"The Arts of Islam. Masterpieces from the Khalili Collection" @ Institut du Monde Arabe, Paris

Frontispiece with a dedication to Sultan Khalil (detail). Iran, Tabriz, 1478 AD. Ink, gold and opaque watercolour on paper, 20.3 x 13.5 cm. © Nour Foundation. Courtesy of the Khalili Family Trust

Some 500 selected pieces from the fabulous Nasser D Khalili Collection of Islamic Art will be on view, most of which have not been exhibited in Europe before. The pieces span thirteen centuries and include richly illuminated copies of the Holy Qur’an as well as secular manuscripts and paintings, magnificent wall hangings and carpets, exquisite ceramics and glass, fine metalwork and sumptuous gold, jewels and lacquerware together with carvings in wood and stone. The exhibition will display these treasures in three main sections, Faith, Wisdom and Destiny, to illustrate not only the relationship between art and the sacred, but also what is meant by the term ‘Islamic art’.

Bowl with inscription, ‘Generosity is the disposition of the dwellers of Paradise’. Iran, Nishapur, 10th century AD.  earthenware, painted in red and black under a colourless glaze, diameter 25.6 cm. © Nour Foundation. Courtesy of the Khalili Family Trust

In this context, the term ‘Islamic art’ is used in the first place to describe art produced by Muslim artists for Muslim patrons (although there are numerous works in Islamic styles produced by, or for, non-Muslims). It reflects the geographical and cultural diversity of the lands of Islam, covering a multitude of forms from architectural decoration to the arts of the book and the decorative arts such as glass, metalwork, pottery, jewellery and textiles. The term ‘Islamic’ does not entail that this art is necessarily religious in content or use: much of it is secular in nature. Instead, it is ‘Islamic’ because its artistic vocabulary is deeply rooted in Muslim philosophical thought, so that the creative expression of the various Muslim peoples is shaped by the spirit and the doctrines of the Muslim faith.

Mosque lamp. Syria or Egypt, 15th century. glass, enamelled and gilt, 33 x 25 cm dia. © Nour Foundation. Courtesy of the Khalili Family Trust

Calligraphy is especially important, as the means by which the Qur’anic text was recorded and transmitted. The various scripts, moreover, play an important role not only in manuscripts but also in architecture, ceramics, glass, textiles and other media. Contrary to popular assumption, figural imagery also plays an important role in Islamic art. Although the representation of the human form and animals was not permitted in a religious context, this rule did not extend to secular art.

Rectangular casket with the remains of a combination lock. Iraq, Jazira, 1200-50 AD. sheet brass, with silver inlay, 20.5 x 19.5 x 16 cm. © Nour Foundation. Courtesy of the Khalili Family Trust

The Arts of Islam illustrates the breadth of artistic achievement in the Islamic world from the 7th century to the early 20th century with pieces from China and India to Turkey, from Iran to Egypt, and from Iraq to Tunisia and Spain. Objects from the early Islamic dynasties of the 7th to 10th centuries demonstrate the development of the new Islamic style which was still influenced to some extent by the artistic traditions of the preceding Sasanian and Byzantine periods.

Bhawani Das (attrib.), The rulers of the Mughal dynasty from Babur to Awrangzeb, with their ancestor, Tamerlane. Mughal India, c. 1707-12.  Album leaf. Opaque watercolour and gold on paper, 25.8 x 34.2 cm. © Nour Foundation. Courtesy of the Khalili Family Trust

Subsequently, the medieval Islamic period from the 10th to early 13th centuries was a time of exceptional artistic production involving new materials such as lustre-painted ceramics and paper. It was also marked by a dramatic evolution of manuscript decoration, seen in the magnificent display of illuminated Qur’ans.

Folio from an oblong-format Qur’an. North Africa or Spain, 10th century. Gold on vellum, stained royal blue. Kufic script, 15 lines to the page, 28.3 x 37.7 cm. © Nour Foundation. Courtesy of the Khalili Family Trust

Following the Mongol invasions of the 13th century, Islamic art featured refined styles heavily influenced by the cultures of Central Asia and China. Objects of particular interest are a saddle with delicate filigree gold trappings, dating from the 13th-14th century, and Rashid al-Din’s Jami‘ al-Tawarikh (Compendium of Chronicles), the first Muslim universal history, written in 1314-15, seen through the eyes of the Mongol conquerors.

Section from the kiswah of Maqam Ibrahim. Egypt, Cairo, late 18th -early 19th century. Silk lampas, with silver and silver-gilt wire, 200 x 125 cm. © Nour Foundation. Courtesy of the Khalili Family Trust

An increase in the production of illuminated manuscripts, in particular wonderfully detailed Persian and Ottoman miniature paintings, the development and profusion of blue and white ceramic wares as well as the emergence of fine Iznik pottery, are expressed in the splendid display of objects from the Safavid and Ottoman periods in the 16th to 19th centuries. One of the highlights of this display is the ten folios from the Shahnamah (The Book of Kings), made for the Safavid ruler Shah Tahmasp (1514-1576) who was himself a painter of miniatures. Colourful enamelled objects from Mughal India, intricately executed jewellery studded with precious stones, and finely woven carpets and textiles also feature strongly in these periods.

Door handle. Northern Mesopotamia (now south-east Turkey), early 13th century AD. Quaternary copper alloy, cast and engraved, 33.7 x 39.5 cm; 33.5 x 40.5 cm. © Nour Foundation. Courtesy of the Khalili Family Trust

This breathtaking exhibition ends with pieces from the later 19th century such as enamelled pocket watches with portraits of rulers and delicately painted lacquer pen boxes which clearly show the impact of European influence on the arts of Islam during this period.

The Nasser D Khalili Collection of Islamic Art, with some 20,000 works, is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world, encompassing the entire history of Islamic art from its beginnings in the 7th century until the present day. The entire Collection is being published under the auspices of the Khalili Family Trust and will comprise 31 volumes in total, 17 of which are already available.

Incense-burner or pomander in the shape of a lynx. Iran, late 12th or early 13th century. Copper alloy, cast, with engraved and openwork decoration. Height:  27 cm. © Nour Foundation. Courtesy of the Khalili Family Trust

The Arts of Islam. Masterpieces from the Khalili Collection has previously been exhibited in Australia and Abu Dhabi. The Institut du Monde Arabe welcomes to Europe for the first time this collection of exceptional objects that bear testimony to the brilliance and artistic sophistication of the cultures of Islam.

Institut du Monde Arabe. 6 October 2009 - 14 March 2010 www.imarabe.org