Divine Egypt @ Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York - A Landmark Exhibition that Explores Powerful Imagery of the Gods of Ancient Egypt

Divine Egypt 

Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

October 12, 2025 – January 19, 2026

Triad of Osiris, Horus, and Isis 

From Egypt, probably Thebes, Karnak Temple 

Third Intermediate Period, Dynasty 22, reign of Osorkon II 

(about 872–837 BCE) 

Gold inlaid with lapis lazuli. Acquired in 1872 

Paris, Louvre Museum, 

Department of Egyptian Antiquities (E 6204) 

© 2025 GrandPalaisRmn (Louvre Museum)

Photo: Mathieu Rabea 

Divine Egypt at The Metropolitan Museum of Art—the first major exhibition of Egyptian art at the Museum in over a decade—explores how images of gods in ancient Egypt were experienced not merely as spiritual depictions in temples, shrines, and tombs but were the instruments that brought the gods to life for daily worship, offering ancient Egyptians a vital connection between the human and divine worlds. The exhibition brings together over 200 spectacular works of art to examine the imagery associated with the most important deities in ancient Egypt’s complex and always-expanding constellation of gods.

Over more than 3,000 years, the Egyptian people’s belief system grew to include more than 1,500 gods with many overlapping forms and traits. Divine Egypt features impressive works of art, ranging from monumental statues to small elegant figurines in gleaming gold and silver and brilliant blue faience, that represent 25 of ancient Egypt’s principal deities, including the stately falcon-headed Horus, the potentially dangerous lion-headed Sakhmet, the great creator-god Re, and the serene mummiform Osiris. The exhibition will reveal the ways in which subtle visual cues, like what a figure wore, how they posed, or the symbols they carried, helped identify them and their roles.

“Divine Egypt will immerse visitors in the breathtaking imagery of the most formidable ancient deities and expansive universe of the Egyptian gods,” said Max Hollein, The Met’s Marina Kellen French Director and Chief Executive Officer. “The Museum’s galleries for Egyptian art are among the most beloved by our millions of yearly visitors, and this dazzling exhibition brings together some of our most exquisite works with loans from leading global institutions for an exceptional, once-in-a-lifetime exhibition of ancient Egyptian art.”

The exhibition includes magnificent works of ancient Egyptian art that have never been exhibited together before, many of them on loan from institutions such as the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; the Musée du Louvre, Paris; and the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, Copenhagen. There are also over 140 works from The Met’s own iconic Egyptian art collection. Highlights range from impressive sculpture to a striking pectoral in gold and lapis (the substances that the bodies of gods were believed to be made of) to detailed metal and wood sculptures. A solid gold statue of the god Amun will adorn a re-creation of a divine barque, a type of boat that held the principal deity of a temple and would be paraded through the streets during festivals so that people could commune directly with the god. Each section of the exhibition will provide an immersive opportunity to examine the ways in which the kings and people of ancient Egypt recognized and interacted with their gods.

"The ways in which the ancient Egyptian gods were depicted are vastly different from the divine beings in contemporary religions and therefore are intriguing to modern audiences," said Diana Craig Patch, Lila Acheson Wallace Curator in Charge of Egyptian Art. "The identity of an ancient Egyptian god may at first seem easy to recognize but looks can be deceiving, as one form can be shared by many deities. Across more than 3,000 years of history, gods, attributes, roles, and myths were rarely dropped from use, yet the Egyptians of the time had no difficulty understanding and accepting the resulting multiplicity. Through hundreds of spectacular objects, Divine Egypt will allow visitors to understand the complex nature of these deities and help translate the images that were needed to make the inhabitants of the celestial realm available to ancient Egyptians."

By focusing on the imagery associated with many of the most important and powerful deities in ancient Egypt, the exhibition reveals the multifaceted nature of ancient Egyptian religion as well as the ease with which ancient Egyptians connected with their complicated divine landscapes. Some deities deceptively employed the same imagery with the result that one form could be shared by many gods, while in other cases the roles of deities would expand or change over ancient Egypt’s long history, with one god taking on many forms. The evolution of this landscape over time created deities with numerous roles often having a different representation for each manifestation. Hathor, for example, can appear as a cow, a woman wearing a headdress of horns protecting a sun disk, or a human-headed snake, while some gods maintained consistent forms over thousands of years, like Ptah, who is almost always mummiform and wears a cap.

Divine Egypt also looks at how two categories of society interacted differently with the gods: the Pharoah and high priests had access to the gods in daily temple rituals, while non-royal Egyptians were not permitted to enter the inner sanctuaries of the great temples where the deities came to Earth and inhabited their images. Through objects of private devotion, including donations to offering tables and shrines in temples and images of deities found in homes and villages, the people of Egypt could find support from their gods daily.

