Islamic Art of Mediaeval Bengal Architectural Embellishments/Nihar Ghosh.
Kolkata, Rama Chattopadhyay, 2003, 200 p., plates, $11. ISBN 81-89114-01-8.
Islamic Art of Mediaeval Bengal Architectural Embellishments/Nihar Ghosh.
Kolkata, Rama Chattopadhyay, 2003, 200 p., plates, $11. ISBN 81-89114-01-8.
Contents: 1. Introduction. 2. The attributes of feudalism in development of Islamic art. 3. Islamic calligraphy. 4. A profile of Islamic architecture in Bengal. 5. Architectural embellishments on Islamic monuments of Bengal. 6. An aesthetic appraisal. 7. Epilogue. Appendices. List of Exhibits.
"Under the mediaeval Islamic rule, the art of Bengal entered into a new era of significance which embodied Islamic revelation and spirituality. The architectural embellishments on the religious edifices relating to the sources of Islamic practices manifest a chronological sequence of forms, contents and symbolic languages. Bengal monuments of the era show certain distinctive characteristics in terracotta medium in the aspects of dynamism in the language of art with the inflow of traditional and assimilation of folk art practices. Islamic art in Bengal gradually gained ground and became transparent revealing the proper significance.
The book is an effort to document and place on record the scattered and sporadic terracotta architectural decors of the mediaeval Islamic monuments with a view to understand the contributions of the era in the heritage of Bengal art.
There are many works of the distinguished authors on the Islamic architecture of Bengal and their historical and technical features. Nevertheless, no systematic consolidation of the terracotta non figurative art motifs has been undertaken so far. Since the process of erosion of the architectural decors of the standing monuments is fast, the work is intended to document some of the available specimens with a view to help the future researchers in this particular discipline." (jacket)
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