Review by Choice Review
Like many doctoral dissertations that culminate in a book form, this volume is well researched, organized, and thorough on its subject; but ideas, however original and stimulating they may be, are put forth tentatively. Unlike the all-encompassing work, Lisa Golombek and Donald Wilber's Timurid Architecture of Iran and Turan (reviewed above), which appeared almost simultaneously, O'Kane's book focuses only on one region of the Timurid world--that of Khorasan, which lies today partly in Iran and partly in Afghanistan. After a brief discussion of the historical background, the author surveys types and functions of Timurid buildings, methods and materials employed in construction, decoration, and patronage and society. Although convincing arguments are made, the theoretical content of the text is slim; it is heavier on descriptive material. The ample number of drawings elucidate the text, particularly the catalog section, but the black-and-white photographs are not very clear and often do not illustrate the intended point. The entries in the catalog part are quite detailed and may become bases for further studies on individual buildings. Level: upper-division undergraduate and graduate. -U. U. Bates, Hunter College, CUNY
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