The exhibition concludes with artifacts relating to the transition to the next life—a reality shared by Egyptians of all rank—with depictions of the gods who together oversaw each person’s passage from this world to the next: chief god of the underworld, Osiris, supported by his sisters, Isis and Nephthys, and Anubis, the canid-headed god who supervises the embalming process.

Divine Egypt is curated by Diana Craig Patch, Lila Acheson Wallace Curator in Charge of Egyptian Art at The Met, with Brendon Hainline, Research Associate, Department of Egyptian Art.

A fully illustrated catalogue will accompany the exhibition.

METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART

The Met Fifth Avenue, The Tisch Galleries, Gallery 899, 2nd floor

www.metmuseum.org

Philadelphia Antiques & Art Show 2018

The Philadelphia Antiques & 

Art Show 2018 

April 20 - 22, 2018

The 56th Philadelphia Antiques and Art Show will be held at South 11th Street & Kitty Hawk Avenue in the Philadelphia Navy Yard from April 20-22, 2018 and will jointly benefit the Philadelphia Museum of Art and Penn Medicine. The Show features furniture, paintings, jewelry, and many other objects. Visitors will discover fresh perspectives on Colonial and Pre-colonial American life with the opportunity to acquire choice works and benefit worthy causes.

The Philadelphia Antiques Show was founded in 1966 to support the work of Penn Medicine, and this year’s association with the Philadelphia Museum of Art marks the beginning of a new era for an historic tradition. The two institutions will become joint beneficiaries of the Show in 2018 and through this partnership the Museum will gradually assume full responsibility for the Show’s organization and management in the following years.

Anne Hamilton, 2018 Show Co-Chair, stated: “The Philadelphia Antiques and Art Show is thrilled to join two great institutions within Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Museum of Art and Penn Medicine. This is a wonderful and exciting collaboration of these two important institutions. We are expanding the offerings of the Show to accommodate our new and broadening audience.”

The Philadelphia Antiques & Art Show brings to Philadelphia a wide assortment of pieces, gathered together under one expansive tent by many of the most distinguished dealers in the field nationwide. It has long been regarded as one of the best shows of its kind in the United States. It features works presented by 60 dealers specializing in a wide range of periods and styles – offering a selection of furniture, fine and decorative arts, silver, textiles, porcelain and jewelry from the 17th through the mid-20th centuries. In recent years, contemporary art has been introduced among the mix of antiques as well. Many of the objects on view at the Show are exhibited publicly for the first time.

The Show also presents illuminating programs, including lectures, panel discussions as well as loan exhibitions. Works from the Museum’s collection will be featured at the Show this year in Philadelphia Collects Philadelphia. The loan installation will include a selection of works of art made in Philadelphia—from past centuries to the present—including recent acquisitions.

The Philadelphia Antiques & Art Show is open to the public

Friday, April 20 – 11:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Saturday, April 21 – 11:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Sunday, April 22 – 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

General admission is $20/person and includes access to the regular programming, with discounts available for students, seniors and groups. Tickets go on sale in January.

Philadelphia Museum of Art
2600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Philadelphia, PA 19101
philamuseum.org

Arts of the Islamic World @ Sotheby's London

Arts of the Islamic World auction
Sotheby's London
19 October 2016

Sotheby’s Arts of the Islamic World auction on 19 October 2016 will present rare and exquisite objects that tell the story of over a thousand years of artistic exchange and influence in the Islamic world.

This October’s sale will open with a selection of fifty manuscripts and calligraphies from the renowned collection of the late Jafar Ghazi. Each of these works bears witness to the high esteem in which calligraphy was held in Turkey, the Middle East and Persia from the medieval period up until the end of the Ottoman era. Further highlights include a beautiful turquoise-set and enamelled necklace from North India, known as ‘The Palmerston Necklace’, exemplifying the high quality craftsmanship of Indian jewellers in the nineteenth century; a silver-inlaid tray stand from Mamluk Egypt typifying the calligraphic monumentality so favoured by high-ranking Mamluk patrons and a rare painting depicting the Ottoman Sultan Bayezid I by the school of Veronese, circa 1580.

Arts of the Islamic World is one of four sales this October celebrating interwoven artistic traditions Art of the Middle East and India. The week of exhibitions and auctions will also include the bi-annual sale of 20th Century Art: Middle East, Modern & Contemporary South Asian Art and the prestigious Khosrovani-Diba Collection, which comprises a selection of important Indian miniature paintings.

