Being
an admirer of Islamic Arts among other forms of Arts, I had to go and
visit the Islamic Arts Museum in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is rich,
well presented and displays collections classified as the largest in
southeast Asia. I had already visited the Museum of Islamic Art in
Doha, Qatar (MIA) but not yet the one in KL. Both are outstanding
museums sharing a modern architecture.
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| Gold leaf calligraphy |
Its
architecture is modern without having the glamorous design of MIA
built by the iconic Sino-American architect I.M. Pei. However, it is
a diverse and fascinating place with a pleasant overall presentation
The museum guidebook says that « the aim is to have a
collection that is truly representative of the Islamic world ».
But they add that « an emphasis on Asia. China and Southeast
Asia are especially well represented ».
There
are three highlights to the visit : the building architecture,
its various collections and the facilities it provides.
- The Museum Architecture.
Even
though the general design is contemporaty, it provides a resolute
attempt to add a touch of
Islamic Art. The tiles at the entrance were
the work of Iranian craftsmen as well as the main roof dome, which
stands as a testimony of the former grandeur of Persian Art. The main
entrance hall is lit by large bay windows engraved with a modern
Islamic design. A large copper lantern is hanging in a corner above
the staircase. The floor bears a design inspired by Islamic geometry
and the museum gallery ceilings have five large domes designed by
craftsmen from Uzbekistan, all different in color and design. Note,
that number 5 has a symbolic significance in Islam (re.'The Five
Pillars of Islam').
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| Glassware |
- The Gallery Collections.
The
museum has permanent galleries as well as two galleries for temporary
exhibitions. The permanent collections are spread on two vast levels.
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| The 6 calligraphic styles |
-
On level 1, the galleries are for architecture, Qurans &
manuscripts, and they also provide a glimpse of the Islamic spheres
of China, India, and the ancient Malay world.
-
On level 2, the galleries present textiles, jewelry, arms &
armors, coins, wood and ceramics.
Among
the most conspicuous collections, I found the following ones
particularly interesting : the explanation of the keris,
the Chinese Muslim blue-and-white porcelains, the Turkish Izmik
ceramics, the Indian miniatures, the Moroccan jewelry. The enclosed
glass display called the Standard Chartered Ottoman Room (from 19th
century Syria) and the scale design models of famous world mosques
were also particularly fascinating. (I will add a more detailed
comment on these latest items further down.)
- The Facilities.
Besides
providing lectures, newsletters, and education programs, IAMM also
provides two great facilities :
- A stylish restaurant largely open on a courtyard and serving a selected Middle Eastern cuisine. It is a good addition because the museum is so vast and rich that you may want to spend a couple of hours exploring all its collections.
- A splendid museum shop not only displaying a varied selection of books on Islamic Art, but also some fabulous articrafts imported from many Islamic countries. This includes ceramics, textiles, jewels, silverware as well as pieces of furniture. A special section is reserved to children.
The
description would not be complete without mentioning that the Islamic
Arts Museum has also an auditorium, a huge library, and even a
conservation center like many other world museums.
- Further comment.
At
this point of time, I would like to come back to the introductory
quote of the museum regarding its
goal and emphasis. I did find the
Architecture Gallery particularly interesting because among many
other items, there was an extraordinary display of some of the
world's best Islamic architectural achievements under the form of
scale models. Here is a list of some of these prestigious monuments :
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| Distinctive regional styles |
-
The Masjid al-Haram with the Ka'aba
(AD 638), in Mecca, Saudi Arabia : the holliest and largest
mosque in the world.
-
The Dome of the Rock
(AD 691) in Jerusalem, Palestine.
-
The Taj Mahal
(AD 1632) in Agra, India
-
The Shah Mosque
(AD 1629) in Shiraz, Iran
-
Ibn Tulun Mosque in Cairo
(AD 879), Egypt.
This
is just to name a few because there are many more models :
Edirne & Istanbul (Turkey), Bukhara (Uzbekistan) or Abu Dhabi
(U.A.E.). All these represent the Asian contribution to Islamic Art
if we accept to include Egypt in the Middle East too.
Some
more scale models contribute to represent « a collection that
is truly representative of the Islamic world ». For instance,
one can see :
-
The Alhambra
in Granada (mid 11th
century), Spain.
-
The Great Mosque of Djenné
(13th
century) in Timbuktu, Mali, the largest mud construction in the
world.
-
Dar al-Islam Mosque in Abiquiu
(AD 1981), northern New Mexico, USA.
If
we add the Al-Andalus glass diplay and a rich collection of Moroccan
jewelry, it seems that this is a pretty extensive coverage of Islamic
Arts. Among the Moroccan items, which by the way are purely Berber in
style, the most conspicuous item is a gold crown inlaid with
gemstones (AD 1800) worn by the bride at her wedding ceremony.
However,
I was slightly dismayed by the fact that Northern Africa, namely the
Maghreb, was underrepresented for its outstanding contributions often
recognized by UNESCO. Perhaps, the museum ought to consider adding
the following additions in the future:
-
The Koutoubia Mosque
in Marrakesh
(AD 1184-1199), Morocco.
-
Al-Qarawiyyin Mosque & Madrasa in
Fes (AD
859), Morocco. Its illustrious madrasa is considered to be the oldest
university in the world (re.UNESCO & Guinness Book of World
Records).
-
The Great Mosque of Tlemcen (AD
1136) in Algeria.
-
The Great Mosque of Sidi-Uqba in
Kairouan
(AD 670) , Tunisia.
-
The Giralda in Seville
(AD 1184), Spain.
-
The Great Mosque of Córdoba
(AD 987), Spain.
Actually,
if scale models cover too much space, it could be done through the
use of panels and photos with an explanatory coverage of Northern
Africa's artistic Islamic contribution.
This
suggestion is there simply because I felt that the above-mentioned
architectural monuments were absent or not fully-mentioned yet. Let's
recall that Malaysia commissioned, some Moroccan craftsmen to create
a tile mural at Menara KL Tower.
Yet,
the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia remains a great and wonderful place
to visit. It gives the visitors a didactic view of the richness and
stunning diversity of the Islamic forms of Arts.
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| The parts of the keris. |
Christian
Sorand
Links :
Bibliography :
- Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia, guide-book, 2005, ISBN 983-40845-6-0
Photo gallery:
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