All Collections

Khalili Publications of the Eight Collections

With over one hundred and twenty publications, each work of art in the Khalili Collections has been meticulously conserved, researched, catalogued and as part of what is considered to be one of the most ambitious art scholarship projects in modern history. Over eighty eight volumes have already been published, edited by Professor Sir Nasser D. Khalili and with contributions from the world’s leading experts in each respective field.

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The Abbasid Tradition: Qur’ans of the 8th to the 10th centuries AD

The Collection contains the largest and most comprehensive range of Qur’anic material in private hands.

The Master Scribes: Qur’ans of the 10th to 14th centuries AD

This is the second of four volumes cataloguing the Qur’anic material in the Collection; it covers the period from 1000 to 1400 and includes examples from Iraq, Iran, Syria, Egypt, Anatolia, India, Spain and North Africa.

After Timur: Qur’ans of the 15th and 16th centuries

This is the third of four volumes cataloguing the Qur’anic material in the Collection; it covers the period from 1400 to 1600 and presents 60 items from Iran, Central Asia, Syria, Egypt, Turkey and India.

The Decorated Word: Qur’ans of the 17th to 19th centuries – Part One

This is the fourth and final volume cataloguing the Qur’anic material in the Collection; it is published in two parts and includes over 150 Qur’ans produced…

The Decorated Word: Qur’ans of the 17th to 19th centuries – Part Two

This is the fourth and final volume cataloguing the Qur’anic material in the Collection; it is published in two parts and includes over 150 Qur’ans produced…

The Art of the Pen: Calligraphy of the 14th to 20th Centuries

The demanding discipline of calligraphy, centring on the power of the written word and transmitted from master to pupil through the ages, is fundamental to…

Bills, Letters and Deeds: Arabic Papyri of the 7th to 11th Centuries

Most of the Arabic documents that have survived from the first three centuries of the Islamic era were written on papyrus, the most commonly used writing material in the Near East during this period.

Learning, Piety and Poetry. Manuscripts from the Islamic world

This volume is devoted to the illuminated but largely unillustrated Arabic, Persian and Turkish manuscripts in the Collection.

Paintings from India

This volume is devoted to painting in India under the Mughals. The material presented here ranges in date from the 16th to the 19th centuries and comprises 76 illustrated…

Cobalt and Lustre: The first centuries of Islamic pottery

This is the first of two volumes cataloguing the ceramic holdings in the Collection – nearly 2,000 objects produced all over the Muslim world.

A Rival to China. Later Islamic pottery – Part One

This volume is the second of two devoted to the ceramics in the Collection. Here, nearly 400 works produced after the Mongol conquests are presented…

A Rival to China. Later Islamic pottery – Part Two

This volume is the second of two devoted to the ceramics in the Collection. Here, nearly 400 works produced after the Mongol conquests are presented…

Brasses, Bronze and Silver of the Islamic Lands – Part One

The metalwork in the Collection comprises nearly 1,000 objects, from across the Islamic world, Sicily to India, and dating from the 6th to the early 20th centuries.

Brasses, Bronze and Silver of the Islamic Lands – Part Two

The metalwork in the Collection comprises nearly 1,000 objects, from across the Islamic world, Sicily to India, and dating from the 6th to the early 20th centuries.

Brasses, Bronze and Silver of the Islamic Lands – Part Three

The metalwork in the Collection comprises nearly 1,000 objects, from across the Islamic world, Sicily to India, and dating from the 6th to the early 20th centuries.

Brasses, Bronze and Silver of the Islamic Lands – Part Four

The metalwork in the Collection comprises nearly 1,000 objects, from across the Islamic world, Sicily to India, and dating from the 6th to the early 20th centuries.

Science, Tools & Magic: Part One, Body and Spirit Mapping the Universe

This two-part volume contains a large and important group of objects and manuscripts that may be broadly categorised as scientific instruments, tools or magical implements.

Science, Tools & Magic: Part Two, Mundane Worlds

This two-part volume contains a large and important group of objects and manuscripts that may be broadly categorised as scientific instruments, tools or magical implements.

Seals and Talismans – Part Two

There are more than 3500 seals and talismans of the Islamic era in the Collection, including a large number mounted in rings, set in varieties of bases and framed as pendants.

Textiles, Carpets and Costumes – Part One

The Collection includes more than 250 textiles, embroideries, carpets and costumes from across the Islamic lands dating from the 6th to the 19th centuries.

