NEW YORK -- Standing in the grand entrance hall of the The Metropolitan Museum of Art on Tuesday, Navina Haidar shuffled between nervousness and glee as she watched visitors walk up the building's majestic stairs and decide where to begin their journey. The choices are vast at the museum, a four-block complex that holds art from antiquity to the 20th century. But for many visitors on Tuesday, Islam-inspired art was the attraction.
For eight years, Haidar, a 45-year-old art historian, has prepared for the reopening of The Met's Islamic art collection, which was closed in 2003 for renovations and expansion. After $40 million of work, a starkly different iteration of the museum's former Islamic Wing opened on Tuesday under a new moniker: Galleries for the Art of the Arab Lands, Turkey, Iran, Central Asia and Later South Asia.
The 15 galleries -- which now span 19,000 square feet, almost a third more than before the reopening -- range from displays of palatial Persian carpets and Quranic calligraphy to pottery, silver work, wood carvings and mosaics. In all, the galleries display around 1,200 art pieces covering over a millennium of Islamic culture and conquest.
In a series of preview receptions that led up the galleries' public unveiling, some of the largest pieces were popular attractions, including a 11-foot high 14-century Iranian prayer niche (which was part of the previous Islamic Wing, but is featured more prominently now) and "The Damascus Room," an intact 18th-century reception room from an upper-class Syrian home.
Many of the pieces, drawn from the The Met's 12,000-piece permanent Islamic art collection, are ones that the public has never seen. In one case, a large Moroccan courtyard with intricately carved arches and a fountain was created by Moroccan craftsmen specifically for The Met.
"Islamic art is not just the heritage of the Islamic word, but the heritage of the world," says Haidar, curator and coordinator for the new galleries, when asked of her vision for the new exhibits. "We have to get away from the idea of this monolithic culture of Islam and go toward really embracing diversity."
The diversity shows, in part, through the extensive cataloguing of various Islamic dynasties and empires from which much of the art comes. That includes the Sasanian, Umayyad, Ghaznavid, Fatimid, Zangid and Mamluk, to name a few. The galleries, which will change every four months, also include a section that is temporarily dedicated to the well-off and largely American collectors who donated many works to the museum over the decades.
The Met's original Islamic Wing, which opened in 1975 and was left largely unchanged in its presentation until the renovation, "pushed an Islamic argument with a whole experience that was much more linear, with the diversity of places subsumed to a chronology of Islam," says Haidar. In contrast, today's galleries, which purposely lack the word "Islam" in their title, present Islamic art from seventh century Damascus and Baghdad to Moorish Spain, the Ottoman Empire and 16th century South Asia in thematic flows that allow visitors to meander to and from various periods "out of order." They also incorporate influences of other religions and artistic periods on Islamic arts.
For example, in a gallery dedicated to art from Spain, North Africa and the Western Mediterranean, a small, 15th-century Hebrew Bible is on display. A Sephardic scribe, Moshe b. Ya'akov Qalif, wrote the text, which to the unknowing eye may be confused for a Quran because of its intricate illuminations. In another example, a gallery dedicated to South Asia during the Mughal period when Muslim kings -- and later Anglican Britons -- ruled a majority-Hindu Indian subcontinent, Hindu gods are prominently displayed alongside more clearly Islamic art depicting Muslim emperors. Such mixing was rare in previous Islamic showcases at the museum, where Mughal art would be in the Islamic wing and Hindu art would be in a separate Asian wing.
"We can't just separate 'Islamic' art from the subcontinent, just as we can't take the Christian and Roman influence out of Syria, which has some of the best sites from those cultures and periods," says Haidar.
The curator, who eagerly points out that the galleries are not just about the art itself but an attempt to showcase a more expansive version of Islam than what has often made headlines post-9/11, also sees a part of herself in The Met's latest offering.
Raised in New Delhi by a Hindu mother and a Muslim father, Haider married a Lebanese Christian, and her extended family includes Parsis, the name for South Asian adherents of members of the ancient Zoroastrian religion.
"My personal life is filled with a lot of religious mixture on many levels that has allowed me to be more flexible in my thinking," she says. "I reflect a kind of person who is quite globalized, which is a moment that we are moving toward in these exhibits with a communications explosion, with many resources between people and many points of view."
See a sampling of art on display at The Met's newest galleries in the slideshow below.
