Rare Islamic glass art on show in Sharjah

Sharjah: Rare Islamic-art-inspired vases and plates, including some items never seen before in public, are on show at the Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilisation.

The collection of some 90 items have been handmade over the last 200 years by J&L Lobmeyr, one of Austria’s oldest and foremost crystal glass makers.

The exhibition, entitled Orientalist Glass Art — Masterpieces from the Museum of J&L Lobmeyr, Vienna, runs till January 16, 2016 and is free to the public. It was officially inaugurated last Wednesday by Shaikh Sultan Bin Mohammad Bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Sharjah.

Orientalist Glass Art is the first ever exhibition of 19th century Orientalist glass in the Gulf region, organisers Sharjah Museums Department (SMD) said.

The items on display have remained in the family’s hands since 1823 and come from the Lobmeyr private museum.

Of special value is a chandelier made for the mosque of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) in Madinah, Saudi Arabia. The brass and crystal chandelier is one of 60 such units delivered in 1987.

The chandeliers were covered with gold provided by the late king Fahd Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia, according to the Lobmeyr Family Museum.

Most items have gone on public display for the first time, said Leonid Rath, Managing Co-Director, J&L Lobmeyr. They include decorative artefacts made for Muslim rulers’ palaces, inspired by traditions of Mamluk Egypt and Syria, Nasirid Spain, Ottoman Turkey and Mughal India.

“We’ve never had an exhibition abroad. These items have remained rather hidden — until now,” Rath said.

He added, “No two pieces have ever been produced exactly the same.” Some of the items were commissioned by rulers and other aficionados of Oriental art; others were inspired in-house.

Ironically, the Arab-Islamic art form was being produced by Europeans for Europeans — art collectors, aristocrats and even royalty, Rath said.

He explained that in Vienna of the 1800s, Oriental art was in fashion, in line with the prevailing trend at the time “to be inspired by a lot of art from former centuries”.

For Lobmeyr, the first contact with the Muslim world came in 1848, when the viceroy of Egypt ordered chandeliers and wall lights for this Cairo palace. Over the next century, regular orders flowed from the Muslim world’s palaces, mosques, and public buildings. The Vienna-based manufacturer even supplied chandeliers, lamps and lighting for Islam’s holiest sites — the Grand Mosque in Makkah and the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah.

In fact, the “unique Islamic designs for the Makkah and Madinah chandeliers, candelabra and lanterns were later presented exclusively to Lobmeyr”, the exhibition notes.

Rath said Sharjah, known for its patronage of Arab-Islamic art, was the “right place” for Lobmeyr to unveil some of its legacy to the public, as a way of “giving back”.

He added that the delicate glass items were flown in by a company specialised in the handling of fragile cargo.

Manal Ataya, Director-General, SMD, said the exhibition represents SMD’s “latest contribution to Sharjah’s internationally recognised efforts in promoting peaceful intercultural dialogue and friendship between East and West through art and culture.”