Highlights

A portrait of Sultan Bayezid I, School of Veronese, Italy,

circa 1580 (est. £150,000-200,000)

Photo courtesy of Sotheby's

Sultan Bayezid I (r.1389-1402), also known as Yildirım ('The Thunderbolt'), was the fourth ruler of the Ottoman Empire. During his reign, he expanded his empire into the Balkans and Anatolia, defeating a Christian army to secure his position in the region. His attempt to further increase Ottoman prestige by engaging in the Battle of Ankara led to his demise following his defeat in 1402 at the hands of Timur’s forces. This portrait of the Sultan, depicted in three-quarter view looking over his shoulder and wearing a large turban and richly embroidered cloak, was directly influenced by a painting of Paolo Veronese’s portrait of Sultan Bayezid housed in the Collection Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen, Munich. The discovery of the present painting is important as it re-emphasises the significance of Veronese’s original series of fourteen portraits of Ottoman Sultans, all now in Munich, which inspired the creation of at least three, if not more, subsequent sets which were painted between the late sixteenth to nineteenth century.

PROPERTY OF THE LATE JAFAR GHAZI

Sa'adi (d.1292 AD), Kulliyat, signed by Na’im al-Din al-Katib, Persia, Timurid,

dated 890 AH/1486 AD and 899 AH/1494 (est. £80,000-120,000)

Photo courtesy of Sotheby's

The sale will open with a selection of fifty manuscripts and calligraphies from the well-known collection of the late Jafar Ghazi. Each of these works bears witness to the high esteem in which calligraphy was held in Turkey, the Middle East and Persia from the medieval period up until the end of the Ottoman era. A highlight of this group is a superb Timurid manuscript of Sa’adi’s Kulliyat, in almost pristine condition, complete with fine, crisp illumination and tooled and filigree-work binding. The manuscript includes Sa’adi’s entire work with the addition of the preface by ‘Ali ibn Bistun. Na’im al-Din, who worked in Shiraz, copied different parts of the Kulliyyat at different times and that it took him at least nine years to complete this manuscript.

A rare openwork silver cooling vessel (karlik), with the tughra of Abdülhamid II

(r.1876-1909) and glass interior, Turkey, 19th century (est. 40,000—60,000)

Photo courtesy of Sotheby's

This rare silver cooling vessel or karlik was produced during the reign of Abdülhamid II (r.1876–1909), the last Ottoman sultan to exert effective authority before the rise of the Young Turk revolutionaries. Only a handful of these silver cooling vessels survive, of which this particular karlik is unique in containing a glass cooling vessel within the silver exterior. Liquid was kept cool by means of snow contained in a small compartment of the glass vessel. The presence of this glass vessel gave the Ottoman craftsman more freedom in the design of the silver exterior, allowing him to create an intricate pierced floral pattern, another feature unique to this karlik.

A rare Nasrid or post-Nasrid chair, Andalusia,

late 15th/16th century (est. £200,000—300,000)

Photo courtesy of Sotheby's

The Nasrid Dynasty ruled Granada and the territory of al-Andalus for over two hundred years and oversaw a splendid artistic patronage that is still hugely admired today. Expanding on a tradition inherited from the Almohad dynasty of North Africa, the Nasrids developed a sophisticated visual language based on complex geometric designs. Designed with curving legs and armrests, this imposing chair derives its shape from ancient Roman 'Sella Curulis', throne-like seats reserved for government dignitaries, which spread to the Near and Middle East. The technique used to decorate these chairs, including the present example, is typically Nasrid, and is exemplary of the luxurious micromosaic furniture that flourished in Granada at the time. Chairs from the Nasrid period are extremely rare, particularly as their popularity meant that they continued to be copied into the nineteenth century. The Metropolitan Museum of Art holds six examples in its collection, all attributed to circa 1500, and each with a repeat ivory-inset design of geometric stellar compositions .

A Mamluk silver-inlaid brass tray stand, Egypt,

14th-century (est. £150,000-200,000)

Photo courtesy of Sotheby's

When Andalusian historian Ibn Khaldun first arrived in Cairo, the capital city of the Mamluks, in 1382 AD, he described the city as ‘the centre of the universe and the garden of the world’. Not only were the monumental mosques and palaces impressive architecturally, but they also housed vast collections of wealthy and generous patrons.

