The past three years have provided an opportunity to see two exquisite and thought-provoking exhibitions of Islamic art and the art that influenced or responded to the brilliant creations of Islamic artists. These exhibitions, The Arts of Fire and Palace and Mosque, offered visitors a rare opportunity to see a wide variety of luxury items in an exhibition context designed to educate viewers about the formal characteristics of Islamic art and the dynamic environment in which these objects were produced. Furthermore, both exhibitions were accompanied by well-written and lavishly illustrated catalogues that supported the agendas behind the selection of the works included in the exhibits. The exhibition, curated by Tim Stanley of the Victoria and Albert Museum, has brought a group of masterpieces from the South Kensington Museum’s permanent collection on tour during the renovation of the galleries and their future reinstallation as the Jameel Gallery of Islamic Art. Catherine Hess, associate curator in the Department of Sculpture and Decorative Arts at the J. Paul Getty Museum, took a more narrow approach in her choice of objects from the Getty’s permanent collection and from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York....