The Oliphant

Islamic Objects in Historical Context
Erscheinungsjahr 2004
ISBN: 978-90-04-13794-3
Verlag: Brill

Buch, Englisch, Band 54, 160 Seiten, Format (B × H): 166 mm x 246 mm, Gewicht: 635 g

Reihe: Islamic History and Civilization

Setting a group of medieval carved ivory horns in the specific artistic and historical context in which they were manufactured, used and re-used, this book presents a mine of information for the study of medieval history.
The first chapters explore such technical aspects as the cutting and carving of oliphants, and also the broader issues of the morphology of ivory and its availability in the Mediterranean basin in the Middle Ages. On the basis of specific carving methods and varying vocabulary of motifs, the oliphants are organized into groups and their probable sites of production are suggested.
The core of this volume, however, is the attempt to place them in their specific historical context. The purpose of their mass-production, namely their patronage and original function, is explored, but also their reception and new functions in the church treasuries of Latin Europe is broadly discussed.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Shalem, Avinoam

Fachgebiete

• Geisteswissenschaften Islam & Islamische Studien Islam & Islamische Studien
• Geisteswissenschaften Geschichtswissenschaft Weltgeschichte & Geschichte einzelner Länder und Gebietsräume Geschichte einzelner Länder Naher & Mittlerer Osten
• Geisteswissenschaften Kunst Kunststile Islamische Kunst
• Geisteswissenschaften Islam & Islamische Studien Islam: Literatur & Kunst

Über Autor(innen)

Avinoam Shalem, Ph.D. (1995), History of Art, University of Edinburgh, is Professor of Islamic Art at Munich University. He has published extensively on Islamic ‘minor arts’ including Islam Christianized (Peter Lang, 1998).