world, with a few extending into the Middle East, examine forms of material culture that blended both Christian and Islamic elements. One essay explores a liturgical object preserved in an important Orthodox monastery in Greece, where a Venetian-made component was combined with another crafted in Seljuk lands. Another examines the influence of Arabic bookbinding techniques in late medieval Italy, while a third looks at the reuse of older architectural elements in Egypt, such as columns incorporated into newly built mosques.
Readers interested in interreligious relations, cultural exchange, or medieval art will find much of value in this collection. Several essays will also appeal to those studying Mamluk-era Egypt and the movement of artistic and architectural traditions across the medieval Mediterranean world.
“The volume has a mild emphasis on Egypt during the Mamluk and Ottoman eras, and the Christian (Coptic, Byzantine, Armenian or Georgian) examples occasionally take a back seat in these discussions. I find this perspective and emphasis refreshing and necessary. Often, the Iberian Peninsula and the Byzantine Empire dominate the discussion of Mediterranean art. The chapters in this volume incorporate these essential culture groups, but diversify the regions and artwork, presenting us with new examples and ideas. The use of microhistory is, for the most part, a successful lens that offers us a new way of exploring the simultaneously fragmented and connective regions around the Mediterranean. The volume will be useful to anyone interested in new content and perspectives on Medieval Mediterranean Art.” ~ review by Justine M. Andrews in The Medieval Review
The Editors
Sami De Giosa is assistant professor at the College of Fine Arts and Design, University of Sharjah. Nikolaos Vryzidis is an assistant professor at the University of West Attica.
You can learn more about this book from the publisher’s website
You can also buy this book from Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk
Subscribe to Medievalverse
Related Posts