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April was a very special month for the DAI, as four new exhibitions were launched and a conference related to three of the exhibitions was held. More than 500 people gathered over the two day launch, held at the Amricani Cultural Centre. On 2nd April, under the Patronage of HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah, HE Minister of Information and Minister of State for Youth Affairs, President of National Council for Culture, Arts & Letters Sheikh Salman Sabah al-Salem al-Humoud al-Sabah officially opened four new • DAI Opens New Exhibitions at ACC • DAI Exhibitions at Houston’s MFA Opens • Splendors Loaned from the Lands of Antiquities • Sheikha Hussah in Rome • Jodhpur One World Retreat • Fulbright Specialist Visits DAI • TOW Retires • Mughal Objects on Loan • Sheikha Hussah Speaks at AWARE/IOM Conference • Abdulkareem al-Ghadban Promoted • Farewell to a Friend: Géza Fehérvári IN THIS ISSUE Dear Friends, This issue has been a long time coming and I do apologise for the delay. However as you probably already know, or will discover as you read through this issue, the Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah has been very busy. If you haven’t seen the new exhibitions yet, I encourage you to visit soon – they are exceptional! Bader al-Baijan Friends of the DAI Steering Committee DAI at Amricani Cultural Centre Bareed ad-Dar is the quarterly newsletter of The Friends of Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah (DAI). Gulf Museum Consultancy Company WLL (GMCC) is the commercial entity authorized to exploit and promote the commercial and other rights relating to The al-Sabah Collection, Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah. [email protected] © 2013 GMCC, Kuwait RETURN POSTAGE GUARANTEED Friends of Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah National Council for Culture, Arts & Letters P .O. Box 23996, Safat, 13100, KUWAIT T: +965 2240 0992 F: +965 2242 0088 E: [email protected] Launches New Exhibitions LNS 1785 J Newsletter of the Friends of the Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah, Year 14, Issue 3 DAI at MFA, Houston On 26th January 2013, DAI director general Sheikha Hussah Sabah al-Salem al-Sabah, DAI director Abdulkareem al-Ghadban, and DAI curator Salam Kaouji joined the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston gala celebrating the launch of Arts from Islamic Lands: Selections from The al-Sabah Collection, Kuwait. The exhibition, launched at the museum’s “Beyond Boundaries: 2013 Arts of the Islamic World Gala” has approximately 100 objects, including architectural pieces, carpets, ceramics, metalwork, jewellery, scientific instruments, and manuscripts. The loan is part of a five-year partnership with the Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah of Kuwait, with objects selected to show major themes in Islamic art. While in Houston, she took the opportunity to visit former President George H.W. Bush, Barbara Bush and James Baker. She also enjoyed visits to the de Menil Collection and the Rothko Chapel. You can see a report on the opening at DAI’s official youtube link www.youtube.com/user/DARkuwait President George H.W. Bush, Sheikha Hussah, former Secretary of State James Baker and former First Lady Barbara Bush during their visit MFAH director Gary Tinterow and Sheikha Hussah ’Sheikh Nasser and the Iranian delegation discuss a truly splendid ’lady exhibitions. The exhibitions, Verses from the Holy Qur’an on Works of Art, Splendors of the Ancient East: Antiquities from The al-Sabah Collection, Splendors Loaned from the Lands of Antiquities, and Splendors Loaned from the Kuwait National Museum, attracted scholars, art historians and guests from Kuwait, the region and the art world. After a short programme, the guests were invited to tour the exhibitions. The scholars who’d undertaken the research and written the catalogue for the exhibition were on hand to answer questions as were DAI docents. At 7 PM, a concert by French-Kuwait musicians brought the evening to a close. The day before, 1st April, Friends of the DAI, visiting scholars and art historians enjoyed a conference, which focused on art from the ancient East. The speakers were drawn from around the world and featured Shehab AH al-Shahab, Kuwait National Museum director, Dr Amira Edan al-Dhahab, director of the Iraq National Museum, Dr Faegh Tohidi from the Iran National Museum, DAI curator Deborah Freeman, Dr Pieter Meyers, senior research chemist at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Director of research at the Arthur M. Sackler Foundation in New York, Dr Trudy S Kawami and Dr Sidney Goldstein, former curator at the St. Louis Art Museum, Ms Nasreen Afghani Belali from the National Museum of Afghanistan and Angeliki Bourni, representing the Benaki Museum in Athens, Greece. HE Sheikh Salman Sabah al-Salem al-Homoud al-Sabah opens the exhibitions
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IN THIS ISSUE - darmuseum.org.kwdarmuseum.org.kw/.../10/32.Bareed-Year-14-Issue-3-2013-English.pdf · ISSUE Dear Friends, This ... Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, president of the Papal

Jul 10, 2018

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Page 1: IN THIS ISSUE - darmuseum.org.kwdarmuseum.org.kw/.../10/32.Bareed-Year-14-Issue-3-2013-English.pdf · ISSUE Dear Friends, This ... Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, president of the Papal

April was a very special month for the DAI, as four new exhibitions were launched and a conference related to three of the exhibitions was held. More than 500 people gathered over the two day launch, held at the Amricani Cultural Centre.

