A 14th-century ablution basin made of copper alloy inlaid with silver is set beside a smaller porcelain counterpart in a new exhibition at the Louvre Abu Dhabi.
The metal basin, created somewhere within the borders of Egypt and Syria, is a prime example of the craftsmanship dating to the Mamluk era, but with an added tinge. Alongside the thickset Arabic calligraphy inscribed on the inner and outer walls of the receptacle are engravings of lotus flowers, a recurring aesthetic motif in Chinese art. In contrast, the porcelain basin was made almost a century later in China. Embellished with floral cobalt blue designs, the work has a uniquely Islamic shape and colour, but with Chinese artistry and know-how of porcelain production.
Dragon and Phoenix – Centuries of Exchange between Chinese and Islamic Worlds is organised with the Musee national des arts asiatiques – Guimet, popularly known as the Musee Guimet, in Paris. The dragon and phoenix embody two cultures – China, the dragon, and the Islamic world, the phoenix. The exhibition brings together 240 artworks from 14 institutions in China and France to trace the cultural interchange between East Asia and the Islamic world from the 8th to the 18th centuries.
“It’s the story of two civilisations meeting and exchanging through terrestrial and maritime roads. The story of the ideas, goods, artworks and raw materials exchanged along those roads,” Souraya Noujaim, scientific, curatorial and collections management director at Louvre Abu Dhabi, tells. “It’s an untold story, an extremely rich story between China and the Islamic lands.”
Curated in five sections, “the exhibition starts at the 8th century, around the time of the encounter between the Abbasid Caliphate and the Tang Dynasty”, she says. Noujaim supported Sophie Makariou, the president of the Musee Guimet, in curating the exhibition, alongside Guilhem Andre, also from Louvre Abu Dhabi.
Commercial ventures between China and the Islamic world were ramped up in the 15th century as the Ming Dynasty fortified its rule over East Asia. The period that followed saw increased use of maritime routes. Chinese influence on the art of the Islamic East was exemplified in the theme of combat between fantastical beasts. A fiery chimerical animal known as the qilin was a typical example of this – found in illustration and brocades throughout the exhibition. In turn, as trade increased between China and the Ottoman empire, artists became inspired by Chinese ceramics and textiles, incorporating their own artistic practices with the materials.
But Dragon and Phoenix does not fade out into a conclusion, but rather in an immersive experience that pits viewers in a bestiary for fantastical animals. Dragons and phoenixes, animated based on artefact designs, traverse fiery, aquatic and aerial realms in an experience that is riveting for adults and children alike. “The installation is meant to help people encounter these motifs in a new way,” Andre says. “To create an experience that encompasses the artwork and leaves a lasting impression.”
Dragon and Phoenix – Centuries of Exchange between Chinese and Islamic Worlds will run from Wednesday, October 6 until February 12