In pursuit of beauty? Head for Abu Dhabi
| By Kavitha S. Daniel, Special to Gulf News | 07-02-2004
Some of the finest examples of Islamic art are on display in the capital for
us to admire
Many years ago, a European gentleman of Armenian origin went about collecting
exceptional and rare pieces of art from around the world. He was lucky to
have been born into a wealthy family but the late Calouste Sarkis Gulbenkian was
hailed as a pioneer in the oil industry participating in the birth of
companies such as the Royal Dutch Shell and the Turkish Petroleum company.
Moreover, he’s largely credited with playing a key role in the development of
the oil industry in the Gulf and his company Partex (Participations and
Explorations Company) formed in 1938, continues to be a partner of the Abu Dhabi
Company for Onshore Oil Operations (ADCO).
But, what is of more interest here, is the Gulbenkian’s collection of art,
put together after years of pursuing a dictum he seems to have lived by: “Only
the best suits me.” The urbane and sophisticated Gulbenkian was an eclectic
collector, his tastes ranging from 13th century rare pieces of ceramic to Kum
Kapi carpets from the famous workshop of the community of Armenian carpet weavers
in Istanbul at the end of the 19th century.
He never limited himself to a single field of art but was as fascinated by
silk and velvet fragments of cloth from the ancient Safavid period in Persia, as
he was mesmerised by illuminated manuscripts and book-bindings of yore.
This fastidious collector went on to own nearly six thousand exquisite works
of art, which finally found an immortal place in a dedicated museum after his
death. Though, Gulbenkian was born in Turkey, studied and lived in France and
England and became a British citizen, he spent the last decade of his life in
Lisbon, Portugal.
And, therefore, the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum is found in this Portuguese
capital, under the auspices of a foundation of the same name.
Art foundation
The Foundation was set up to promote art, education, science and human
development. It runs two museums — one for ancient and another for contemporary art,
and also owns an orchestra, a ballet company, an art library, a research
institute in biomedicine and a Portuguese Cultural Centre in Paris. The suave and
sophisticated Emilio Rui Vilar, the president of the Board of Trustees,
Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation spoke to Tabloid at the inauguration of the
exhibition of the works of art from the Gulbenkian collection at the Cultural
Foundation. (This exceptional exhibition continues until February 15.)
Due to his connections with the Middle East through his involvement in the
oil industry, Gulbenkian was also influenced by the exotic nature of the objets
d’art from China, Japan, Turkey, Persia and Mughal India.
Therefore, the Islamic section is touted to be one of the Museum’s most
spectacular gallery, displaying work produced in Persia, Turkey, Syria, the
Caucasus and India between the 12th and the late 19th centuries.
The same section also includes objects from the Armenian communities in the
East, alongside pottery, tiles, carpets, manuscripts, glass and fabrics from
the Near and Middle East.
A few samples of these pieces were picked by the museum curators to exhibit
in the UAE for the first time at the Exhibition of Islamic Art in the Calouste
Gulbenkian Collection in Abu Dhabi.
The exhibition at the Abu Dhabi Cultural Foundation houses nearly 55 pieces
of a wide range of Islamic art objects encased in glass or mounted on display
cardboard walls and horizontal stands especially erected for the purpose. The
special displays have exclusive lighting facilities.
The works of art are eclectic — reflecting the collector’s expansive range of
taste and knowledge. They include carpets, fabrics, manuscripts,
bookbindings, pottery and tiles. According to the book, especially issued for this
exhibition, these works of art dating between the end of the 12th and 20th century,
have been assembled by Gulbenkian over a period of 50 years, from 1910 to 1940.
At the entrance of this exhibition, inside a lit glass case, sits the most
outstanding piece of display — a 14th century conical-necked mosque lamp in g
ilded and enamelled glass. While the neck bears an Islamic inscription, the body
of the lamp is decorated with a profusion of Chinese-inspired floral motifs,
lotus flowers and peonies in muted shades of red, green and yellow enamels on a
blue background.
Belonging to the time of the Mamluks (1250-1517), who ruled Syria and Egypt,
this piece of work was made by a then innovative method of firing gild and
enamel on glass, introduced by the Mamluk master glassmakers.
Pretty patterns
Mosque lamps in gilded and enameled glass were commissioned by the Mamluk
sultans and emirs and hung from the ceilings of mosques as decorations.
