Museum of Islamic Art announces its upcoming Islamic Glass Exhibition

The Museum of Islamic Art, MIA, is pleased to announce its upcoming double exhibition on glass of the Islamic world. Opening to the public between 1 August 2012 and 7 January 2013 on the fourth level of the Museum of Islamic Art, the two exhibitions will be connected in their exploration of Islamic glass, but different in seeing it from new perspectives, both ancient and modern.

Featuring the contributions of ancient and medieval glassmaking techniques, methods and history of the production of Islamic glass, “The Intelligence of Tradition: Antiquity and Early Islamic Glass” exhibition will be on view in the east gallery.

Ancient and early Islamic glass pieces will be displayed together to illustrate the ancient Egyptian, Hellenistic, Roman and Sasanian techniques used by Islamic glassmakers. Short films on glass blowing and decorative techniques with narration were produced for this exhibition, demonstrating methods used in the Islamic world.  They will be shown in the screening room attached to the gallery.

The “Illuminations: the Mosque Lamp as Iconographic Image” exhibition in the west gallery will showcase mosque lamps highlighting their iconographic symbolism in Islamic art. A short history about the forms and displays of lamps and a number of depictions of the traditional medieval-era lamps will be displayed on one side of the gallery.  On the other side, a display of European revival lamps of the late 19th century and Orientalist imagery will explore the lamp as an icon of Islamic art and exoticism and of their perception by collectors and artists up until the present day.

Commenting on the importance of this exhibition, Michelle Walton, Curator of the Islamic glass exhibition said: ” Glass, especially leading up to and during the Islamic Golden Age, is a fascinating subject, as well as being objects of beauty. We are extremely excited to share these new objects and ideas in these two different shows.”

Admission to the exhibition is free of charge.

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