Poorly reproduced plates provide enough depth and detail to be usable for design work. Plates selected for inclusion in this collection lack focus and range from architectural ornament to carpets and textiles to decorative motifs from Korans. I have not seen the original work, published in three volumes (text and two folios of plates), but I suspect this abridgment does not reveal the depth and breadth of the original collection. Still, it is nice to have this inexpensive edition of Islamic Egyptian art documented in the nineteenth century. ( )

Originally published in 1877 and 1885. 141 color re-drawings and re-paintings are derived from Islamic, NOT necessarily Arabic, art. Most of the things illustrated actually include dates and a number are SCA period, but they are not photos.