On 2nd April, under the Patronage of HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah, HE Minister of Information and Minister of State for Youth Affairs, President of National Council for Culture, Arts & Letters Sheikh Salman Sabah al-Salem al-Humoud al-Sabah officially opened four new

• DAI Opens New Exhibitions at ACC • DAI Exhibitions at Houston’s MFA Opens• Splendors Loaned from the Lands of Antiquities• Sheikha Hussah in Rome• Jodhpur One World Retreat• Fulbright Specialist Visits DAI• TOW Retires • Mughal Objects on Loan• Sheikha Hussah Speaks at AWARE/IOM Conference• Abdulkareem al-Ghadban Promoted• Farewell to a Friend: Géza Fehérvári

IN THISISSUE

Dear Friends, This issue has been a long time coming and I do apologise for the delay. However as you probably already know, or will discover as you read through this issue, the Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah has been very busy. If you haven’t seen the new exhibitions yet, I encourage you to visit soon – they are exceptional!

Bader al-BaijanFriends of the DAI Steering Committee

DAI at Amricani Cultural Centre

Bareed ad-Dar is the quarterly newsletter of The Friends of Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah (DAI).Gulf Museum Consultancy Company WLL (GMCC) is the commercial entity authorized to exploit and promotethe commercial and other rights relating to The al-Sabah Collection, Dar al-Athar [email protected] © 2013 GMCC, Kuwait

RETURN POSTAGE GUARANTEEDFriends of Dar al-Athar al-IslamiyyahNational Council for Culture, Arts & LettersP.O. Box 23996, Safat, 13100, KUWAITT: +965 2240 0992F: +965 2242 0088E: [email protected]

Launches New Exhibitions

LNS

1785

JNewsletter of the Friends of the Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah,Year 14, Issue 3

DAI at MFA, HoustonOn 26th January 2013, DAI director general Sheikha Hussah Sabah al-Salem al-Sabah, DAI director Abdulkareem al-Ghadban, and DAI curator Salam Kaouji joined the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston gala celebrating the launch of Arts from Islamic Lands: Selections from The al-Sabah Collection, Kuwait. The exhibition, launched at the museum’s “Beyond Boundaries: 2013 Arts of the Islamic World Gala” has approximately 100 objects, including architectural pieces, carpets, ceramics, metalwork, jewellery, scientific instruments, and manuscripts. The loan is part of a five-year partnership with the Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah of Kuwait, with objects selected to show major themes in Islamic art.

While in Houston, she took the opportunity to visit former President George H.W. Bush, Barbara Bush and James Baker. She also enjoyed visits to the de Menil Collection and the Rothko Chapel.

You can see a report on the opening at DAI’s official youtube link www.youtube.com/user/DARkuwait

President George H.W. Bush, Sheikha Hussah, former Secretary of StateJames Baker and former First Lady Barbara Bush during their visit

MFAH director Gary Tinterow and

Sheikha Hussah

’Sheikh Nasser and the Iranian delegation discuss a truly splendid ’lady

exhibitions. The exhibitions, Verses from the Holy Qur’an on Works of Art, Splendors of the Ancient East: Antiquities from The al-Sabah Collection, Splendors Loaned from the Lands of Antiquities, and Splendors Loaned from the Kuwait National Museum, attracted scholars, art historians and guests from Kuwait, the region and the art world.

After a short programme, the guests were invited to tour the exhibitions. The scholars who’d undertaken the research and written the catalogue for the exhibition were on

hand to answer questions as were DAI docents. At 7 PM, a concert by French-Kuwait musicians brought the evening to a close.

The day before, 1st April, Friends of the DAI, visiting scholars and art historians enjoyed a conference, which focused on art from the ancient East. The speakers were drawn from around the world and featured Shehab AH al-Shahab, Kuwait National Museum director, Dr Amira Edan al-Dhahab, director of the Iraq National Museum, Dr Faegh Tohidi from the Iran National Museum, DAI curator Deborah Freeman, Dr Pieter Meyers, senior research chemist at the Los

Angeles County Museum of Art, Director of research at the Arthur M. Sackler Foundation in New York, Dr Trudy S Kawami and Dr Sidney Goldstein, former curator at the St. Louis Art Museum, Ms Nasreen Afghani Belali from the National Museum of Afghanistan and Angeliki Bourni, representing the Benaki Museum in Athens, Greece.