Textiles, Carpets and Costumes – Part Two

The Collection includes more than 250 textiles, embroideries, carpets and costumes from across the Islamic lands dating from the 6th to the 19th centuries.

Glass: From Sasanian antecedents to European imitations

The Collection contains more than 300 objects that encapsulate the history of Islamic glass from its Byzantine and Sasanian antecedents to late 19th- and early 20th-century revivals.

Ornament and Amulet: Rings of the Islamic Lands

The remarkable material presented in this volume – more than 600 rings from the Islamic lands and beyond – has provided a rare opportunity to survey…

The Art of Adornment: Jewellery of the Islamic lands – Part One

The magnificent holdings of Islamic jewellery in the Collection are more comprehensive than any other published collection.

The Art of Adornment: Jewellery of the Islamic lands – Part Two

The magnificent holdings of Islamic jewellery in the Collection are more comprehensive than any other published collection.

Gems and Jewels of Mughal India. Jewelled and enamelled objects from the 16th to 20th centuries

The nearly 200 Indian jewelled and enamelled luxury objects in the Collection add significantly to the corpus of Mughal art and to the history of goldsmiths’ work and hardstone-carving in the Indian subcontinent.



Dinars and Dirhams. Coins of the Islamic lands. The early period (Part One)

The Islamic coinage in the Collection is among the most outstanding in private hands, with over 15,000 issues in gold, silver and copper.

Dinars and Dirhams. Coins of the Islamic lands. The later period (Part Two)

The Islamic coinage in the Collection is among the most outstanding in private hands, with over 15,000 issues in gold, silver and copper.

The Arts of War: Arms and Armour of the 7th to 19th centuries

The arms and armour in the Collection range in date from the 7th to 19th centuries.

Lacquer of the Islamic Lands – Part One

This two-part volume presents the Collection’s more than 500 examples of Islamic lacquer – predominantly papier-mâché wares with painted and varnished decoration…

Lacquer of the Islamic Lands – Part Two

This two-part volume presents the Collection’s more than 500 examples of Islamic lacquer – predominantly papier-mâché wares with painted and varnished decoration…

Occidentalism. Islamic Art in the 19th Century

Islamic art of the 19th century has received very little attention, and this is the first work devoted entirely to the subject.

Monuments and Memorials. Carvings and tile work from the Islamic world

This volume is devoted to architectural decoration and tombstones in the Collection from across the Islamic world, from the Iberian peninsula to the Indian subcontinent…

The Tale and the Image Volume One. History and epic paintings from Iran and Turkey

This volume is devoted to the Collection’s illustrated manuscripts and detached folios with historical and heroic epic subjects. Produced in Iran, India and Turkey, they date from the early 14th to the 20th centuries; many are of major artistic importance. A number of folios in the Collection come from manuscripts of Firdawsi’s Shāhnāmah.

The Tale and the Image Volume Two. Illustrated manuscripts and album paintings from Iran and Turkey

This volume is mainly devoted to the Collection’s illustrated manuscripts and detached folios with painted illustrations – primarily romantic poetry and anthologies…

A Compendium of Chronicles: Rashid al-Din’s illustrated history of the world

The Collection contains the largest and most comprehensive range of Qur’anic material in private hands. This, the first of four volumes devoted to the subject…

The Khalili Portolan Atlas. A Facsimile Edition With text

Columbus’s discoveries in the New World quickly became known in the Muslim lands around the Mediterranean, and the man who played a leading role in transmitting them…

The Khalili Falnamah

Originally commissioned by the Safavid ruler Shah Tahmasp in the mid-16th century, the Falnamah, or Book of Omens’, is the only illustrated manuscript solely dedicated to the subject of divination.

Turcoman Jewellery

Strong traditions and a particular lifestyle define the Turcoman of Central Asia. This long-established worldview found its most expressive artistic representation…

Selected Arabic Papyri

This volume contains a detailed examination of 36 of the papyri in the Collection, all written between the 8th and 10th centuries, before the Fatimid conquest of Egypt in 968.