A brass tray stand with silver-inlaid decoration from Mamluk Egypt typifies the calligraphic monumentality so favoured by high-ranking Mamluk patrons. This likely belonged to a highly placed official at the Mamluk court – its beautiful thuluth inscription heaping praise on its patron - and is one of a few dozen that have survived to the present day. Its form and design proved so popular that porcelain imitations have been found as far afield as China, made perhaps to evoke the splendour of the distant Mamluk court. Further examples are in the British Museum, London, the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, the Museum of Islamic Art, Doha and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

An Ottoman sabre (Karabela) with silver-gilt mounts set

with turquoise and gold-inlaid jade panels, Turkey,

second half 17th-century (est. £30,000-50,000)

Photo courtesy of Sotheby's

This exquisite karabela, Ottoman-made for a Polish audience, is a unique illustration of the fascinating szlachta culture that straddled East and West and drew from the rich artistic traditions of both.

A richly-decorated ceremonial Karabela was a highly-treasured gift among members of the Polish nobility or szlachta. The prestige of the weapon was closely tied to the culture and ideology of Sarmatism, which held that the people of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth were descended from the ancient people who inhabited the steppes north of the Black Sea in Roman times.

Many members of the szlachta considered the Ottoman Turks and Crimean Tatars, also of nomadic descent, their peers, even if they were bitter enemies on the battlefield. Thus their arms and armour were modelled on the curved swords and scale armour of the Turks. This example hails from the collection of Karel Javůrek (1815 – 1909), a known academic painter from Poland.

A turquoise-set and enamelled gold necklace, North India,

19th century, (Est. £10,000—15,000)

Photo courtesy of Sotheby's

Sumptuous yet restrained in colour and design, this necklace exemplifies the elegance of nineteenth-century Indian jewellery. Passed down since the nineteenth century through the Cecil family, this necklace is referred to as the ‘Palmerston' necklace as according to family oral tradition it was gifted by the 3rd Viscount Palmerston (1784-1865) to an ancestor in the nineteenth century. Mounted entirely with turquoise stones within gold settings, the underside of this necklace reveals rich green, red and white enamel tones and detailed floral motifs typical of Mughal ornamentation. The turquoise itself most probably came from a Persian mine, and it is extremely rare to see it used exclusively on Indian jewels, who usually favour colourful combinations of stones. This may be an indication of the influence of English taste in the Subcontinent and was possibly originally created as a private commission.

A fine illuminated Qur'an, copied by Suleyman al-Uskudari, Turkey, Ottoman,

dated 1087 AH/1676 AD (est. £120,000—150,000)

Photo courtesy of Sotheby's

Suleyma Uskudari (d.circa 1686) studied under Mehmed Efendi of Belgrade, and went on to teach calligraphy at the Topkapi Palace. A further Qur'an, written a year earlier than the present example, is in the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts, Istanbul.

A gem-set and enamelled agate box, India,

19th-century (est. £30,000-50,000)

Photo courtesy of Sotheby's

Exemplifying the high quality craftsmanship hailing from India, this opulent box combines the inclusion of colourful gemstones set into floral patterns using fine gold wires. The technique for juxtaposing semiprecious stones into others, such as agate, reached its zenith under Mughal rule and this trend continued into the 19th-century.

For more information visit: http://www.sothebys.com/MiddleEastIndia

The Art of the Qur’an: Treasures from the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts

The Art of the Qur’an: Treasures from the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts
The Freer | Sackler, Washington DC

October 15, 2016 - February 20, 2017

 

Qur’an
Afghanistan, Herat, Timurid period, 1434
Ink, color, and gold on paper
Each page 35.3 x 25 cm
Istanbul, Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts, TIEM 294

 

 Qur’an folio

Near East, Abbasid period, 10th century

Ink, gold, and color on parchment

20.9 x 28.3 cm

Istanbul, Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts, SE 611

The first major exhibition of Qur’ans (Korans) in the U.S., “The Art of the Qur’an: Treasures from the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts,” will open at the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Oct. 15 and continue through Feb. 20, 2017.

The exhibition was organized by the Sackler in collaboration with the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts in Istanbul. It will feature more than 60 of the most important Qur’an manuscripts ever produced from the Arab world, Turkey, Iran and Afghanistan.

Celebrated for their superb calligraphy and lavish illumination, these manuscripts span almost 1,000 years of history—from eighth-century Damascus, Syria, to 17th-century Istanbul. Many of the works, which will be on view outside of Turkey for the first time, are critical to the history and appreciation of the arts of the book.This landmark exhibition tells the individual stories of some of these extraordinary manuscripts, their makers and their owners. Visitors will learn how the Qur’an was transformed from an orally transmitted message to a written, illuminated and bound text produced by highly accomplished artists from the Islamic world.

