Islamic pottery fine ceramics made in the lands of Islam, from the Arab world and Turkey through Iran and into Central Asia is one of the hidden treasures of world ceramics. It has often been overshadowed by the ceramic legacy of China and Europe, yet it cedes nothing to these great traditions in technical inventiveness and beauty of design. Through close trading links and cultural interchange, Islamic potters have played a crucial role in the development of these other ceramic cultures.

Over four hundred pieces are described, providing both an examination of individual items and an overall history of the subject. Clear and informative introductory essays cover the study and collecting of Islamic pottery over the past hundred years, and trace its technical and chronological history, from the first fine wares made in the eighth century to the destructive impact of European industrialization in the nineteenth century. The individual objects, illustrated with some nine hundred color pictures, are grouped by type and geographically. 921 color illustrations.