ARTS REVIEW: GIFTS OF THE SULTAN AT LACMA

 

In all, there are about 250 works of art from roughly 40 worldwide institutions on display at the groundbreaking international exhibition inside LACMA’s Resnick Pavilion. It is the first-ever traveling show “to examine Islamic art through the lens of gift giving” and provides keen insight on how the various Islamic courts practiced gift giving as a “fundamental activity.” What viewers of the exhibition will undoubtedly learn as they meticulously peruse the three-section art display is how inter-court gift giving achieved a variety of purposes, be it pious expression, compensation of services, a celebration of annual events, or as a political and diplomatic tool.

 

Through it all, each of the gifts on display are rather symbolic of individual wealth and societal status.

 

Among the artifacts and art pieces on display at the traveling exhibition are a variety of carpets, textiles, metals, clothing, manuscripts, furnishings, jewels, paintings, and other works the Islamic courts made famous during the religious heyday over the course of 1,000-plus years.

 

So, what will you see when you visit Gifts of the Sultan? In addition to a smorgasbord of golden embroideries, precious metals, jade and ivory containers, illuminated Qu’rans, gilded glass, bejeweled armor, intricately detailed paintings, and carved wooden furnishings, viewers will experience the manner in which these gifts were exchanged via three distinct rooms: Personal Gifts, Pious Donations, and State and Diplomatic Gifts.

 

The Personal Gifts room highlights many gifts themed for the individual, be it jewelry, garments, paintings, albums, or manuscripts.

 

Moving into Pious Donations, Islam’s significant contributions to architecture -- be it through shrines, mosques, or otherwise -- are on perfect display.

 

Sandwiched between these two rooms is the much larger and rather dominant State and Diplomatic Gifts. As Islam operates both as a religion and as a legal system seamlessly blending church and state into one fully functioning unit, the State and Diplomatic Gifts section highlights “works that were made for or kept in royal treasuries, representing a broad array of types and materials ranging from rock crystal pieces and courtly regalia to places of habitation such as a palace or façade or a tent.”

 

In addition to the elaborate items featured as part of the traveling exhibition, LACMA will also display 15 pieces of its own permanent collection, including the Ardabil Carpet (1539-40), a royal gift to Ardabil’s Safavid shrine. There will also be intricate gold pieces and portions of a Mughal album which was gifted by an Indian prince to his wife.

 

Another highlight of the exhibition includes a 14th century enabled and gilded glass mosque lamp and several gold-embroidered textiles gifted by Ottoman sultans.

 

The contemporary works of Sadegh Tirafkan, Shahzia Sikander, and Ahmed Mater were also commissioned by LACMA to enhance the experience of those visiting the Gifts of the Sultan exhibition.

 

As a whole, LACMA's collection of Islamic art covers a wide geographic range (from southern Spain to Central Asia), a large chunk of time (1,400 years), and thousands of works (of which 150 are on view).

 

Running from June 5th through September 5th at LACMA --with the support of the Museum of Fine Arts (Houston), the National Endowment for the Humanities, Camilla Chandler Frost, and the Wallis Annenberg Director’s Endowment Fund, among others -- Gifts of the Sultan is $15 for adults and $10 for students (18+) and senior citizens (62+) with ID. Admission is free for members and children 17 and younger after 5:00 p.m. for L.A. County residents on weekdays and the second Tuesday of every month.

 

LACMA is located near the intersection of Wilshire Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue at 5905 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, California 90036; it may be contacted at (323) 857-6000.