HE Sheikh Salman Sabah al-Salem al-Homoud al-Sabah opens the exhibitions

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“Splendors”Conference and Opening

The Iranian delegation, including HE Mohammad al-Hussaini, Minister of Irshad, Ambassador to Kuwait Rouhollah Ghaharmani, and Iranian Cultural Counsellor Dr Abbas Khameh yar listen as Sheikh Nasser describes a 5th century CE carpet

Bahrain Minister of Culture Sheikha Mai bint Mohammad al-Khalifa sits between Sheikh Salman and Sheikh Nasser at the opening ceremony

Sheikh Nasser greets the wife of the Iraqi ambassador, Mona Boursili, Sheikha Haya al-Khalifa from Bahrain, and Nouriah Saddani

Sheikha Hussah with guests, including Ahmad al-Zaila’I, Abdallah al- Mutairi, and Sa’ad al-Rashid

NCCAL’s Ali al-Yoha greets Sheikh Khalifa bin Ahmadal-Khalifa from Bahrain

Jassim Miraj asked questions during the conference

Sue Kaoukji, curator of the Verses from the Holy Qur’an on Works of Art exhibition, Noorah Duaij Mohammad al-Sabah, DAI exhibition designer, and Fadeela Habeeb, DAI admin team

Samer Khanachet and Souren Melikian at Amricani

KNM director Shehab al-Shehab Iran National Museum’s Faegh Tohidi Angeliki Bourni from the Benaki Museum and DAI’s Bader al-Baijan

Nasreen Afghani Belali from the Afghanistan National Museum

Amira Edan al-Dhahab, Iraq National Museum

Trudy Kawami captured on camera

HE the Minister of Information Sheikh Salman Sabah al-Salem al-Homoud al-Sabah speaks at the opening ceremony

The audience waiting for the programme to startHE Sheikh Salman Sabah al-Salem al-Homoudal-Sabah with the Kuwait National Museum team DAI Junior Docents at the conference The conference audience

One of the four exhibitions opened on 2 April was Splendors Loaned from the Lands of Antiquities. While it ran just one week, it featured four splendid objects from four extraordinary museums. The four pieces represented some of the most important periods of ancient history in the region: a silver cup fragment from Bronze Age Afghanistan on loan from the National Museum of Afghanistan; a Neo-Elamite inscribed bronze brazier from Iron Age south-western Iran on loan from the National Museum of Iran; a Hellenistic bronze head of Dionysos from the Parthian site of Hatra in Iraq on loan from the National Museum of Iraq; and a Hellenistic terracotta figurine from ancient Greece on loan from the Benaki Museum in Athens. The DAI was honoured to present the items for the opening and to share them again here.

Inscribed bronze brazier from the National Museum of Iran

Silver cup fragment from the National Museum of Afghanistan

Bronze head of Dionysos from the National Museum of Iraq

Terracotta figurine from the Benaki Museum in Greece

“Splendors” curator Deborah Freeman Sidney Goldstein, author of The Bronze Age section of the “Splendors” catalogue

Trudy Kawami, author of The Iron Age section of the “Splendors” catalogue

Contributor to the “Splendors” catalogue Pieter Meyers

Sheikh Salman and Ali Yoha thank the musicians for their performance

Nicholas Sims-Williams visiting Qur’an exhibition Docent Maha Alessa, Sheikha Bibi Nasser al-Sabah

Docent Clare Daniel (pointing) has visitors completely enthralled

Marilyn Jenkins-Madina inspects the South Arabia ibex Ma’asouma al-Habeeb, Zaina Tarhini, AblaEl Alami, Hanan Haider, members of the DAI team

The Markhor Goat is an attraction for Manijeh Bayani and Maryam Masoudi

The Saudi and UAE delegations enjoy some fresh air between activities

Kuwaiti and French performers collaborated to make beautiful music DAI opened four new exhibitions to a full house

Exhibition designer Roberto Fabbri with Sheikha Hussah and Sheikh Nasser

Deborah Freeman, Sheikha Hussah, Bader al-Baijan and Farid Fahid

Splendors Loanedfrom the Lands of Antiquities

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Sheikha Hussah in Houston Sheikha Hussah in RomeSheikha Hussah was in Houston for the opening of the Arts from Islamic Lands: Selections from The al-Sabah Collection, Kuwait exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH) on 25 January 2013. While viewing the exhibition before the official opening, she noted what a wonderful job the MFAH’s curatorial staff had done in presenting the objects

An emerald from The al-Sabah Collection on display in Houston

Sheikha Hussah, MFAH director Gary Tinterow and exhibition curator Giovanni Curatola do a last minute walk through

The MFAH Gala Dinner

Entertainment at the Gala Dinner

Exhibition curator Giovanni Curatola, DAI curator Sue Kaoukji and long-time friend of the DAI David Sulzberger in the exhibition

Sheikha Hussah at the de Menil Collection

Mrs Adam Ereli, Sheikha Hussah, Ms Suna Umai Rothko Chapel chapel historian, US Ambassador Adam Ereli, principle deputy assistant secretary, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs in Washington DC, DAI’s Abdulkareem al-Ghadban in front of Houston’s Rothko Chapel.