Piri Reis and Turkish Mapmaking after Columbus

Columbus’s discoveries in the New World quickly became known in the Muslim lands around the Mediterranean, and the man who played a leading role in transmitting…

Bactrian Documents from Northern Afghanistan

During the last twenty years, more than 150 documents in Bactrian, the language of pre-Islamic Afghanistan, have come to light. These documents, which have been deciphered and published by Nicholas Sims-Williams…

Bactrian Documents from Northern Afghanistan Part II

During the last twenty years, more than 150 documents in Bactrian, the language of pre-Islamic Afghanistan, have come to light. These documents, which have been…

Bactrian Documents from Northern Afghanistan Part III

During the last twenty years, more than 150 documents in Bactrian, the language of pre-Islamic Afghanistan, have come to light. These documents, which have been deciphered…

Arab-Byzantine Coinage

The coinage of Syria and Palestine issued during the first fifty years of Islamic rule is of exceptional interest, but until recently has been little studied…

Arabic Documents from Early Islamic Khurasan

The history of Eastern Iran (Khurasan) in the Abbasid period has so far been based on literary sources, which, regrettably, tell us practically nothing of its administration…

Hajj and The Arts of Pilgrimage

Focusing on pilgrimage to Mecca and the arts associated with it, the Hajj and the Arts of Pilgrimage Collection is the largest and the most important of its kind…

Hajj and The Arts of Pilgrimage Essays in Honour of Nasser David Khalili

Focusing on pilgrimage to Mecca and the arts associated with it, the Hajj and the Arts of Pilgrimage Collection is the largest and the most important of its kind…

Hajj and The Arts of Pilgrimage Essays in Honour Of Nasser David Khalili

Focusing on pilgrimage to Mecca and the arts associated with it, the Hajj and the Arts of Pilgrimage Collection is the largest and the most important of its kind…

The Pilgrim’s Companion: The Khalili Anis al-Hujjaj

Focusing on pilgrimage to Mecca and the arts associated with it, the Hajj and the Arts of Pilgrimage Collection is the largest and the most important of its kind…

Hajj and The Arts of Pilgrimage – Volume I

Focusing on pilgrimage to Mecca and the arts associated with it, the Hajj and the Arts of Pilgrimage Collection is the largest and the most important of its kind…

Hajj and The Arts of Pilgrimage – Volume II

Focusing on pilgrimage to Mecca and the arts associated with it, the Hajj and the Arts of Pilgrimage Collection is the largest and the most important of its kind…

Hajj and The Arts of Pilgrimage – Volume III

Focusing on pilgrimage to Mecca and the arts associated with it, the Hajj and the Arts of Pilgrimage Collection is the largest and the most important of its kind…

Hajj and The Arts of Pilgrimage – Volume IV

Focusing on pilgrimage to Mecca and the arts associated with it, the Hajj and the Arts of Pilgrimage Collection is the largest and the most important of its kind…

Hajj and The Arts of Pilgrimage – Volume V (5.1)

Focusing on pilgrimage to Mecca and the arts associated with it, the Hajj and the Arts of Pilgrimage Collection is the largest and the most important of its kind…

Hajj and The Arts of Pilgrimage – Volume V (5.2)

Focusing on pilgrimage to Mecca and the arts associated with it, the Hajj and the Arts of Pilgrimage Collection is the largest and the most important of its kind…

Hajj and The Arts of Pilgrimage – Volume VI

Focusing on pilgrimage to Mecca and the arts associated with it, the Hajj and the Arts of Pilgrimage Collection is the largest and the most important of its kind…

Hajj and The Arts of Pilgrimage – Volume VII (7.1)

Focusing on pilgrimage to Mecca and the arts associated with it, the Hajj and the Arts of Pilgrimage Collection is the largest and the most important of its kind…

Hajj and The Arts of Pilgrimage – Volume VII (7.2)

Focusing on pilgrimage to Mecca and the arts associated with it, the Hajj and the Arts of Pilgrimage Collection is the largest and the most important of its kind…

Aramaic Documents from Ancient Bactria (Fourth Century BCE.)

This is the first publication of a group of 30 documents on leather in Official Aramaic, dating to the 4th century bc and reflecting the practice of the…

JAPONISME Artistry and Influence

This collection of six illustrated essays provides essential background information on the history of the Meiji period (1868–1912).

MEIJI NO TAKARA – Treasures of Imperial Japan; Selected Essays

This collection of six illustrated essays provides essential background information on the history of the Meiji period (1868–1912).

