Book of Gifts and Rarities

This work is a translation and study of a ninth- through fifteenth-century manuscript, a selection from a medieval book, "Kitab al-Hadaya wa al-Tuhaf" (Book of Gifts and Rarities), edited by M. Hamidullah. The manuscript furnishes a wealth of varied information offering insights into the period immediately preceding Islam and extending through the first four centuries of Islamic rule. The book provides valuable information on "gifts" exchanged on various occasions between Islamic rulers and their foreign counterparts. "Rarities" form a part of the gifts; some of them are marvels, others are mythical.

The manuscript is an invaluable source of information in many fields. It abounds with technical references and details in various areas of Islamic art, which renders it unique as a reference. The extensive detailed treatment, in the context of the overall material culture, provides a particularly rich source of information for those working both in the specific field of Islamic art and in that of Islamic culture as a whole.

1100741778
Book of Gifts and Rarities

This work is a translation and study of a ninth- through fifteenth-century manuscript, a selection from a medieval book, "Kitab al-Hadaya wa al-Tuhaf" (Book of Gifts and Rarities), edited by M. Hamidullah. The manuscript furnishes a wealth of varied information offering insights into the period immediately preceding Islam and extending through the first four centuries of Islamic rule. The book provides valuable information on "gifts" exchanged on various occasions between Islamic rulers and their foreign counterparts. "Rarities" form a part of the gifts; some of them are marvels, others are mythical.

The manuscript is an invaluable source of information in many fields. It abounds with technical references and details in various areas of Islamic art, which renders it unique as a reference. The extensive detailed treatment, in the context of the overall material culture, provides a particularly rich source of information for those working both in the specific field of Islamic art and in that of Islamic culture as a whole.

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Overview

This work is a translation and study of a ninth- through fifteenth-century manuscript, a selection from a medieval book, "Kitab al-Hadaya wa al-Tuhaf" (Book of Gifts and Rarities), edited by M. Hamidullah. The manuscript furnishes a wealth of varied information offering insights into the period immediately preceding Islam and extending through the first four centuries of Islamic rule. The book provides valuable information on "gifts" exchanged on various occasions between Islamic rulers and their foreign counterparts. "Rarities" form a part of the gifts; some of them are marvels, others are mythical.

The manuscript is an invaluable source of information in many fields. It abounds with technical references and details in various areas of Islamic art, which renders it unique as a reference. The extensive detailed treatment, in the context of the overall material culture, provides a particularly rich source of information for those working both in the specific field of Islamic art and in that of Islamic culture as a whole.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780932885135
Publisher: Harvard University, Center for Middle Eastern Studies
Publication date: 09/28/1996
Series: Harvard Middle Eastern Monographs Series , #29
Pages: 551
Product dimensions: 5.50(w) x 8.20(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

Ghada Hijjawi Qaddumi is Deputy Director of the Department of Antiquities and Museums, National Council for Culture, Arts, and Letters in Kuwait City.

Table of Contents

Forewords by Oleg Grabar and Annemarie Schimmel

Acknowledgments

Note to the Reader

PART 1: INTRODUCTION

PART 2: TRANSLATION

The Author's Preface

1. Chapter on Gifts(Paragraphs 1-106)

2. Chapter on Expenditures on Famous Wedding Banquets and Memorable Parties
(Paragraphs 107-132)

3. Chapter on Famous Circumcision Feasts and Well-known Celebrations for Proficiency in Reading the Qur'an (Paragraphs 133-158)

4. Chapter on Notable Days and Gatherings on Special Occasions and Crowded Festivities (Paragraphs 159-174)

5. Chapter on Exotic Objects and Safeguarded Treasures (Paragraphs 175-358)

6. Chapter on Booty in Conquests and Shares in Raids (Paragraphs 359-367)

7. Chapter on References to Treasures, Treasure Troves, Ancient Buried Treasures, and to [the People] Who Found Them (Paragraphs 368-369)

8. Chapter on Expenditures (Paragraphs 370-414)

PART 3: NOTES TO THE TRANSLATION

Bibliography

List of Abbreviations

Glossary

Appendices

9. TOPICALLY ARRANGED LIST OF CONTENTS

10. SUMMARIES OF THE PARAGRAPHS

11. SUGGESTED REARRANGEMENT OF HAMIDULLAH'S PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS

12. CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE

Indices

A. PEOPLE

B. PLACES

C. WEIGHTS AND MEASURES

Ground Plan for the Palace at Bakuwara

Maps of the Islamic World

About the Editor

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