Private Collectors of Islamic Art in Late Nineteenth-Century London

<p>This book examines British collectors of so-called Persian art (a broad umbrella term then covering a large portion of Islamic art) in the late 19th century including ceramics metalwork carpets textiles and woodwork.</p><p>Based on a foundational event the very first exhibition of “Persian and Arab Art” held by a London Gentlemen’s Club in 1885 this book follows one generation of men retracing the subtle shades of difference among “amateurs” “connoisseurs” “experts” and “collectors” and exploring all the mechanisms of the construction of a collective fascination for the Orient. Isabelle Gadoin uncovers some of the first “scientific” analyses of Islamic objects and of the first private notebooks or exhibition catalogues to provide an in-depth study of the way Westerners talked about Islamic objects and began to define what would become Islamic art history. All the while Gadoin unravels the skein of Western prejudice Romantic fancy sincere admiration and ruthless appropriation in art collecting to write a new chapter of Orientalist history.</p><p>The book will be of interest to scholars working in art history history of collecting colonialism and postcolonialism and Orientalism.</p>