Museum of Islamic Art to host new exhibition: “Gifts of the Sultan: The Arts of Giving at the Islamic Courts”

The Museum of Islamic Art is pleased to announce its upcoming exhibition titled Gifts of the Sultan: The Arts of Giving at the Islamic Courts, a major international loan exhibition, which explores Islamic art through the universal tradition of gift giving. Opening to the public from 21 March – 2 June 2012 in the temporary exhibition space at the Museum of Islamic Art, the exhibition will feature some of the most spectacular and historically significant examples of Islamic art.

Gifts of the Sultan: The Arts of Giving at the Islamic Courts, is a collaboration effort between the Museum of Islamic Art, Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) with support from the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH). The exhibition spans the eighth century through the present day and features more than 200 works of art representing a rich variety of media from collections in Europe, America, and the Middle East. This will be the third appearance of Gifts of the Sultan after LACMA (June 5–September 5, 2011), and the MFAH (October 23, 2011–January 15, 2012). 

 Commenting on the importance of this exhibition, Aisha Al Khater, Director of the Museum of Islamic Art said: “We are delighted to be organizing Gifts of the Sultan and hosting it here in Doha.  This is an exhibition that celebrates a very important aspect of Islamic history and we look forward for it to be a valuable educational journey for all its visitors.”

Gifts of the Sultan will be organized in three broad sections: personal gifts, pious donations, and state and diplomatic gifts. The first includes more intimate items such as objects of personal adornment in the form of jewelry, belts, and garments; precious yet utilitarian pieces such as vessels of gold, silver, porcelain, and jade; along with paintings, albums, and manuscripts. The second section highlights pious donations, encompassing architectural elements, furnishings, and manuscripts of the Qur’an that were part of a religious institution’s endowment, the endowment deed itself, and works, often of a secular nature, that were specifically gifted to a mosque or shrine. The third and largest section features works that were made for or kept in royal treasuries, representing a broad array of types and materials ranging from rock crystal pieces and courtly regalia to places of habitation such as a palace façade. 

The exhibition will also include a small contemporary component presenting the work of Sadegh Tirafkan, Shahzia Sikander, Ahmed Mater, and Günseli Kato. These four innovative artists, who have roots in the Islamic world and draw inspiration from their own cultural traditions, have been commissioned to produce new work interpreting the theme of Gifts of the Sultan. 

Alongside the exhibition, the Museum of Islamic Art is planning an extensive education programme including lectures, workshops and other activities.

Visit: gifts.qma.org.qa