These Qur’ans were originally created for some of the most powerful rulers of the Islamic world. As the finest examples of their kind, long after their completion the manuscripts were sought out and cherished as prized possessions by the Ottoman ruling elite, whose power once extended from southeast Europe to northern Africa and the Middle East. They were offered as gifts to cement political and military relationships or recognize special acts, and they were also given to public and religious institutions to express personal piety and secure political power and prestige. Donations of Qur’ans to libraries and public institutions by royal women expressed their commitment to contemporary religious and social life.

 

 Qur’an

Calligrapher: Abd al-Qadir b. Abd al-Wahhab b. Shahmir al-Husayni

Iran, Shiraz, Safavid period, ca. 1580

Ink, color, and gold on paper

Each page 58 x 39 cm

Istanbul, Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts, TIEM 247

 

Qur'an (juz)

Iraq, Baghdad, Il-Khanid period, 1307-8

Gold, color, and ink on paper

70.8 x 48.5 cm

Istanbul, Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts, TIEM 538 

Shortly before 1914, when the Ottoman Empire was in political turmoil, its government decided to transfer to Istanbul all valuable works of art that had been donated to mosques, schools, shrines and other religious institutions across the empire. These included thousands of the most ornate Qur’an manuscripts and loose folios, which are housed today in the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts, located in the heart of the historical city, opposite the so-called Blue Mosque.

“This exhibition offers a unique opportunity to see Qur’ans of different origins, formats and styles and begin to appreciate the power and beauty of the calligraphy as well as intricacy of the illuminated decoration,” said Massumeh Farhad, the Freer and Sackler’s chief curator and curator of Islamic art. “Although each copy of the Qur’an contains an identical text, the mastery and skill of the artists have transformed it into a unique work of art.”

“The Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts in Istanbul has one of the most extraordinary collections of Qur’ans in the world, yet its holdings are little known even to many experts,” said Julian Raby, The Dame Jillian Sackler Director of the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery and Freer Gallery of Art. “This exhibition provides an unparalleled opportunity for audiences in the United States to appreciate the artistry of Muslim scribes and craftsmen over more than a millennium, in regions from North Africa to Afghanistan.”

The Freer and Sackler galleries have one of the most comprehensive collections of Islamic art in the U.S. A number of important Qur’ans from the museums’ permanent collections will be on display in the exhibition.

Qur’an

Calligrapher: Khalil Allah b. Mahmud Shah

Turkey, Ottoman period, September 1517

Ink, color, and gold on paper

Each page 37 x 29 cm

Istanbul, Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts, TIEM 224

A multi-author, full-color catalog published by the Freer and Sackler will feature a series of essays on the Qur’an, its calligraphy, illumination and organization as a text, as well an introduction to the formation of the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts. The catalog will also include detailed discussions of each of the artworks in the exhibition.

A website will offer additional resources on the art of the Qur’an for online and on-site visitors. These include videos, “closer looks” at several manuscripts, an interactive map and curriculum plans. In addition to extensive public programs, an international symposium on the art of the Qur’an will be held December 1–3.

“The Art of the Qur’an: Treasures from the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts” is organized by the Freer and Sackler and the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts in Istanbul. Koç Holding is the exhibition’s principal sponsor, with major support provided by Turkish Airlines and Roshan Cultural Heritage Institute and additional support from the El-Hibri Foundation. It has been curated by Farhad and Simon Rettig, assistant curator at the Freer and Sackler.

The Freer and Sackler have presented other major exhibitions featuring important religious objects and publications, including “In the Beginning: Bibles Before the Year 1000” in 2006 and “The Tibetan Shrine from the Alice S. Kandell Collection” in 2010. The museums most recently collaborated with the Topkapi Palace Museum in Istanbul on “Style and Status” in 2005.

The Freer and Sackler Galleries
www.asia.si.edu

Southeast Asian Art from the Crow Collection, Dallas, US, 2013-2014 Exhibition

Peninsulas and Dragon Tails: Southeast Asian Art from the Crow Collection
Crow Collection of Asian Art, Dallas
Through February 14, 2014

The Crow Collection of Asian Art in Dallas, Texas, USA, is home to a small but engaging group of objects from places that are somewhat obscured by the collective term "Southeast Asia.” The name came into use at the end of World War II to describe a part of the world that had for several generations appeared on Western maps variously as Tonkin, French Indo-China (later North Vietnam and South Vietnam), Dutch East Indies, and various other names and boundaries that have disappeared with the reemergence of independent states, many of which have chosen names to contrast with the colonial period. Burma is officially Myanmar (although Burma is making an internal comeback), Cambodia is Kampuchea, the former Sultanate of Brunei is Brunei Darussalam, Singapore is independent from Malaya, and Malaya is Malaysia. East Timor—which was a Portuguese and Catholic outpost on the island of Timor, claimed by the Dutch after centuries of trade monopoly, invaded by Japan, handed back to Portugal, and then ceded to Muslim Indonesia—is now independent, with claims to large underwater gas reserves in the maritime (always murky) region that separates it from Australia. 