Lovers of intricate design on cloth and garments will be in for a visual
treat from the fabrics on display at this exhibition. There are beautiful fabric
fragments, lengths and panels from the early 16th century and 17th century
Safavid period in Persia, the Mughal period in India and Ottoman in Turkey.
This section starts with a velvet fragment from Yazd, a city in central Iran,
considered to be one of the most famous producers of Persian silks and
velvets. This velvet fragment features the typical floral and zoomorphic motifs
characteristic of the Safavid time. Another Safavid sample reveals detailed work
of flowers, scrolls and leaves framed by a darker flower-patterned border and a
pretty profusion of coloured flowers on a red background in a Mughal velvet
length.
While velvet was used mainly in both Persia and India to decorate spaces,
brocaded silks enriched with gold and silver thread were used for the clothing of
princes and dignitaries. An example being the two silk coats from Persia on
display, a fashion style copied from 17th century India.
A cherry red caparison richly embroidered with polychrome silk, gold and
silver thread probably produced in Persia in the 18th century seems fit for a
king’s stables.
Silk fragments either from Bursa (the Ottoman Empire’s most important silk
producing centre in the 16th century) or from a later period from Istanbul are
studded with exquisite designs. The pieces have characteristic decorations of
oval medallions, floral motifs in shades of mainly red and gold, the ‘four
flowers’ style depicting roses, tulips, carnations and hyacinths, cord motifs, the
eight-point-star geometrical design and open carnations.
Intricate design
Carpet buyers and connoisseurs will love the carpets on display from Safavid
Persia, Mughal India and tribal Caucasians.
A 17th century wool carpet, reportedly a gift from King J. Sobieski of Poland
to Cracow Cathedral, Mughal India carpets made of fine wool, pashima and
silk, and the famous Kum Kapi carpets can be seen here. A distinctive piece in
this section is a Kum Kapi carpet bearing an Armenian inscription and created in
silk and gilded metal thread by Hagop Kapoudijian, one of the finest carpet
makers of the Kum Kapi School.
The ceramics section of this exhibition vies for attention with a book
section that features ancient manuscripts crafted in gold and bookbindings. The 13th
century Kashan footed bowl is an example of fine “minai” work, which was
discontinued in 1300. The decorative compositions show courtly scenes or
occasional episodes from the Shahnama (Book of Kings). The centre of the bowl features
a young, richly dressed prince seated on a high-backed throne with two
falcons perched on it and with peacocks, the symbol of royalty.
There’s Ottoman pottery decorated with colourful flower motifs such as lotus,
chrysanthemums and peonies in blue and white on a dark blue background. Also
on view are Chinese porcelain kendi (a sort of water-jar), Persian kendi
dating back to the second quarter of the 17th century showing landscapes, flowers,
birds and insects, a cylindrical tankard from the Ottoman empire, dishes with
pomegranate and artichoke motifs, and a truly breathtaking ewer in deep blue
with metal mounts — stunning in its craftsmanship and detail.
Book arts
The calligraphy and artwork in books or the “arts of the book” section is a
story by itself. A manuscript of the Holy Quran copied by Prince Baysubghur, a
bibliophile and a skilled calligrapher, represents one of the most brilliant
in Persian calligraphy art. Gulbenkian also acquired a selection of
bookbindings ranging from 16th century Persian bindings which later went on to influence
Renaissance Italian and French bookbinders. Lacquered bindings from the
mid-19th century are decorated with flowers and small birds on a dark background,
which is a fairly common theme in lacquered objects from the Qajar period.
Tiles may not seem appropriate in a high-level exhibition. But these are no
ordinary tiles. They come from Syria in the late 16th/early 17th century, there
are Isnik tiles from Turkey (second half of the 16th century) and a special
tile with a Quranic inscription from 14th century Persia.
The latter formed part of a monumental frieze with religious inscriptions
that decorated mosques and tombs and also frequently appeared on prayer niches.
The tile is divided into three parts. Entwining plant motifs deccorate the
upper section. A middle section contains an inscription from the Holy Quran in
relief, painted in cobalt blue against a background filled with plants and birds.
The bottom section reveals a pattern of small scrolls in compartments.
You don’t have to be a researcher of antiquity to visit and enjoy this
exhibition — just with a person with an eye for the finer and more meaningful things
in life.
THE EXHIBITION
• The Exhibition of Islamic Art in the Calouste Gulbenkian Collection
• Location: Abu Dhabi Cultural Foundation
• Dates: Until February 15.
• Timings: 9am to 1pm. 5 to 8pm.
• Admission: Open to all, free
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