The geographical and chronological range of the glass holdings of the Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah is so comprehensive that it allows a detailed study of this neglected medium in the field of Islamic art. With few exceptions, the collection of over 5 complete or nearly complete objects - the great majority published here for the first time - and a representative selection of fragments are studied and illustrated in the present volume, about 25 of which deserve closer attention and are examined in extensive entries; the remainder is fully described without discussion. This work is therefore a useful reference tool as a descriptive catalogue, in addition to providing a better understanding of Islamic glass in general - both in the framework of the Islamic artistic vocabulary and of glass production worldwide.