MEIJI NO TAKARA – Treasures of Imperial Japan; Metalwork Part One

This volume introduces 161 examples from the greatest group of Meiji-period masterpieces in metal ever assembled, decorated in an astonishing variety of virtuoso techniques…

MEIJI NO TAKARA – Treasures of Imperial Japan; Metalwork Part Two

This volume introduces 161 examples from the greatest group of Meiji-period masterpieces in metal ever assembled, decorated in an astonishing variety of virtuoso techniques…

MEIJI NO TAKARA – Treasures of Imperial Japan; Enamel

Japanese cloisonné enamels were a technical triumph of the Meiji (1868-1912) and Taisho (1912-1926) periods, and the 107 examples reproduced in this…

MEIJI NO TAKARA – Treasures of Imperial Japan; Lacquer Part One

Due to strong continuities of type and style in this most characteristically Japanese of arts, the first of the two parts making up this volume includes…

MEIJI NO TAKARA – Treasures of Imperial Japan; Lacquer Part Two

Due to strong continuities of type and style in this most characteristically Japanese of arts, the first of the two parts making up this volume includes…

MEIJI NO TAKARA – Treasures of Imperial Japan; Ceramics Part One: Porcelain

This volume is published in two parts dealing with the development of, respectively, porcelain and earthenware. The first part concentrates on Miyagawa (Makuzu) Kozan (1842–1916)

MEIJI NO TAKARA – Treasures of Imperial Japan; Ceramics Part Two: Earthenware

The second part of the catalogue of the ceramic holdings of the Collection focuses on another great artist-entrepreneur, Yabu Meizan (1853–1934)

MEIJI NO TAKARA – Treasures of Imperial Japan; Masterpieces by Shibata Zeshin

The Khalili collection of 100 works by Shibata Zeshin (1807–91) is the finest in the world.

Japonisme and the rise of the modern art movement – The Arts of the Meiji period

From the 1860s through to the 1890s the rise of Japonisme and the Art Nouveau movement meant few could resist the obsession with all things Japanese…

Embroidered Wonders Meiji era textiles in the Khalili Collections

From the 1860s through to the 1890s the rise of Japonisme and the Art Nouveau movement meant few could resist the obsession with all things Japanese…

Kimono

The Khalili Collection of kimono, which comprises more than 200 garments and spans 300 years of Japanese textile artistry, brilliantly conveys the remarkable creativity of…

Kimonos (French edition)

The Khalili Collection of kimono, which comprises more than 200 garments and spans 300 years of Japanese textile artistry, brilliantly conveys the remarkable…

Kimono (Italian Edition)

The Khalili Collection of kimono, which comprises more than 200 garments and spans 300 years of Japanese textile artistry, brilliantly conveys the remarkable creativity of designers who used the surface of the garment to produce a wearable work of art.

Images of culture

The Khalili Collection of kimono, which comprises more than 200 garments and spans 300 years of Japanese textile artistry, brilliantly conveys the remarkable…

Swedish Textile Art – Traditional Marriage Weavings from Scania

Swedish Textile Art is the first book for more than a decade to present some of the best examples of textile art from southern Sweden, small panels that were mostly…

The Art and Tradition of the Zuloagas, Spanish Damascene from the Khalili Collection

The art of damascening in precious metals on iron is of great antiquity, and was the decoration of choice on arms and armour from prehistory through to modern times.

Enamels of the World – 1700-2000

This volume presents over 300 pieces from the ‘Enamels of the World 1700–2000’ collection, the most comprehensive private collection known dedicated to this unique art form.

Exhibition Catalogues

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Empire of the Sultans. Ottoman Art from the Collection of Nasser D. Khalili, Musée Rath, Geneva, Switzerland

Catalogues in association with the exhibition L’empire des sultans, at the Musée Rath, Geneva, Switzerland, 7 July-24 September 1995.

Empire of the Sultans: Ottoman Art from the Khalili Collection,Brunei Gallery, London and Israel Museum, Jerusalem, Israel

The Turkish holdings in the Khalili Collection constitute the most comprehensive collection of Ottoman art outside Turkey, with examples from the 15th to the early 20th…

Empire of the Sultans. Ottoman Art from the Khalili Collection, US tour of the exhibitions

Catalogue in association with the the US tour of the exhibition Empire of the Sultans, held in 13 venues in the USA between February 2000 – February 2004.

Marvels of the East. Indian Paintings of the Mughal Period from the Khalili Collection

This was the first in a series of exhibitions dealing with Islamic art at Tel Aviv Museum.