Southeast Asia is a part of the world where boundaries continue to change, and the segments of this complex history portrayed in Peninsulas and Dragon Tails suggest the potential for enriched understanding of the modern world through greater familiarity with the region’s past and current cultural geography. 

Disciples of the Buddha Myanmar (Burma), Mandalay period, 19th century 

Wood with red lacquer and gilt [1979.16] 

Photo Courtesy of the Crow Collection of Asian Art, Dallas

Lacquered wood sculptures of young monks from the Mandalay period of Burmese history conjure the missing object of their devotion, the historical Buddha, who taught renunciation as a path to bliss, even while British colonials expelled the last king and queen, cooled themselves on sultry porches, and oversaw immense plantations of rubber trees on land where there had recently been only forest. A textile from 20th-century Bali reflects ancient associations between fortune, misfortune, time, and spirits, mixed with advice on preferred market days for various goods, local cults, and Hinduism as imported with people arriving from Java. The Crow Collection’s 7th-century sandstone sculpture of four-armed Vishnu, a rare example of early Khmer culture in Cambodia, takes its place alongside several later sculptures from the period of the Angkor sanctuaries. As always, the sculpture seems to occupy more space than its actual measurements would suggest. 

The scope of this exhibition touches on only a few times and places within the rich and complex history of Southeast Asia and its diverse cultures—ethnically varied, speaking localized languages, writing with different scripts, wearing different clothes, practicing different faiths, honoring different social structures. The objects shown are grouped by the modern countries with which they are particularly identified—Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Indonesia. 

The exhibition includes maps with boundaries of the shifting cultural spheres that produced the objects on view. The importance of geography to culture in this region emerges: the Himalayan mountains of the Eurasian continent branch to the southeast in fingers of land and terminate in the islands of the “Pacific Ring of Fire,” where the earth’s mantle shakes, and the land, rivers, and seas mete out judgments that are repeatedly honored.

Trammell & Margaret Crow Collection of Asian Art Website: www.crowcollection.org

Akbar. The Great Emperor of India, Museo Fondazione Roma

Akbar. The Great Emperor of India 
Museo Fondazione Roma, Palazzo Sciarra, Roma
Curated by Gian Carlo Calza 
23th october 2012 - 3th february 2013

Akbar receiving gifts, 1590

Paper, 21,50 x 15,50 cm

National Museum, New Delhi

An exhibition devoted to the Emperor of India, Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbar (Umarkot, 1542-1605, Agra) one of the greatest sovereigns in history is presented by the Fondazione Roma. This exhibition has never been held before in Italy and, due to the number of works and historical completeness, is unique in the world since it covers the Emperor’s entire reign.  The last exhibition on this theme was held in New York by the Asia Society in 1984-86, showing around eighty works relating to 1571-1585. The Exhibition Akbar. The Great Emperor of India has been promoted by the Fondazione Roma and organised by Fondazione Roma-Arte-Musei with the Arthemesia Group. Curated by Gian Carlo Calza, the exhibition presents a selection of works produced during the reign of Emperor Akbar, in order to illustrate the great historical transformations in an age full of political and social events and to portray the personality of a man who made a particular contribution to artistic, cultural and religious dialogue.  

Akbar reigned from 1556 to 1605.  He was the most important Mughal Emperor and became Akbar – meaning ‘The Great’ – as a result of his military commitment and numerous conquests and also because of his administrative reforms and ability to make different religions live together and to spread culture, art and beauty throughout his realm. 

Sita offers fruit to Rama in the forest of Dandaka-ranya

Illustration from The Adventures of Rama (Ramayana)

Orchha, Bundelkhand, 1600-1605

Opaque Watercolor, ink and paper (gold)

28 x 18 cm

National Museum, New Delhi

The exhibition has a vast collection of works of art that aim to describe the classical India that circulates in the Western social imaginary - formed of Mughal Emperors, Rajas and Maharajahs - and was a destination for explorers, merchants and conquerors who arrived in that mysterious, rich and fascinating land from all over the world. An extraordinary nucleus of over 130 works has been selected to describe the life and act of Akbar, the third and principal Emperor of the Mughal imperial dynasty which lasted until the sub-continent was annexed to the British Crown in 1858.