Looking in to the exhibition

DAI curator Sue Kaoukji joins the conversation

Sheikha Hussah participated in TEDxViaDellaConciliazione conference held in Rome on 19 April. Organised in conjunction with the Vatican, the conference focused on an overall theme of “Religious Freedom Today” and drew speakers from around the world and the world’s religion.

Sheikha Hussah spoke on the power of “A collection of art as an imprint in order to understand the identity and human dignity of a civilization.” In her speech she acknowledged that she found the subject difficult. She said “in the process of preparing this presentation, [she] was forced to figure out what art has meant” in her life and how it coloured her interactions with people from other countries, cultures and religions.

In a presentation that included anecdotes about the launch of the collection, the perilous time when objects in the collection shared living space with a growing family and the part that the DAI’s traveling exhibition “Islamic Art and Patronage” played as an ambassador for Kuwait during the invasion and occupation of the country in 1990 and 1991, she

noted that “the true beauty of art is in the way it expresses shared values – religious, aesthetic and human values.”

Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, president of the Papal Council on Culture, Father Eduard Daleng, a missionary in Nigeria, Brother Guy Consolmagno, planetary scientist, director meteorite collection at Vatican Observatory, social scientist, global research at the Pew Foundation Brian Grim, Chief Rabbi David Rosen, Soumaya Slim, curator of the Soumaya Museum in Mexico City, architect Fernando Romero, art historian Elizabeth Lev, graffiti artist Mohammed Ali, Barrie Scwhartz, photographer and shroud investigator, Wenzong Wang, educator in China, Egyptian ICT expert Hisham El Sharif, singer Gloria Estefan, chemical researcher Pilar Mateo, architect Daniel Libeskind, former NBA star Vlade Divac, the students of Rondine, City of Peace, and Alicia Vacas, a Combony Missionary in Jerusalem, also spoke at the conference. They all shared equally heartfelt stories drawn from their lives and their experiences. The common thread in the presentations, no matter the route taken – art, sports,

religion, education, was the belief that what connects people is greater than what separates them.

You can watch Sheikha Hussah’s speech and connect to the other at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyVODZwF2CM

While in Rome, Sheikha Hussah had the great opportunity to attend a Papal Audience in St Peter’s Square and meet His Holiness Pope Frances. Speaking through an interpreter, they exchanged greetings and the Pope gave Sheikha Hussah a beautiful coin to commemorate her visit.

To see the meeting, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=o4JWOQaQo6Y

Sheikha Hussah also met with the former Papal Nuncio to Kuwait, HE Archbishop Guiseppe d’Andrea. Having experienced “wonderful hospitality” during his years in Kuwait, the Archbishop was pleased to give Sheikha a personal tour of the Vatican Museum and St Peter’s Basilica.

Tall (former NBA star Vlade Divac) and small

Being greeted by Pope Francis

Sheikha Hussah with Archbishop Giuseppe de Andrea, former Apostolic Nuncio to Kuwait, in front of the doors to St Peter’s BasilicaSheikha Hussah, with the crowd for the Papal Audience behind her

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DIRECTOR,S CIRCLE

BENEFACTORS

DONORS

A L A M I A H

AIYDA SALEM AL-SABAH

MARIAM NASERAL-SABAH

SHAFIKA ALI AL-MUTAWA

INTISAR SALEM AL-SABAH

RIHAM FOUAD ALGHANIM

AMAL SABAH AL SALEM AL-SABAH

BUTHAINAH M. AL-SALEH

ABDULAZIZ SULTAN ESSA

RACHADHABIB TABIAT

NASRALLAHSYED BEHBEHANI

NOURA ABDULAZIZALGHANIM

SABAH AMIN AL-RAYEESPAULA AL-SABAH

HIND HAMEDAL-BAHAR

NASSER MOHAMMED AL-RASHED

KUTAYBAYUSSUF

ALGHANIM

PATRONS

SUPPORTERS

AFRAH MUBARAK AL-SABAHALI FAISAL AL-KHALEDANAM ABDULLAH AL-MUDHAFBASEMAH MUBARAK AL-SABAHDIRAAR YUSUF ALGHANIMEMAD MOHAMED AL-BAHAR

