Wondrous Worlds Art and Islam Through Time and Place

September xiv–December 2, 2018

The history and breadth of Islamic art takes center phase in this landmark showroom on loan from the Newark Museum. The more 100 works on brandish in Wondrous Worlds reflect aspects of religion, culture, and everyday life of Muslims beyond the globe and throughout the ages.

The exhibition features works in virtually all media, including carpets, costumes, jewelry, ceramics, glassware, metalworks, prints, paintings and photographs. Contemporary works from artists such as Rachid Koraichi and Victor Ekpuk, and modern day calligraphy by Hassan Massoudy are shown with pieces dating back to the ninth-century. Highlights range from dazzling lustrewares of Iran and Spain to frail prayer rugs from Turkey and India, besides equally Harem #1 from the bi-national Moroccan-American photographer Lalla Essaydi and a majestic pair of early-20th-century Egyptian appliqué tent hangings—measuring 10 feet high and 6 feet broad—that were acquired in Egypt in 1929 by John Cotton Dana, the Newark Museum's founding director and museum education pioneer.

Inscribed Coffeepot and Cups. Algeria, early on 20th century. Brass, copper, argent. Newark Museum. Purchase, 1928, 28.452, 28.454A,B.

"John Cotton Dana focused on making relevant connections between objects and people's lives, while providing inspiration to artists, artisans and makers beyond disciplines," said Steven Kern, Newark Museum Director and CEO. "Through this exhibition, audiences volition proceeds a more nuanced understanding and appreciation for Islamic art forth with other multi-cultural fine art forms they may encounter in the future."

The exhibition features a world map populated with select items that demonstrate the intercontinental reach of the Dar al-Islam or Islamic World—touching all continents except Antarctica.

"Most Islamic art exhibitions focus on works from the Middle Due east, North Africa or South asia, but this exhibition includes a much larger scope," said Dr. Katherine Anne Paul, Curator of the Arts of Asia at the Newark Museum and lead curator of the exhibition. "We showcase works from Southeast Asia, the Americas equally well every bit East and West Africa."

Homo's Sawari Glaze with Boteh and Woven Floral Motifs. India, Kashmir, late 18th or early 19th century, Mughal Flow (1526—1857). Tapestry-woven silk, metal-wrapped threads. Newark Museum. Souvenir of Mrs. August Gilbert Buse, 1965, 65.67.

Wondrous Worlds opens with an introduction to the Five Pillars of Islam—Announcement of Faith, Daily Prayers, Clemency, Fasting for Ramadan, and the Hajj Pilgrimage—to provide context and a distinctive view into the role, artistry and cultural histories of the objects. The exhibition then expands upon five themes:

Internationalisms—Then and Now highlights the long history of inter-continental trade and the role that the Hajj pilgrimage plays in promoting international interconnections. The merchandise of Turkish textiles to Morocco, English and Dutch textiles inspired past Indonesian prints that were exported to Africa, equally well every bit ceramics traded between China, Iran, and Turkey are featured in this section.

Quran, Calligraphy and Volume Arts delves into the power of the written word, not just through the Quran but likewise through histories and poetry written in diverse scripts representing different languages including Standard arabic, Farsi, Nsibidi, Turkish, and Urdu.

Hospitality: Fasting, Feasting, and Fun celebrates the domesticated arts. A mise-en-scene installation of a Moroccan feast boasts a Rabat carpet, leather cushions, wooden screen and metallic table settings. Glorious ceramics, paintings, and musical instruments from other regions are also included.

Architecture and Its Offspring glories in architectural legacies displayed in carpets, printed textiles, article of furniture, tile-works, and historic and gimmicky photographs of India and Kingdom of morocco.

Torso Beautiful: Costumes, Fashion, and Faith positions silk, velvet, and sequined costumes and textiles aslope fabulous jewelry fashioned from diamonds, pearls, emeralds, jade, aureate, and silver.

The exhibition is sponsored in role by the Coby Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the NJ Quango on the Humanities. Special thank you go to The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation for support of curatorial and conservation activities related to the exhibition. At Middlebury, the installation is supported by the Christian A. Johnson Memorial Fund.

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Source: http://museum.middlebury.edu/exhibitions/upcoming/node/2360

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