Jasmine J. Mak MoroccoTomorrow Member
From finely detailed wood carvings to intricately designed marble tiles, the Metropolitan Museum of Art (Met), located in New York City, ensured that the years of anticipation over the revamping of their Islamic sect were well worth the wait.
As of November this year, the Met finally unveiled the Galleries for the Art of the Arab Lands, Turkey, Iran, Central Asia, and Later South Asia. Under major renovations since 2003, many have wondered what the new galleries would have in store. As much of recent discussion regarding the Arab world has been politically based, this wondrous gust of exhibition in New York has given people the chance to be reminded of another Arab world, filled with rich history and influence.
Turning an eye to the wide array of Arab arts over the centuries, the Met organized over 19,000 square feet of artifacts, architecture and prints, claimed the be the only complete period room of its type in the United States. The amount of diversity throughout the exhibit highlights each Arab region and its peoples in the best light, offering detailed descriptions furthermore if one wishes to rent an audio guide.
A significant part of the Islamic Hall was the Moroccan Room, built and designed exactly as a courtyard from Morocco during the 14th century. Although they could not expose the sky in place of a lit ceiling, this bright area hosted a center-pieced fountain filled with rose petals. With benches off to the side, many took photos of the authentically hand carved wood panels surrounding the room.
The design of the Moroccan Room took a year alone, followed by six months of tile cutting and woodcarving, and finally installed at the Met over the next seven months, according to Adil Naji, whose family was contracted to build the Moroccan Room. Off to the side of the room is a digital screen with numerous slides depicting videos that show the long process of the room’s creation.
Another interesting part of the exhibit was the displays of jewelry and other small hand crafted artifacts. Two major Turkmen jewelry and Islamic carpet collectors, Marilyn and Marshall Wolf, donated over three hundred pieces of Turkman jewelry.
In the exhibit, one will also find a variety of plates, bowls, daggers and other sorts of finely crafted pieces, beautifully designed over different periods and locations. There are also many artifacts depicting Arabic calligraphy, from being etched in silver to written on paper. One primary example of a unique artifact with beautiful calligraphy is The Persian Book of Kings (The Shahnama of Shah Tahmasp), which is a famous poem.
If one thing is certain, it is that no one walking through the Islamic Hall was disappointed. People were lined up outside a beautifully designed leisure room, which also had a small fountain, where one could quickly peer through the front doors.
What the new gallery opening in the Met tells us is something beyond current political dispositions. This is a place of gathering to celebrate a unified Islam, through the culture and legacies they left throughout history. From Spain to Iran and in between, this Hall is not just pleasing in aesthetics. Its beauty resonates in its deep appreciation of Islam, inspiring all those who just stand in it.
For those who are able to visit the Met, this exhibition is highly recommended. The distinguished Met has successfully created an amazing hub that heralds the Islamic world of arts and culture and likewise, the amazing contributions the Arab people have made over the centuries. It is certainly something worth celebrating and enjoying with family and friends.