FAHAD MAJID AL-SALEM MOHAMMED GHAZI AL-SEDAIRAWIMUNIRA KHALID AL-MUTAWA NADIA MOHAMMAD AL-BAHARRAKAN IBRAHIM ALGHANIM

ABBASA ISMAIL BEHBEHANIABBAS ABDULLAH AL-DASHTIADEL TAWFEEQ AL-ZUHAIRADEL SALEM AL-ABDULJADERAHMAD ABDULLAH AL-SARRAFALI ASHOUR AL-JAFARANWAR FAISAL AL-SABAHALIA ABDULRAHMAN AL-MESHARIALTAF ESSA SULTAN AL-ESSAAWATIF SABAH AL SALEM AL-SABAHBADRIYA SABAH AL SALEM AL-SABAHBIRGIT AL-MUTAWAENASS SAUD AL-MARZOUQFADEELA DUAIJ AL-SABAHFAHAD ABDULRAHMAN AL-RADIFARIDA MOHAMMED AL-HABIB

GEORGE SALEH ABU AYYASHHANA AL-ABDULMUGHNIHIND ABDULLA AL-SABAHJANICE OLDSKEVIN BURKEKHALIFA DIRAAR ALGHANIMLEENA HUSNI DEIRANIELINA SAADI ABOUDHEIRMANAL BADER AL-GHARABALLYMARZOUQ DIRAAR ALGHANIMMOHAMMED IBRAHIM AL-FRAIHMOHAMMED MAHMOUD RASHEEDMONA MOHAMMED AL-KHONAINIMONA MOHAMMED FAROUKIMUNA MUHALHEL AL-MUDHAFMUNIRA SULAIMAN AL-KHUBAIZI

NAHLE MUHALHEL AL-MUDHAFNAJLA MOHAMMED AL-FARAJNOUF KHALED AL-MARZOUQPHILIP FOUAD BARDAWILSAMER KHANACHETSAWSAN ABDULLAH ABDULRAHIMSHEREIFA BADER AL-TAYYARTAREQ ABDULAZIZ AL-AWADHITAREQ AZMY EL-SHEIKHTAREQ BADER AL-MAILAMWOROOD AL-SUHAILYASER ASHOUR AL-JAFARZEYAD HAMAD AL-FARES

Sheikha Hussah and a delegation from Kuwait travelled to Jodhpur, India from 8 – 10 March 2013 to participate in the Jodhpur One World Retreat. The event was organised and hosted by His Highness Maharaja Gaj Singh II to raise money for the Indian Head Injury Foundation, which he and the Maharani founded.

HH the Maharaja created the organisation after his son, Yuvraj Shivraj Singh, suffered a traumatic brain injury and he discovered that India is known in medical circles as the “Brain Injury Capital of the World.” Today, the foundation has three primary objectives: to reduce the number of head injuries in India; to improve the outcome of head injury treatment; and to enhance the lives of head injury survivors.

JodhpurOne World Retreat

Right: International superstar Sting, Sheihka Hussah, Maharani Hemlata Rajye of Jodhpur (standing), noted Indian journalist Malvika “Mala” Singh, Prince Andrew, Duke of York

Sting performing in the Baradari Gardens, Umaid Bhawan Palace Umaid Bhawan Palace

HH Maharaja Gaj Singh II of Jodhpur

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Fulbright Specialist VisitsDar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah By special arrangement with the American Embassy in Kuwait and the William J. Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board, anthropologist Dr Duane Anderson was invited to spend three weeks at the DAI. “I had a difficult assignment - how to come up with suggestions that would make a really great institution even better.” He cited the Museum’s world class collections, exhibitions, publications, and public programs as being of the highest quality - ”The envy of institutions everywhere,” in Anderson’s words.

Anderson traveled to Kuwait from the state of Arizona during February and spent time touring facilities at the Amricani, al-Maidan, and Mahboula, and took a close look at facilities currently under construction and renovation at the Kuwait National Museum. He also attended programs and staff meetings and interviewed nearly four dozen staff members as he focused in on finding ways to improve the day-to-day operation of the Museum.

The three-week-long consultation resulted in two reports, one that was distributed to staff carrying suggestions and ideas for “self study” in a number of areas including work planning; management strategies; crisis management, problem solving (Dr Anderson calls it “opportunity finding”); meeting leading; task force management; and time management. A second confidential report was prepared for the Director General dealing with intermediate- and long-range planning and succession.

