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| Source: Sharjah Museums Department. The opening ceremony. |
The collection of luxury textiles, ceremonial weapons, saddle cloths, silk garments and rugs is being shown in the Arab world for the very first time. At the same time, the exhibition marks the first ever collaboration between the Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization and the Museum of Applied Arts in Budapest - established in 1872 and one of the oldest and most important museums of its kind.
The exhibition was inaugurated by HE Abdallah Al Owais, President of the Department of Culture and Information, Sharjah. The exhibition was attended by Manal Ataya, Director General of Sharjah Museums Department, Dr Ulrike Al-Khamis Strategic Advisor - Islamic and Middle Eastern Arts Sharjah Museums Department, Dr Viktória Horváth, a representative from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary, Dr Zsombor Jékely, Deputy Director, Budapest Museum of Applied Arts, and HE Osama Naffa, Ambassador of Hungary to the UAE.
Ataya, Director General of Sharjah Museums Department, said: “This fascinating exhibition project with the Budapest Museum of Applied Arts yet again underscores our ongoing commitment to establishing ties with the world’s most prestigious institutions to bring exceptional collections to Sharjah and to foster intercultural dialogue through art and culture.
“The exhibition also provides a unique and unprecedented opportunity to learn about a fascinating period in Islamic and European history and to embark on a journey of discovery into a period of outstanding aesthetic sensibility and remarkable workmanship.”
Spectacle and Spendour captures a particular period in Ottoman and Hungarian history when parts of the country, mainly the central and southern regions, were under Ottoman rule. During this time, it was common among the Hungarian elite to acquire the finest items from Ottoman workshops in order to display their power, authority and sophistication.
Each of the artefacts in the exhibition provides visitors with a gateway into the history of the Ottoman empire and its interaction with Eastern Europe, in particular Hungary and Transylvania. At the same time, they touch on key aspects of Islamic civilisation at large, such as the symbolic importance of textiles and carpets, the exchange of diplomatic gifts, and horsemanship. The rare pieces also offer a window into the powerful and sophisticated lives of Ottoman and Hungarian elites some 500 years ago, as well as giving a unique insight into methods of workmanship perfected by local craftsmen at the time.
Many of the masterpieces on display entered Hungary as early as the 16th century as tokens of diplomacy, through trade or as war booty. Some items were made in Hungary itself, the result of skills being transferred between different regions of Ottoman rule.
Highlights of the collection include a silk upper coat made for a young child, probably using the fabric of a Turkish ceremonial robe received as a diplomatic gift. Its intricate floral pattern was popular in the later 16th century. The cut of the garment displays Turkish influence on Hungarian aristocratic costume of the time, such as the long, narrow ceremonial sleeves reaching down to the bottom of the costume.
A collection of Ottoman ceremonial saddle cloths that were used in both Hungary and Transylvania, which is now part of central Romania provide examples of exceptionally skilled workmanship in decorating velvet and silk satin cloths with intricate silver wire embroidery.
The weapons on display include a gem-studded dagger, most probably made in an imperial Ottoman workshop. Making gifts of ceremonial weapons was a fashionable custom among European rulers as well as Ottoman Turks in the 16th and 17th centuries.
The rare ceremonial maces included in the exhibition are examples of symbols of power and wealth in Hungary and Transylvania around the 17th century. The quality of its material and ornamentation reflected the rank of its owner. The most prestigious are gilded, gem-studded maces, often of Ottoman Turkish origin.
The collection of ornamental rugs includes examples that were originally laid on the hot floors of Turkish baths, but were brought to regions of Hungary including Transylvania to decorate the walls of noble homes. They were also hung in carriages.
“This exhibition is designed to appeal to a wide range of audiences, from those interested in Islamic art and culture to contemporary art and design practitioners,” said Ataya. “We hope visitors will be inspired by the aesthetic subtlety of the designs and the way weavers, dyers, embroiderers and metalworkers went about their craft with such skill and dedication.
“We thank our Hungarian colleagues for their outstanding support and commitment in staging this fascinating exhibition in Sharjah and hope that it will contribute positively to intercultural dialogue and an ever deeper appreciation of Islamic art and culture among our visitors.”