Couple of ornaments for the ears

Probably Mughal domains. Probably early seventeenth century.

Running in gold kundan work with technical and setting with rubies, diamonds and emeralds with pearls suspended - 8.2 x 6.3 cm

Kuwait National Museum, Al-Sabah Collection

Of Muslim lineage, the Mughal were founded by Babur, the first to have conquered India and descendant of Genghis Khan (1162?-1277) and Timur (1369-1450), who lived from 1483 to 1530 and reigned from 1526 until his death. When Babur died his sons, Kamran Mirza and Humayun, Akbar’s father, divided the territories of his realm, though a civil war soon broke out and drove Humayun into exile in Persia. During his peregrinations, Akbar was born, in 1542, in the Rajput Fortress of Umerkot (now Pakistan) and had to be fostered by an uncle in Afghanistan.  Since the future Emperor grew up hunting and fighting amidst soldiers he was not taught to read or write: though he remained illiterate throughout life, he still developed a taste for art, music, literature and architecture. In 1556, at only thirteen years old, Akbar succeeded his father who had recently reconquered the empire and, due to the military brilliance of Bairam Khan, a valiant and faithful General of the Mughal army, he conquered most of the sub-continent and took control of the realm at nineteen years of age.  Thus a new age opened in India since the young warrior proved to be one of the most enlightened sovereigns in history. 

Arghan Dev brings the case of weapons to Amir Hamza

Illustration from The Adventures of Hamza (Hamzanama)

Mughal School, circa 1570

Ink, opaque watercolor and gold on paper and fabric

79.1 x 63.3 cm

Brooklyn Museum, New York

Akbar, a Muslim, rejected any form of religious extremism and aimed to integrate the various races and autochthonous religions with Islam; he invited eminent exponents of each creed to court and appointed them as ministers; abolished the traditional Jizya tax which all non-Muslims were required to pay and, wishing to form an alliance with the Rajputs - an ancient caste of Indian warriors - he married the daughter of Raja Bharmal, Hira Kunwari.  He also abolished the idea of a State religion and introduced the principles of religious tolerance and equality which, in the entire history of humankind, are still exceptional. Driven by his religious tolerance, he attempted to create a syncretic religion that merged Islam and Hinduism; amongst many cities, Akbar also ordered the building of the capital Fatehpur Sikri, the City of Victory, where he lived for fourteen years (1571-1585); he developed and spread the arts which Humayun, his father, had imported from Persia and, together with several Persian painters, created a study with more than a hundred artists to execute sublime works, the style of which spread through all the provinces of his realm. The exhibition, Akbar. The Great Emperor of India, underlines his cultural and artistic, political and military achievements and profound religious spirit and exceptional broadmindedness. 

Turnover (attr.)

Gods asuras change the ocean of milk into butter

Illustration from the Book of war (Razmnama) 1598-99

Ink, opaque watercolor and gold on paper

29.5 x 16.5 cm

The Free Library of Philadelphia

In conjunction with the exhibition, the Fondazione Roma-Arte-Musei has organised the film review Bollywood Film Meeting Roma which aims to offer a glance at the new trends which are becoming popular in cinema productions in the Hindi language of Mumbai. The review, created by Gian Carlo Calza and curated by Sabrina Ciolfi, Indologist and connoisseur of Indian films at the Università degli Studi in Milan, will be held in the Teatro Quirinetta. 

This event is supported by the Italian Ministry for Cultural Heritage and Activities, and has been accomplished through the involvement of the Italian Embassy in New Delhi and Indian Embassy in Rome.  

Exhibition Flinders Petrie Shadow Pyramids at Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, Copenhagen

In the Shadow of the Pyramids: 

Excavating with Flinders Petrie, the Father of Archaeology

Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, Copenhagen

Through March 25, 2012

  Flinders Petrie at 69, in Abydos 1922
© Petrie Museum,  University College, London

FLINDERS PETRIES: THE FATHER OF ARCHAEOLOGY
The exhibition In the Shadow of the Pyramids tells the story of the English archaeologist and Egyptologist Flinders Petrie’s excavations in Egypt in the years before and after the First World War. Petrie, who lived from 1853 to1942, was the first to illustrate and write down details of his discoveries of everything from pottery and rusty nails to mummies and complete statues. His methods were imitated by other archaeologists and thus Petrie is called the “Father of Archaeology”.

