Celebrating the bold patterns, luxurious materials and meticulous techniques that went into crafting carpets for historic royalty, Doha’s Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) and the Hong Kong Palace Museum (HKPM) have teamed up for a unique exhibition.
On show until October 6 at the Hong Kong Palace Museum, Gallery 9, Wonders of Imperial Carpets: Masterpieces from the Museum of Islamic Art delves into the rich artistic and cultural exchanges that have flourished between Islamic and Chinese civilisations over centuries.
The exhibition is the first in Hong Kong to present such a comprehensive study of Islamic imperial carpets, bringing almost 100 historic objects – including carpets, manuscripts, ceramics, metalwork and jade from between the 16th and 18th centuries – primarily drawn from the MIA’s collection, alongside loans from Beijing’s Palace Museum and the HKPM. For some of the objects, it’s their first time being shown outside of Qatar.
“The exhibition highlights how artistic traditions from Safavid, Mughal, and Ottoman periods intersected with those of China through centuries of trade, diplomacy, and shared visual language,” Mounia Chekhab Abudaya, MIA’s deputy director of curatorial affairs tells The National.
“Despite their geographic distance, Islamic and Chinese civilisations have long interacted through trade, diplomacy, and migration. The Silk Road played a crucial role in facilitating these exchanges, allowing for the flow of ideas, materials, and motifs between East and West.
“These dynasties all engaged with China, and these interactions influenced artistic traditions on both sides,” she adds. “While Islamic and Chinese carpets were shaped by distinct aesthetic traditions, there are notable points of convergence.
“Islamic carpets were often made of luxurious materials such as silk and gold thread, and featured intricate geometric, floral, and figural patterns. Chinese carpets, like those from the Xinjiang region during the Qianlong period, also used floral motifs and were designed for imperial use.”
The only key difference between the two culture’s carpets was symbolism, tied to religious art and motifs. Islamic carpets could feature prayer niches or talismanic symbols, such as the Ottoman Cintamani prayer rug shown in the exhibition, decorated with an auspicious motif of three circles, known as cintamani (“wish-fulfilling jewel”) in Sanskrit.
Associated with good luck and power, the motif was very popular at the Ottoman court. Depicted at the centre of the rug is a prayer niche; at the bottom is an abstract representation of the Prophet’s sandals.
Chinese carpets instead depicted motifs related to Taoism or imperial iconography. The Carpet with Flowers, made in the Xinjiang region during the Qianlong period (1736–1795), is a prime example, with stunning floral patterns used in the imperial palace.
Displayed alongside is a piece of Safavid silk fabric with golden brocade, which features a similar design, showing how fluid the visual language between both cultures was.
“A highlight piece of the show is the Kevorkian Hyderabad Carpet, measuring nearly 16 metres long. This grand durbar (audience chamber) carpet is one of the longest Islamic carpets held in any museum,” Chekhab Abudaya says. “Used in Mughal ceremonial courts, it will be displayed in its entirety – a rare opportunity for visitors.
“These objects not only represent extraordinary craftsmanship but also serve as tangible evidence of centuries-long cultural interaction and mutual influence.”
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Al Ghaf Honey
The Al Ghaf tree is a local desert tree which bears the harsh summers with drought and high temperatures. From the rich flowers, bees that pollinate this tree can produce delicious red colour honey in June and July each year
Sidr Honey
The Sidr tree is an evergreen tree with long and strong forked branches. The blossom from this tree is called Yabyab, which provides rich food for bees to produce honey in October and November. This honey is the most expensive, but tastiest
Samar Honey
The Samar tree trunk, leaves and blossom contains Barm which is the secret of healing. You can enjoy the best types of honey from this tree every year in May and June. It is an historical witness to the life of the Emirati nation which represents the harsh desert and mountain environments
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Emirates and Etihad fly direct from the UAE to Los Angeles, from Dh4,975 return, including taxes. The flight time is 16 hours. Alaska Airlines, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Aeromexico and Southwest all fly direct from Los Angeles to San Jose del Cabo from Dh1,243 return, including taxes. The flight time is two-and-a-half hours.
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There are direct flights from Dubai to Sofia with FlyDubai (www.flydubai.com) and Wizz Air (www.wizzair.com), from Dh1,164 and Dh822 return including taxes, respectively.
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Plovdiv is 150km from Sofia, with an hourly bus service taking around 2 hours and costing $16 (Dh58). The Rhodopes can be reached from Sofia in between 2-4hours.
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The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
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A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
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