October 2-January 13, 2002
Special Exhibitions Galleries, first floor, adjacent to New Greek Galleries
On October 2, The Metropolitan Museum of Art will present the landmark exhibition Glass of the Sultans, the first-ever museum survey of rare Islamic glass and the first scholarly reassessment of this material anywhere in more than 70 years. Some 160 spectacular and precious examples from the world's preeminent collections will be shown, including Islamic glass found in archaeological sites, seventh-century works influenced by Imperial Roman glassmaking traditions, Iranian relief-cut glass (sometimes in the cameo technique), ornately gilded and enameled works from the 13th and 14th centuries, and brilliant 19th-century Persian and Indian glass. Among the diverse works on display will be tiny medallions, delicate four-inch-tall cosmetic flasks, and ornate blown-glass vessels measuring some 15 inches in height and 12 inches in diameter. Also on view will be examples of 13th- to 20th-century European glass directly inspired by Islamic glass or made for the Oriental market. The exhibition will feature more than a dozen works from the Metropolitan's prestigious collection.
The exhibition is made possible by The Hagop Kevorkian Fund and the National Endowment for the Arts.
The exhibition has been organized by The Metropolitan Museum of Art and The
Corning Museum of Glass.
An indemnity has been granted by the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities.
"Expertly crafted and beautifully ornamented, the works of Islamic glassmakers were prized in their own time throughout Europe, Asia, and the northern and eastern coasts of Africa, and have inspired glass artists ever since to create bold new forms," commented Philippe de Montebello, Director of the Metropolitan Museum. "We are delighted to participate in this collaboration with the Corning Museum and to bring these luminous masterworks – many of which rarely travel and some of which have never been shown publicly – to an American audience."
Stefano Carboni, Associate Curator in the Metropolitan's Department of Islamic Art and co-curator of the exhibition, added: "With exciting new discoveries and increasing collaboration among scholars in related fields, the study of Islamic glass has changed dramatically in the last several decades. This new scholarship is the foundation of Glass of the Sultans."
The principal lender to the exhibition is The Corning Museum of Glass, which will provide some three dozen works. Museum collections in Berlin, Cleveland, Copenhagen, Düsseldorf, Jerusalem, Kuwait, Lisbon, London, Los Angeles, Padua, Qatar, Tel Aviv, Toledo (Ohio), Vaduz (Lichtenstein), Venice, and Vienna will also be represented.
The exhibition will be organized by technique, with works arranged
chronologically within each section. An introductory gallery will feature one
example of each major category of Islamic glass – undecorated blown glass, mold-
blown glass, hot-worked glass, mosaic glass, cold-cut and engraved glass, and painted glass – providing the visitor with an overview of the amazing range of shapes, broad repertoire of techniques, and jewel-like color palette known to Islamic glassmakers.
Artistically decorated glass was produced and appreciated in the Safavid (1501-1732), Ottoman (1281-1923), and Mughal (1526-1858) empires – all of which were characterized by strong patronage of the arts – but the increasing availability of high-quality European glass and an interest in acquiring and displaying imported works also affected local production. Examples of work by European artists who strove to imitate Islamic glass – including Philippe-Joseph Brocard (d. 1896), the Art Nouveau designer Émile Gallé (1846-1904), and the Viennese firm J. & L. Lobmeyr – will also be shown.
The exhibition will be accompanied by a fully illustrated catalogue. In addition to chapters by exhibition curators Stefano Carboni of the Metropolitan Museum and David Whitehouse of the Corning Museum, the book will include essays by chemist Robert H. Brill and glass artist William Gudenrath. Topics covered include a historical overview of glass production in the Islamic world, the growth of interest in Islamic glass, archaeological excavations of Islamic glass, the chemistry, methods, and technology associated with Islamic glass, and imitations of Islamic glass. Additional essays will address the major techniques used in Islamic glass. Published by the Metropolitan Museum and distributed by Yale University Press, the catalogue will be available in both softcover ($45) and clothbound ($65) editions in the Museum's bookshops.
The exhibition catalogue is made possible by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
A related book – Glass from Islamic Lands: The al-Sabah Collection by Stefano Carboni – was published by Thames and Hudson in May 2001. A softcover edition ($39.95) will be available exclusively in the Museum's shops.
The Web site of the Metropolitan Museum (www.metmuseum.org) will feature the exhibition.
A variety of educational programs for general visitors, families, and teachers will be scheduled in conjunction with the exhibition.
The exhibition is organized at the Metropolitan Museum by Stefano Carboni.
Glass of the Sultans will be on view at The Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, New York, from May 24 through September 3, 2001. After its showing at the Metropolitan, it will travel to the Benaki Museum, Athens, in spring 2002.
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June 5, 2001
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