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Islam's unknown tradition of figurationMany people believe that it is not permitted to depict human figures in Islamic art, but the Quran does not expressly forbid it, and the human figure does appear. While some Muslims have criticized and even destroyed human depictions as idolatrous, others have, from the very earliest period, commissioned works of art with human figures as an essential element. These figures appear everywhere: on ceramic dishes, inlaid metalwork, textiles, architecture and especially in detailed miniature paintings.A copiously illustrated book on a subject that is rarely elucidated in the world of Islamic art, this publication focuses on the various ways the human figure has been used over time -- used as ornament and symbol, scientific diagram, narrative illustration and independent painting.