This volume explores Sassanian, Central Asian, Byzantine, Coptic, and early Arab stylistic sources of Umayyad sculpture and architectural decoration, and discusses the way in which the Umayyad artisans melded motifs, composi-tions, and styles adopted from various sources into an innovative whole. This sophisticated orchestration of the various stylistic sources lends a fascinating dimension to the appreciation of Umayyad art. The simultaneous processes of transformation and continuity are evident in the works of many Umayyad artists, whose individual stylistic origins remain distinctive despite the great degree of flexibility and experimentation embodied in their art.
The method used in this study places the focus on the artistic styles prevalent in Umayyad art. Case studies of three late Umayyad palaces - Khirbat alMafjar, Mshatta, and Qasr alHayr West - provide an indepth, multifaceted, and accurate account of the evolution and formation of Islamic art.