While the exhibition Treasury of the World is retired, interest in many of the objects that were part of the exhibition continues. In fact in October 2012 an exciting new exhibition titled “Akbar. The Great Emperor of India” opened at the Fondazione Roma. Curated by Gian Carlo Calza, the exhibition presents a selection of works produced during the reign of Emperor Akbar, including more than a dozen objects from The al-Sabah Collection’s Treasury of the World exhibition. The exhibition was created “to illustrate the great historical transformations in an age full of political and social events”, explained the curator, “and to portray the personality of a man who made a particular contribution to artistic, cultural and religious dialogue.” Friend of the DAI and former lecturer, Amin Jaffar served as the link between the exhibition and the DAI and his ongoing support is greatly appreciated.

After a career with the Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah, Abdulkareem al-Ghadban has left the organisation . . . but he hasn’t gone far. Effective June 2013, Abdulkareem is now the National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters’ new Assistant Undersecretary for the Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah. So, while his title and home base have changed, he will continue to help the DAI fulfil it’s missions – both here and abroad. Please join us in congratulating him on his new appointment and wishing him success in all his endeavours.

DAI’s “Treasury of the World”RetiresOne of the Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah’s (DAI) most internationally renowned exhibitions, Treasury of the World: Jewelled Arts of India in the Age of the Mughals, came home to Kuwait in February 2011. On display at the Amricani Cultural Centre since the 50/20/5 celebrations, the exhibition has became a popular destination for local residents and visitors from abroad.

Mughal Magnificenceat the Fondazione Roma

Sheikha HussahSpeaks at AWARE/IOM Conference

Sheikha Hussah speaks to the media

On December 3rd and 4th, the UN International Organization for Migration hosted the AWARE Center’s first symposium on Cultural Diplomacy in MENA Region at their headquarters

in Mishref. The theme for the conference was “The Role of Cultural Diplomacy in Building Bridges Between Cultures”, with cultural diplomacy defined as the exchange of ideas, traditions and other aspects of culture that helps promote national interests and builds bridges between cultures.

Sheikha Hussah was invited to participate in the conference, speaking during the 3 December session. She spoke on the power of art and heritage in building bridges between cultures, noting that she’d witnessed that power on two occasions. In her presentation, she related the story of the impact that the Islamic Art and Patronage exhibition and the Treasury of the World exhibition had in presenting positive aspects of Islamic culture. She concluded her presentation by inviting the young people in the audience to use their voices “to be cultural diplomats” and represent their country and their culture well.

Sheikha Hussah with Iman Y Ereiqat, IOM officer in charge and Dr Ebrahim Adsani, AWARE general manager

Anderson is a retired museum director, professor, and author who spent thirty-eight years directing museums in Iowa, Ohio, and New Mexico - most recently as director of the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture and Laboratory of Anthropology in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He also spent many years as a senior

examiner evaluating and accrediting museums throughout the United States through the American Association of Museums in Washington, D.C. His last Fulbright assignment took him to the National Museum of Ethnology and Leiden University in the Netherlands.

However, in order to make way for new exhibitions, Treasury of the World retired on 31 December 2012. The objects were integrated back in to The al-Sabah Collection and, as an exhibition, will never travel again.

Treasury of the World was incredibly popular abroad - setting records at the Louvre, the Kremlin and the Hermitage museums. It’s also been very well received

here at home, with some people coming to see it three or four or more times” said DAI director Abdulkareem al-Ghadban.

The exhibition, which includes more than 500 exquisite jewelled objects from India’s

Mughal dynasty, toured the globe for almost a decade before returning to Kuwait. It opened at the British Museum in London on 16 May 2001 and then travelled to the United States, exhibiting at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Cleveland Museum in Ohio, the Museum of Fine Arts Houston, and the Saint Louis Art Museum in Missouri. From the US, the exhibition moved to Europe, showing at the Palacio Real - Patrimonio Nacional in Spain, Museum fur Islamische Kunst & Martin Gropius - Berlin in Germany, the Musee du Louvre in France and both the Kremlin Museums and The State Hermitage Museum in Russia. The final leg of the tour was Asia, where it visited the Asian Civilizations Museum in Singapore before ending its world tour at the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia on 21 December 2010. Less than three months later, Treasury of the World opened in its final destination, and only Middle East venue, in the Amricani Cultural Centre.

IntroducingAssistant Undersecretary Abdulkareemal-Ghadban

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India is a country with a kaleidoscope of pleasant sights, a cacophony of sounds, vibrant colours, delicious tastes and mysterious aromas. In February 2013 when the weather was perfect, a group of Friends of the DAI went to the famous golden triangle to find out more about the influence of the Mughal Empire.