The Arts of Islam. Treasures from the Nasser D. Khalili Collection, Sydney, Australia

Professor J.M. Rogers Fellow of the British Academy; Honorary Curator, Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art; Former Deputy Keeper of the Department…

The Arts of Islam. Treasures from the Nasser D. Khalili Collection, Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi

Professor J.M. Rogers Fellow of the British Academy; Honorary Curator, Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art; Former Deputy Keeper of the Department of Oriental…

Arts de l’Islam: chefs-d’œuvre de la collection Khalili

Catalogue in association with the exhibition Arts de l’Islam. chefs-d’œuvre de la collection Khalili at the Institut du monde arabe, Paris, 6 October 2009 – 14 March 2010

The Arts of Islam. Masterpieces from Khalili Collection

Reprint of 2008 catalogue which was associated with the exhibition The Arts of Islam.Treasures from the Nasser D. Khalili Collection.

Passie Voor Perfectie, Islamitische Kunst uit de Khalili Collecties

Passie Voor Perfectie, Islamitische Kunst uit de Khalili Collecties Catalogue in association with the exhibition Passion for Perfection: Islamic Art from the Khalili Collection at Nieuwe Kerk, Amsterdam, Netherlands (11 December 2010 – 17 April 2011) Published 2010 Luitgard Mols About the author Luitgard Mols – Guest-curator specialised in the arts of the Islamic world, […]

Japanese Imperial Craftsmen, Meiji Art from the Khalili Collection

catalogue in association with the exhibition at the British Museum 1994.

Treasures of Imperial Japan, Ceramics from the Khalili Collection

Catalogue in association with the exhibition at the National Museum of Wales, Cardiff, 1994-1995

Shibata Zeshin, Masterpieces of Japanese lacquer from the Khalili Collection

Shibata Zeshin (1807–91) was one of the finest exponents of lacquerware in the history of Japanese art.

Splendors of Meiji – Treasures of Imperial Japan- Masterpieces From The Khalili Collection

Catalogue in association with the exhibition at the First USA Riverfront Arts Centre, Wilmington, Delaware, USA, 1999

Splendors of Imperial Japan, Arts of the Meiji Period from the Khalili Collection

Catalogue in association with the exhibition at the Portland Art Museum, Portland, Oregon, USA

Wonders of Imperial Japan, Meiji art from the Khalili Collection

Catalogue in association with the exhibition at Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, Netherlands 7 July – 22 October 2006

Japan Meiji – Kunst & Japonismus From The Khalili Collections

Catalogue in association with the exhibition at Kunsthalle Krems, Krems, Austria 25 February – 3 June 2007

BEYOND IMAGINATION Treasures of Imperial Japan from the Khalili Collection 19th to early 20th century

Catalogue in association with the exhibition ‘Beyond Imagination: Treasures of Imperial Japan from the Khalili Collection, 19th to early 20th century’, Kremlin Museums, Moscow, Russia, 5 July – 1 October 2017

Ornament and Malta

Catalogue in association with the exhibition Metal Magic: Spanish Treasures from the Khalili Collection, The Auberge de Provence, Valetta, Malta, 2012

The Timeline History of Islamic Art and Architecture

The history of Islam stretches from the 7th century to the present and encompasses an area from Spain to Indonesia, North Africa to China.

Art & Culture de l’Islam

This book provides a comprehensive overview of the arts of Islam for the general reader. Never before has there been a publication that brings every aspect of this vast…

Tijdslijn van de Islamitische Kunst en Architectuur

Originally published under the title The Timeline History of Islamic Art and Architecture, this book provides a comprehensive overview of the arts of Islam for the general…

Islamic Art and Culture. A visual History

Now more than ever, Islam and Islamic culture is a topic that is as misunderstood as it is fascinating. In this exquisite oversized volume spanning 1200 years…

Islamic Art and Culture. Timeline and History

This book provides a comprehensive overview of the arts of Islam for the general reader. Never before has there been a publication that brings every aspect of…

Visions of Splendour in Islamic Art and Culture

Originally published under the title The Timeline History of Islamic Art and Architecture, this book is a move in a new direction for the author, since it is designed as…

Enamels of The World 1700 – 2000 From The Khalili Collections – [Russian Version]

This exhibition was the inaugural presentation of a remarkable new facet of the Khalili Collections, perhaps best known for the unparalleled collections of Islamic and…