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Arab Lands - Blue Qur'an
Folio from the Blue Qur'an, second half of ninth to mid-10th century.
Probably Tunisia, Qairawan
Gold and silver on indigo-dyed parchment
12 x 15-7/8 in. (30.4 x 40.2 cm)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Purchase, Lila Acheson Wallace Gift, 2004 (2004.88)
Image © The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Arab Lands - Brazier
Brazier, second half of the 13th century
Egypt
Brass; cast, inlaid with silver and black compound
H. 13-7/8 in. (35.2 cm) W. 15-1/2 in. (39.4 cm)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Edward C. Moore Collection, Bequest of Edward C. Moore, 1891 (91.1.540)
Image © The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Arab Lands - Panel
Panel, 10th to early 11th century
Spain, probably Cordoba
Ivory; carved, inlaid with stone with traces of pigment
4-1/4 x 8 x 3/8 in. (10.8 x 20.3 x 1 cm)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, John Stewart Kennedy Fund, 1913 (13.141)
Image © The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Turkey - Ballard Ottoman Prayer Carpet
The Ballard Ottoman Prayer Carpet, ca. 1575-90
Probably Turkey, Istanbul
Silk (warp and weft), wool (pile), cotton (pile); asymmetrically knotted pile
L. 68 in. (172.7 cm) W. 50 in. (127 cm)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The James F. Ballard Collection, Gift of James F. Ballard, 1922 (22.100.51)
Image © The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Turkey - Tughra
Tughra (Official Signature) of Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent, ca. 1555-60
Turkey, Istanbul
Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper
20-1/2 x 25-3/8 in. (52.1 x 64.5 cm)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Rogers Fund, 1938 (38.149.1)
Image © The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Turkey - Length of Fabric
Length of Fabric, ca. 1565-80
Turkey, probably Istanbul
Silk, metal-wrapped thread; lampas (kemha)
L. 48 in. (121.9 cm) W. 26-1/2 in. (67.3 cm)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Purchase, Joseph Pulitzer Bequest, 1952 (52.20.21)
Image © The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Turkey - Ceramic Plate
Ceramic Plate, mid-16th century
Turkey, Iznik
Stonepaste; painted in turquoise and two hues of blue under a transparent glaze
H. 3 in. (7.6 cm), Diam. 15-1/2 in. (39.4 cm)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Bequest of Benjamin Altman, 1913 (14.40.727)
Image © The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Iran - Throne Leg
Throne Leg in the Shape of a Griffin, late seventh to early eighth century
Probably western Iran
Bronze; cast around a ceramic core and chased
22-3/8 x 3-3/8 in. (57.0 x 8.7 cm)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Purchase, Joseph Pulitzer Bequest, 1971 (1971.143)
Image © The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Iran - Bowl
Bowl, 10th century
Iran, Nishapur
Earthenware; white slip with black-slip decoration under transparent glaze
H. 7 in. (17.8 cm), Diam. 18 in. (45.7 cm)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Rogers Fund, 1965 (65.106.2)
Image © The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Iran - Feast of Sada, Shahnama of Shah Tahmasp
"The Feast of Sada" from Shah Tahmasp's Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Firdausi
Attributed to Sultan Muhammad (active first half of 16th century), Poet Abu'l Qasim Firdausi (935-1020)
Iran, Tabriz
Opaque watercolor, ink, silver, and gold on paper
Image: 9-1/2 x 9 in. (24.1 x 23 cm) Page: 18-1/2 x 12-1/2 in. (47 x 31.8 cm)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of Arthur A. Houghton Jr., 1970. (1970.301.2)
Image © The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Iran - Emperor's Carpet
The Emperor's Carpet (detail), second half of 16th century
Iran
Silk (warp and weft), wool (pile); asymmetrically knotted pile
24 ft. 11 in. x 11 ft. 1 ½ in. (759.5 x339 cm)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Rogers Fund, 1943 (43.121.1)
Image © The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Iran - The Lovers
The Lovers, dated Tuesday, 8 Shawwal A.H. 1039/ May 21, 1630 A.D.