We began our journey in Delhi. Wide avenues with stately colonial buildings give delight to the eyes of the beholder but our delight was heightened by the sight of Humayan’s Tomb, the first example of Mughal architecture in India. We then visited the Red Fort. This, a walled city, as with other Mughal buildings, shows Mughal creativity at its best. The complex design shows a high awareness of architecture, with a place for everyone and everything. Opposite the Red Fort is the largest masjid in India, capable of holding 25,000 devotees. It was created for Shah Jehan and, unlike most masjids where the devotees sit inside, this is a masjid where people sit in the open, with coverings being used when the weather is very hot. We saw some of the more unusual monuments when we visited the Qutab Minar Complex, including a 12th century, beautifully carved tower , with Islamic calligraphy and Hindu motifs all the way to the top and a curious iron pillar dating back to the 4th century, which has mysteriously not rusted.

We took a train to Agra very early one morning. Agra lies on the banks of the river Yamuna, a busy city where the serenity near the Taj Mahal is in complete contrast to the hustle and bustle of the streets where hawkers ply their wares, water buffalo freely roam, tuktuks weave in and out of crowds and there is much honking of horns!

India!Incredible IndiaHoda al-Zaham

Jahra EducatorsExplore the Amricani Cultural CentreOn 20 December and for several days after, educators from the Jahra district dedicated time to visit the Amricani Cultural Centre (ACC) and discover what the ACC has to offer their students. Sheikha Hussah greeted the guests and introduced the exhibitions, pointing out some objects worthy of special attention. This visit was arranged by Rugaya Ghulum who is responsible for education programs in Jahra.

Agra has three world heritage sites, Taj Mahal, Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri, all of which we visited. The Taj Mahal seen from near or far is a majestic sight, a vision of white marble inlaid with precious stones. On approaching it through tree lined gardens which lay before it, the reality of its beauty is overwhelming. It is ethereal; no wonder that it counts among man’s proudest creations. Agra Fort, built in red sandstone, is a walled city within a city with palaces and gardens and the place where Shah Jehan was imprisoned by his son for the last 7 years of his life. Fatehpur Sikri lies 45 kilometres from the Taj Mahal, on the way to Jaipur. It majestically rises above the surrounding countryside and contains many delicate styles of Mughal architecture and the white marble saint’s tomb.

We continued our journey to Jaipur by coach and wondered at many of the sights we saw on the way. Children sitting in a classroom under the trees, camels pulling carts, crowded villages, little ’buildings’ made of cow dung pancakes which are used for fuel, bright green crops and four or five people riding on one motor cycle.

Jaipur is rightly called the pink city because many of the buildings are constructed out of pink sandstone. The monuments range from stately palaces on lakes to the magnificent Amber Fort, an ancient citadel about 11 kilometres from Jaipur. Some decoration are intricate patterns made with pieces of mirror, others with precious stones and yet others are just magically carved in every design one can imagine. It seems that nothing was impossible for those long gone craftsmen. Hawa Mahal, or the Palace of the Winds, with 953 windows decorated with

intricate designs so that royal women could view everyday life but not be seen, is completely pink.

On a bright but cool morning we went to visit Jaigarth Fort, which commands a fine view of the plains where we saw the largest wheeled canon in the world. We savoured a welcome cup of tea there, then moved on to Nahargarh Fort or Tiger Fort, built in 1734. We could even see walls resembling the Great Wall of China going up sides of hills and joining other smaller forts together.

Our last place to visit was Hyderabad, the capital of Andhra Pradesh. Once again, huge buildings with enormous domes, minarets and exquisite marble designs are abundant, mainly in the shape of the Qutab Shahi Tombs, Mecca Masjid and the elegant Chowmahalla Palace, which is well maintained and inhabited to this day and where the Nizams used to entertain. Hyderabad is also well known for its cuisine, a delightful blend of Indian and Persian. Many people seem to eat their meals in the street in India and sometimes we saw free food being given out to a neat queue, waiting patiently for their turn.

The hub of action which is in every town in India and which is so intriguing and about which a separate article could be written, is in stark contrast to the quiet and peaceful feeling that radiates

through most of the Mughal monuments whether it be in a fort, tomb, garden, corridors, towers or spacious rooms. Personally, I am so happy that I have been able to experience a world of such valuable memories which will remain vivid in my life forever. Namaste!

A beautiful new book has joined the DAI “from Islamic Lands” series. Carpets From Islamic Lands, written by Dr Friedrich Spuhler, introduces and explains the carpets in the context of Islamic art, “recounting the fascinating stories behind individual carpets and celebrating their intricate designs and unparalleled craftsmanship.” With more than 100 colour illustrations, the book’s visual is as impressive as its content.

