The Hong Kong Palace Museum (HKPM) will unveil the city’s first major exhibition of Islamic art masterpieces on Wednesday (June 18), featuring 90 exquisite works from three early modern Islamic empires.
Titled “Wonders of Imperial Carpets: Masterpieces from the Museum of Islamic Art, Doha”, the exhibition will showcase carpets from Safavid Iran, Ottoman Türkiye, and Mughal India, alongside ceramics, metalwork, manuscripts, and jades from the 10th to 19th centuries.
As the grandest form of Islamic art, the imperial carpets, crafted by skilled artisans with royal patronage, will take center stage of the exhibition.
The 15 displayed carpets were made from the finest materials, including silk, pashmina wool, and gold and silver threads, dyed with rare ingredients sourced worldwide.
Highlights include the Shah Sulayman "Hunting" Carpet, a 450-year-old diplomatic gift from the Safavid Shah to the Venetian Doge, and the 16-meter-long Kevorkian Hyderabad Carpet, woven for the palaces of the Hyderabad sultans in Mughal India.
Beyond the precious carpets, the exhibition will also showcase the the Royal Qur'an of Shah Sulayman Safavi, a holy book of Islam produced for the eighth ruler of the Safavid dynasty.
Other treasure includes rare folios from great works of Persian literature, such as the Shahnama (Book of Kings), and an Ottoman inlaid wooden chest for holding gifts.
Visitors will also explore cultural exchanges between the Islamic world and China since the Tang dynasty, with Chinese artworks displayed alongside Islamic pieces.
Notably, the muesmed has digitally recreated the Damascus Room, one of Museum of Islamic Art’s most-visited exhibits. This immersive experience will transports visitors to the Ottoman world of hospitality, luxury, and beauty.
Through an innovative AR program, visitor will able to create personalizied self portraits aboard virtual flying carpets on their phone.
The Magic Carpet Adventure family trail will offer engaging activities for visitors of all ages, with family fun continuing in the Carpet Studio learning corridor at the exhibition's conclusion.
Louis Ng Chi-wa, Museum Director of the HKPM, noted that the exhibition is expected to attract between 80,000 and 100,000 visitors, expressing hope that it will foster residents’ understanding of Islamic culture.
Ng also revealed plans to hold an exhibition showcasing Chinese culture in the Middle East in the future.
Additionally, this exhibition marks one of the key collaborative achievements following the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the HKPM and Qatar Museums last year.
"Wonders of Imperial Carpets” will be open to the public until October 6, with tickets priced at HK$150 for adults and HK$75 for concessions.
(Judy Cui)
