1 of 8 Heaven on Earth, an exhibition at Somerset House in London, presents a selection of masterpieces, covering more than a thousand years of Islamic art. Above are illustrated opening pages of the Koran.
2 of 8 Inscriptions from the Koran also appear on tiles and were used for both interiors and exteriors from late 12th and 13th Centuries.
3 of 8 The purpose of these stones is not known but the presence of the verse of the Throne from the Koran is suggests the stones may have been used in funerals.
4 of 8 One of the earliest examples of animated scripts is on the Bobrinsky Bucket dated AH 599/AD 1163.
5 of 8 These bracelets, made in India in the 17th Century, were a gift to the young Tsar Ivan VI. Their inner surface is decorated with enamels, their outer surface is thickly encrusted with precious stones.
6 of 8 The use of enamels and precious stones can be found again in the design of this small table. There are four diamonds, 1,762 rubies and 380 emeralds in this piece.
7 of 8 There are many examples of small three-dimensional pottery or metal vessels in animal or human form, produced for the Persian courts.
8 of 8 This watercolour shows a woman proffering a water-pipe. The exhibition of Islamic Art from the State Hermitage Museum and The Khalili Collection continues at Somerset House London until October 2004.
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