The book is divided into two parts: Pre-Classical Carpets and Classical Carpets. Part Two, Classical Carpets is further divided into geographical and dynastic sections. Each section includes accessible text that provides some historical background and the use of motifs and other design elements.

Carpets From Islamic Lands is a welcome addition to the DAI series and a must for carpet aficionados everywhere. It is available at both the Maidan Museum Shop and the Amricani Museum Corner.

Carpets from Islamic Lands; New Bookfrom the DAI

DAI's Osama Al-Balhan speaks to Jahra educators

Page 7: IN THIS ISSUE - darmuseum.org.kwdarmuseum.org.kw/.../10/32.Bareed-Year-14-Issue-3-2013-English.pdf · ISSUE Dear Friends, This ... Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, president of the Papal

ICON

Farewell to a Friend

LNS 1785 JFabricated from gold, worked in kundan technique and set with rubies and emeraldsHeight 9 mm; diameter 100 mmIndia, Mughal, c. 1st quarter 17th century CE

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The Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah lost a good friend this season, with the death of Professor Géza Fehérvári. He was a gifted academic, a talented speaker, a lovely man and an important part of the DAI. In addition to his lectures and his participation in our children’s programme, he was the academic leader of the DAI team at the al-Bahnassa archaeological expedition in Upper Egypt between 1985 and 1987. Over the years, he touched Friends of the DAI of all ages.

Professor Géza Fehérvári was the curator of the Tareq Rajab Museum and, as those who attended his many

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As described on page one, 1 and 2 April were special dates for the Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah. We had many guests eager to see the new exhibitions and learn about the objects included in each. More than two dozen docents and junior docents were on hand to help during the conference and the opening and their contributions were appreciated by both the guests and the DAI team. Thank you . . .

DocentsOn Duty

Having served as the cover image for one of the DAI’s most popular exhibitions, Treasury of the World: Jewelled Arts of India in the Age of the Mughals, this dish has to be one of the most recognised objects in The al-Sabah Collection. Many people saw the object for the first time on the catalogue (which is still available in Arabic, English, French, German, and Spanish in the museum shops) and were surprised by how small it is. With a diameter of just 10 cm, it held an astounding 550+ rubies and more than 150 emeralds! In honour of the retirement of this very well-travelled exhibition, here’s one last look (at least for a while), at this iconic work of art.

lecturers well know, he had a special interest in metalwork. He first came to Kuwait in 1991 as the Ambassador of the Republic of Hungary and joined the museum in 1995, after he retired from the Hungarian Diplomatic Service. Prior to joining the government, Professor Fehérvári was a lecturer and then professor at the prestigious University of London School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS).

Museum Corner: Art for Eid

Two ideal gifts for Eid celebrations: a square porcelain tray and a round porcelain box with lid. Both these items were inspired by the decoration on a frit bodied, underglaze painted bowl from Kashan in Iran between 1200 and 1220 CE. This was a time when the two technologies of fritware and underglaze painting assumed their place in the history of ceramics. Frit or stone-paste is a compound where a ratio of quartz is added to the clay and can be fired at a lower temperature than clay alone and increasing the hardiness and density of the ceramic. The technique used clearly demonstrates the freedom the artist felt in creating this ’water-weed’ motif, his only limitation being his own dexterity with the brush, here, clearly used to fine effect. The steadiness of the black lines is evident as they remained clean and fixed during firing; only the cobalt blue flux shows a tendency to blur.

All these features are clearly mirrored in the fine creations of the Ikeda Seito factory from Arita, Japan. The creations made there echo the same fluidity of

design, crispness of line and the subtle softness of the cobalt-blue edge that completes the decoration.

Arita, situated in the Saga Prefecture of the Island of Kyushu in southern Japan has been famous for its pottery works since the isolationist Edo period (1600 – 1868) and maintained, through its pottery manufacture, contact with the world at large. Post-Meiji restoration Arita wares were exhibited at world fairs that became popular in the late 19th century. Today they still strive to develop these techniques even further. These pieces, made exclusively for Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah, are examples of the truly exceptional objects made by Ikeda Seito.

Ahmad Azam

Asmaa Al-Maliki

Carla Wilson

Clare Daniel

Danah AlMesbah

Deborah Longgenecker

Elena Rezuchova

Eva Fernandez

Fatema al-Madhi

Fatema AlMesbah

Frances Lennon

Ibtissam Hajj

Khalid Al-Shammaa

Maha Alessa

Margaret Graham

Mona Farouki

Mutlaq Juraid

Nancy George

Nayef Al Mekhled

Razan Sayed Omar

Ruba Al-Hegawi

Sabah Hreish

Sarrah Al-Gharabally

Sina Zahr

Yousef Asaad