People have been searching for meaning in Islamic art for centuries. This generously illustrated book explores the iconography of Islamic art from an illuminating range of perspectives. An overarching theme connects these varied approaches, linking the interpretation of objects to textual sources. The result is a collection of revealing studies of motifs as diverse as the peacock, trees, and the figure holding a cup and branch, and of new interpretations of fascinating objects, such as Mongol, Arab and Safavid paintings, or monuments from Egypt to India. Includes contributions from: Sylvia Auld Marianne Barrucand Sheila S. Blair Jonathan M. Bloom Barbara Brend Anna Contadini Abbas Daneshvari Geza Fehervari Barbara Finster Finbarr Barry Flood Oleg Grabar Ulrike al-Khamis Marcus Milwright Bernard O'Kane B. W. Robinson Avinoam Shalem Raya Y. Shani Rachel Ward