Artist Riza-yi 'Abbasi (ca. 1565-1635)
Iran, Isfahan
Opaque watercolor, ink, and gold on paper
Painting: 6-7/8 x 4-3/8 in. (17.5 x 11.1 cm) Page: 7-1/8 x 4 ¾ in. (18.1 x 11.9 cm)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Purchase, Francis M. Weld Gift, 1950 (50.164)
Image © The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Central Asia - Crown
Headdress, 19th to early 20th century
Central Asia or Iran
Silver, fire gilded and engraved/punched with openwork and stamped beaded decoration and table cut carnelians. Contemporary red cotton lining in interior.
5-1/4 x 7-1/8 in. (13.3 x 18.1 cm)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of Marshall and Marilyn R. Wolf, 2009
2009.530.11
Image © The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Later South Asia - Nilgai
"Study of a Nilgai (Blue Bull)," Leaf from the Emperor's Album, ca. 1620
Painter Mansur (active ca. 1589-1626), Calligrapher Mir 'Ali (d. ca. 1550)
India
Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper
10-1/8 x 15-1/4 in. (25.6 x 38.9 cm)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Purchase, Rogers Fund and The Kevorkian Foundation Gift, 1955 (55.121.10.13)
Image © The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Later South Asia - Hamzanama
Hamzanama (the Stories of Hamza), Reign of Akbar (1556-1605), ca. 1570
Artist (attributed to) Dasavanta, Artist (attributed to) Mithra
India
Ink, watercolor, and gold on cotton
27-7/8 x 21-5/8 in. (70.8 x 54.9 cm)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Rogers Fund, 1924 (24.48.1)
Image © The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Later South Asia - Hanging
Hanging, ca. 1640-50
India, Deccan
Cotton; plain weave, mordant-painted and dyed, resist-dyed
8 ft. 4 in. x 78 in. (254 x 198.1 cm)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of Mrs. Albert Blum, 1920 (20.79)
Image © The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Later South Asia - Rock Crystal Mango Flask
Mango-Shaped Flask, mid-17th century
India
Rock crystal; set with gold, enamel, rubies, and emeralds
H. 2-1/2 in. (6.5 cm)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Purchase, Mrs. Charles Wrightsman Gift, 1993
(1993.18)
Image © The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Iran - Manuscript folio from Language of the Bird
"The Assembly of the Birds," folio from the Mantiq al-Tair (The Language of the Birds) of Farid al-Din 'Attar, ca. 1600 Isfahan, Iran Ink, opaque watercolor, silver, and gold on paper The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Fletcher Fund, 1963.
Image © The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
India - Manuscript folio from Shah Jahan Album
Rosette bearing the name and titles of Emperor Shah Jahan folio from the Emperor's Album (Shah Jahan Album), ca. 1645 North India Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Purchase, Rogers Fund and The Kevorkian Foundation Gift, 1955
Image © The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Arab Lands - Reception Room
Reception Room (Qa'a), dated A.H. 1119/A.D. 1707
Syria, Damascus
Wood (poplar) with gesso relief, gold and tin leaf, glazes and paint; wood (cypress, poplar, and mulberry), mother-of-pearl, marble and other stones; stucco with glass; plaster ceramic tiles, iron, brass
H. Antechamber 22 ft. (6.7 m); seating area 19 ft. 11 in. (5.17m), L. 26 ft. 2 in. (7.9 m), W. 16 ft. 8 in. (5 m)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of The Hagop Kevorkian Fund, 1970 (1970.170)
Image © The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Moroccan Court-Patti Cadby Birch Court
Moroccan Court
Patti Cadby Birch Court
New Galleries for the Art of the Arab Lands, Turkey, Iran, Central Asia, and Later
South Asia, opening November 1, 2011, at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Image © The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Carpets, Textiles, and the Greater Ottoman World-Koc Family Gallery
Carpets, Textiles, and the Greater Ottoman World
Koç Family Galleries
New Galleries for the Art of the Arab Lands, Turkey, Iran, Central Asia, and Later
South Asia, opening November 1, 2011, at The Metropolitan Museum of Art,
New York
Image © The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Art of the Ottoman Court-Koc Family Galleries
Art of the Ottoman Court (14th to 20th centuries)
Koç Family Galleries
New Galleries for the Art of the Arab Lands, Turkey, Iran, Central Asia, and Later
South Asia, opening November 1, 2011, at The Metropolitan Museum of Art,
New York
Image © The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
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First Posted: 11/02/2011 9:38 am Updated: 01/02/2012 4:12 am