The Egyptologist Tine Bagh with a canopic jar belonging to a man named Iunefer from c. 1800 BC. The jar was found by Flinders Petrie in Hawara in Egypt 1911  Photo © Kim Nilsson

IN THE SHADOW OF THE PYRAMIDS: PIECES IN A JIGSAW PUZZLE
The exhibition “In the Shadow of the Pyramids” displays a number of tomb finds, fragments of statues and tomb and temple walls, which, through Flinders Petrie, came to the Glyptotek. Fresh knowledge and new links with other Petrie finds from, for instance, the British Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, are presented. Visitors have the opportunity to get close to Petrie and his discoveries. One hundred years on, Petrie’s finds have achieved new significance such as when a crown with feathers and horns proves to belong to an impressive statue of the crocodile god Sobek.

Pyramid and ruins of the temple called the Labyrinth in Hawara, Egypt. Photo: Janne Klerk, May 2011. Petrie excavated the Labyrinth in 1911 and found the canopic jar of Iunefer and the relief with at crocodile snout, c. 1800 BC. Photos: Kim Nilsson

  The tomb of Nefermaat and his wife Atet in Meydum, Egypt. Photo: Janne Klerk, May 2011. Flinders Petrie excavated here in 1910 and found the relief with fowling etc. and the wall painting with Nefermaat with a leopard dress in Atet’s chapel, c. 2550 BC. Photos: Ole Haupt.

THE NY CARLSBERG FOUNDATION
Petrie’s excavations were supported by various foundations and museums, particularly in Europe and the USA. For many years the Ny Carlsberg Foundation was one of Petrie’s most generous sponsors. After each excavation campaign Petrie distributed his finds according to clear agreements with the Egyptian state. First the Egyptian Museum in Cairo was allotted the unique finds; thereafter Petrie was permitted to divide up what remained among the various sponsors, according to the extent of their contributions. The Ny Carlsberg Foundation handed over its share of the finds to the Glyptotek. As a result, today, the museum holds over 200 of Petrie’s finest discoveries, some of which come from the ancient sites of Memphis, Meydum and Hawara.

Statuette of Meri-re-ha-ishtef. Excavations of Flinders Petrie 1921 in Sedment, Egypt. AEIN 1560, wood, H 65.5 cm. © Photo Ole Haupt, Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek.

Cosmetic spoon. From the excavations of Flinders Petrie in Sedment, Egypt, 1921. AEIN 1559, wood, L 27 cm. © Photo Ole Haupt, Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek.

The exhibition is supported by Queen Margrethe’s and Prince Henrik’s Foundation, Oticon Foundation and Atlantis Rejser.

NY CARLSBERG GLYPTOTEK

Dantes Plads 7, 1556 Copenhagen

www.glyptoteket.dk

Wereldmuseum Rotterdam is 125 years old. 125 masterpieces exhibition mark the anniversary

125 Masterpieces 
Wereldmuseum, Rotterdam 
23 June - 13 November 2011

The Wereldmuseum in Rotterdam is 125 years old. It has survived a wave of criticism, completed a total renovation in a single year, recovered its original grandeur, published eight catalogues within one year, mounted four major exhibitions, and cooperated in international projects with Venice, Beijing, Taichung and Taipei. 

Courtesy WERELDMUSEUM ROTTERDAM (Persbericht)

125 Masterpieces mark the anniversary

To mark the anniversary, collectors and connoisseurs of non-western art have selected the 125 most beautiful works of art from the museum's collection for the exhibition 125 Masterpieces. Beauty is the exhibition's keyword. In the hushed atmosphere of soberly furnished rooms, where each masterpiece is displayed aesthetically and on its own, all attention is drawn to the breathtaking refinement and the powerful expression and vitality of works from Tibet, China, Japan, Oceania, America, Africa and Indonesia. In the context of religion and spirituality, these works are comparable to those of Da Vinci, Raphael and Michelangelo in western art. In terms of expression, they can be compared to Picasso, Max Ernst and Roberto Matta. Only when the best products of a culture are shown, is a claim of cultural authenticity justified.

Exhibition Catalogue

The Wereldmuseum is also presenting the masterpieces in a five-part catalogue: I. Restored to former glory; II. Tibet-China, Japan; III. Indonesia & Islamic art; IV. Oceania; and V. Africa & America. Each part contains text and photos that illustrate the texture and beauty of the objects. The part called 'Restored to former glory' recounts the history and development of the Wereldmuseum, which began as the Royal Yacht Club of Prince Hendrik and has evolved into a progressive, contemporary museum with a rich, historical art collection. The five-part catalogue was created in collaboration with external art historians, collectors and connoisseurs.

WERELDMUSEUM, ROTTERDAM
www.wereldmuseum.nl