Louvre Islamic art wing: Recognising Islamic art and cultures

French Ambassador hosts video diary of new wing; €100 million project is the culmination of a decade of work.

ISLAMABAD:

Islamic art has found a space of its own at the famed Louvre Museum in Paris, after a new department was set up dedicated to such works. Alliance Francais in Islamabad hosted a projection of short videos that featured works that have been added to the Louvre’s newest section.

French Ambassador Philippe Thiebaud announced the objective of the new department as an effort to build bridges between the east and west. “We should be able to speak of our differences, but also of our shared history and reciprocal influences over the centuries,” he said.

The short videos showcased a range of different artefacts that have been preserved and are now being showcased at the museum, such as the pyxis of al Mughira, a container of sculpted ivory from Spain dating from 968 and made for the son of Caliph Abd al Rahman III; a Mughal era window screen with a floral design sculpted with red sandstone; and Iznik ceramics from Ottoman Turkey.

The new department at the Louvre is an innovative glass and metal structure that covers more than 2,800 square metres and is surrounded by neo classical facades of a 17th century courtyard with 2,500 pieces on display. The project cost €100 million, according to the Louvre’s website.

Some photographs of the artefacts were displayed at Alliance Francais, however, the lack of names and origins under each photograph made it confusing for some visitors to recognise the pieces.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 25^th, 2012.