Malaysian Museum ‘Journey’ Lingers in Iran

KUALA LUMPUR (New Strait Times) -- THE Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia (IAMM) has become something of a national institution over the years. It regularly tops Tripadvisor and other lists for visitors.

To mark its 25th anniversary, two exhibitions have been launched at the same time — a first for this highly productive institution.
One is titled “Alif, Lam, Ra” and provides a comprehensive survey of calligraphy by contemporary Muslim artists. It is a comparatively recent field for the IAMM, especially when compared with the 1,400 years covered in its collection of traditional Islamic art. Representing this path is “A Journey through Islamic Art”.
“A Journey” tells the story of a collection that has been gathered from lands across half the planet. A timeline of well over a thousand years complicates the task of showing the true depth and breadth of Islamic art.
In the exhibition, it’s possible to see the latest acquisitions, often important enough to merit news coverage in the Western media, as well as the very first item to enter the collection. If ever a single object could reveal the raison d’etre of an entire collection, it would be the IAMM’s Qing-dynasty Chinese Qur’an.
The first acquisition after opening the museum was from a part of Asia that is often overlooked as a source of Islamic aesthetics. Most remarkable of all is the way this Qur’an comprises multiple volumes instead of the standard single volume.
All 30 sections remain intact, which is unusual and reveals the care with which this set has been cosseted since it was inscribed in the 17th century. It also reveals much about the preciousness of the contents: it has been suggested that the multi-volume system developed because of the need to share sections of the sacred text among different readers, even in the land that invented paper.
Twenty-five years ago, this copy of the Qur’an was bought in the face of fierce competition from other collectors, who were beginning to understand China’s place in the world and its connections with Islam.
East Asia has remained of special interest for the IAMM, as has South Asia. A display that started with a collection of Indian jewelry now encompasses much more. In the “Journey” exhibition; there are weapons and other works made especially for perhaps the most famous Muslim dynasty that has ever ruled.
The greatest of the Mughal kings — Akbar, Jahangir, Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb — are memorably represented by their personal swords, inlaid with names and titles in gold on steel. The same applies to Tipu Sultan, a much later thorn in the side of Western imperialism in Asia.
The ruler of Mysore, who died in 1799, had an obsession with tigers that is easy to spot in everything, from his swords and guns, to the ornamentation of his throne — taken apart when the British stormed his South Indian stronghold of Seringapatam.
Also visible in the exhibition are works from that most significant region for a Malaysian institution. The Malay world is expressed less in the personalities of globally renowned rulers and more in a unique Southeast Asian approach to aesthetics.
Whether it is lavish decoration of the Qur’an, sumptuous songket textiles in silk, or the harsher look of the kris, fineness of execution is usually matched by an enthusiasm for the wonders of God-given nature.
Every corner of the Islamic world has its own distinctive features. The “Journey” lingers long in Iran, which has spawned more styles and dynasties than most.
At the other side of the Eurasian landmass is Al Andalus. Spain may have been Muslim for less time than the heartlands of Asia, but its achievements have been admired by collectors for just as long.
The same ought also to be said for North and West Africa, although in reality it is museums of Islamic art that have done the most to promote this legacy.
In an age when the accomplishments of Sub-Saharan Africa have been pushed into the limelight, the Islamic heritage has become more widely understood.
Sadly, this is still vulnerable to political instability. At least institutions such as the IAMM exist to remind skeptics of Africa’s contribution, not to mention much smaller entities such as Palestine. The glories of this ancient culture could easily have been overwhelmed by the political misfortunes of that region.
Fortunately, museums of Islamic art are able to keep their traditions alive and visible — to the delight of visitors who might have known nothing about the art of Palestinian embroidery, for example.
Another form of aesthetics from the Islamic world that has captivated visitors around the globe is architecture. This is usually difficult to display in a museum, and it has to be said that it isn’t really on display in the “Journey” exhibition.
However, for the price of an entry ticket, you also get to see the permanent galleries. The Architecture Gallery was completed a year after the museum was opened, and the core exhibits remain the same as in 1999.
For a long time, this was the only venue in the world at which it was possible to admire miniaturized versions of some the most significant buildings in human history. The display will no doubt be around for another quarter of a century, but the “Journey” will not.