In the same week that the British Museum announced plans for a major new gallery dedicated to the Islamic world, news began to filter through that ISIL militants were tearing apart ancient cities in Iraq full of priceless artefacts, manuscripts, sculptures and buildings.
As Venetia Porter, the lead curator of Islamic art at the British Museum, marvels at the beautifully detailed archaeological finds from Samarra in Iraq in the British Museum’s current display, the irony is not lost on her.
“I’m hesitant about making a direct link between the two stories,” she says. “What’s happening there is so utterly horrendous that it’s difficult to know what to say. But what I do know is that now is an important time to show that the cultures of Islam are deep, rich, relevant and fascinating.
“They have this broad sweep from Africa, right through the Middle East to the Malay world. And we have to make sure we’re representing them properly.”
To that end, in 2018 the British Museum will dramatically increase not only the floor space available to show its collection of work dating back to the seventh century, but its engagement with audiences, too.
“Look at this enamelled glass canteen from the 13th century,” says Porter. “I love this – it’s from Syria or Egypt, and its Arabesque design is classically Islamic. But St George and the dragon is on there, too, which is of course a very important story in both western and Islamic cultures.
“European craftsmen really wanted to emulate this technique on glass, but they had to be taught it. To me, this small canteen encapsulates everything we want this new gallery to be. It tells the stories of our interconnectedness.”
Original article by Ben East
Continue reading at The National:
British Museum casts a keen eye on Islamic culture with plans for a new gallery
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