A rare look into the glass collection of the Museum of Islamic Art, Qatar, through the eyes of an ancient and medieval glass expert and aficionado. Imperfect Perfection summarises the material culture of glass from the time leading up to and during the Islamic Golden Age, providing insights into the artifacts, history and process of discovery. The glass is extravagantly photographed to reflect the intimacy of the objects.

This well-illustrated (mainly in bandw) volume was produced in conjunction with the opening of the newly refurbished galleries in the museum. The initial chapters discuss the history of collecting of early medieval objects, with two chapters on J.P. Morgan. The remaining scholarly studies discuss the small luxury and everyday metal objects that make up the exceptional collection at the Met; consideration of the archaeological context is prominent. Individual papers discuss jewelry from various locations, the Vermand treasure, the Domagnano treasure, the Vrap treasure, and an analysis of the Lindau book cover. The contributors are affiliated with academic and museum institutions in the US and Europe. Annotation copyrighted by Book News Inc., Portland, OR

A landmark contribution to our knowledge of the Roman glass industry in the Western Mediterranean