Oriental splendour. Islamic art from German private collections. exhibition of the Museum f�r Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg, 18th June - 22nd August 1993. Preface Wilhelm Hornbostel.

Einband leicht berieben. - "Islam means submission - it is an abundance of forms, bom of an imagination guided to the abstract by religious demands - within this framework the imagination evolved unrestrainedly and exuberantly." When Heinrich Kohlhau�n, a member of the staff of the Museum f�r Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg, gave this short definition of Islamic art decades ago, the Museum's "excellent pieces of Ottoman and Iranian craftsmanship" were in his full view; in fact, since the foundation of the Museum in 1877, Islamic works of art have been appreciated and collected. One of the earliest acquisitions was a Persian bowl from the 17th century (inv. no. 1877.431), an imitation of Chinese porcelain. The 150th anniversary of the birth of Justus Brinckmann, the founder and first director of the Museum, will be commemorated on 23rd May this year. Brinckmann concentrated on Islamic ceramics (e. g. Iznik ware) and architectural ornaments. During his era, excellent pieces of these genres became part of the Museum's collection. His successors emphasized other aspects of Islamic art; e. g. Erich Meyer and Lise Lotte M�ller succeeded in acquiring important Oriental carpets for the Museum, whilst Axel von Saldern contributed to the collection by acquiring fine pieces of glass. In the course of a century, the collection took shape. Though certainly not spectacular in quantity, its quality is highly esteemed by experts. ISBN 9783861085072