A Falcon’s Eye: Tribute to Sheikh Saoud Al Thani at The Museum of Islamic Art, Doha

Sheikh Saoud Al Thani with beira antelope, photographed by Richard Avedon. © Collection of Sheikh Saud bin Muhammad Foundation, Qatar — Sheikh Saoud Al Thani with beira antelope, photographed by Richard Avedon.
© Collection of Sheikh Saud bin Muhammad Foundation, Qatar

A FALCON’S EYE

A Tribute to Sheikh Saoud Al Thani

August 2, 2020 — April 10, 2021

The Museum of Islamic Art is paying tribute to HE Sheikh Saoud bin Mohamed bin Ali Al Thani who was so influential in the constitution of collections for Qatar Museums and the state of Qatar in general. Sheikh Saoud’s legacy as a collector is of crucial importance to Qatar Museums as he laid the foundations of the major collections within the institution. Parts of that collection are on display at MIA, but others remain in storage. This exhibition sheds light on objects that have never been displayed in Qatar before.

Sheikh Saoud was passionate about ‘cabinets of curiosities’ and the combination between natural history and antiquities in particular. The exhibition celebrates his collecting vision through an eclectic display including natural history, antiquities, jewelry, photography, and modern and contemporary artworks that recalls the ‘cabinets of curiosities’ tradition.

Despite the fact that the Gulf region has a longstanding history of collecting practices, Sheikh Saoud can be considered one of the last royals who amassed thousands of very diverse objects for his country with a real passion and eye for arts and culture. To his vast collections, he added a conservation facility to preserve and breed endangered species at his Al-Wabra farm, which gained worldwide admiration.

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Exhibition Preview

Sheikh Saoud Exhibition Enterenace_0001.MQ.jpg

The Museum of Islamic Art, Doha

الدوحة

Selections from The Museum of Islamic Art, Doha Collections

Panel from Iran Unknown, Iran, 1600-1625 © The Museum of Islamic Art, Doha — Panel from Iran
Unknown, Iran, 1600-1625
© The Museum of Islamic Art, Doha

Bronze Fountainhead Unknown, Spain, 10th Century © The Museum of Islamic Art, Doha — Bronze Fountainhead
Unknown, Spain, 10th Century
© The Museum of Islamic Art, Doha

Iznik 'Quatre Fleurs' Dish 1570 - 1575 CE © The Museum of Islamic Art, Doha — Iznik 'Quatre Fleurs' Dish
1570 - 1575 CE
© The Museum of Islamic Art, Doha

Islamic Astrolabe © The Museum of Islamic Art, Doha — Islamic Astrolabe
© The Museum of Islamic Art, Doha

Fragment of a Saf Carpet Unknown, India, 1600-1650 © The Museum of Islamic Art, Doha — Fragment of a Saf Carpet
Unknown, India, 1600-1650
© The Museum of Islamic Art, Doha

Carpet Fragment Unknown, Syria, late 16th Century © The Museum of Islamic Art, Doha — Carpet Fragment
Unknown, Syria, late 16th Century
© The Museum of Islamic Art, Doha

Cushion Cover Unknown, Turkey, 17th Century © The Museum of Islamic Art, Doha — Cushion Cover
Unknown, Turkey, 17th Century
© The Museum of Islamic Art, Doha

Silk Carpet Unknown, Iran, 1550-1600 © The Museum of Islamic Art, Doha — Silk Carpet
Unknown, Iran, 1550-1600
© The Museum of Islamic Art, Doha

Jeweled Falcon India, 17th Century © The Museum of Islamic Art, Doha — Jeweled Falcon
India, 17th Century
© The Museum of Islamic Art, Doha

Silk Velvet Textile (Detail) Unknown, Iran, 17th Century © The Museum of Islamic Art, Doha — Silk Velvet Textile (Detail)
Unknown, Iran, 17th Century
© The Museum of Islamic Art, Doha

The Rothschild Silk Medallion Carpet Unknown, Iran, mid-16th Century © The Museum of Islamic Art, Doha — The Rothschild Silk Medallion Carpet
Unknown, Iran, mid-16th Century
© The Museum of Islamic Art, Doha

Carved Sandstone Panel Unknown, India, 15th Century © The Museum of Islamic Art, Doha — Carved Sandstone Panel
Unknown, India, 15th Century
© The Museum of Islamic Art, Doha

Mamluk Carpet Egypt, 1500-1550 © The Museum of Islamic Art, Doha — Mamluk Carpet
Egypt, 1500-1550
© The Museum of Islamic Art, Doha

Two Herons with Ducks Unknown, Iran, 14th Century © The Museum of Islamic Art, Doha — Two Herons with Ducks
Unknown, Iran, 14th Century
© The Museum of Islamic Art, Doha

Map of World Unknown, Egypt, 15th Century © The Museum of Islamic Art, Doha — Map of World
Unknown, Egypt, 15th Century
© The Museum of Islamic Art, Doha

Illustration from the Qissa-i Amir Hamza Unknown, India, 16th Century © The Museum of Islamic Art, Doha — Illustration from the Qissa-i Amir Hamza
Unknown, India, 16th Century
© The Museum of Islamic Art, Doha

Detail of Panel with Figural Scenes Iran, 12th Century © The Museum of Islamic Art, Doha — Detail of Panel with Figural Scenes
Iran, 12th Century
© The Museum of Islamic Art, Doha

Iznik Tile Unknown, Turkey, 1560 © The Museum of Islamic Art, Doha — Iznik Tile
Unknown, Turkey, 1560
© The Museum of Islamic Art, Doha

Jar from Northern Iraq © The Museum of Islamic Art, Doha — Jar from Northern Iraq
© The Museum of Islamic Art, Doha

Mosaic Tile Panel Unknown, Iran, 1475-1500 © The Museum of Islamic Art, Doha — Mosaic Tile Panel
Unknown, Iran, 1475-1500
© The Museum of Islamic Art, Doha

Silk Tapestry Unknown, Iran, 1550-1600 © The Museum of Islamic Art, Doha — Silk Tapestry
Unknown, Iran, 1550-1600
© The Museum of Islamic Art, Doha

Octagonal Carpet Unknown, Egypt, 14th Century © The Museum of Islamic Art, Doha — Octagonal Carpet
Unknown, Egypt, 14th Century
© The Museum of Islamic Art, Doha

Silk Carpet Unknown, Iran, 1575-1625 © The Museum of Islamic Art, Doha — Silk Carpet
Unknown, Iran, 1575-1625
© The Museum of Islamic Art, Doha

The Rothschild Polonaise Carpet Unknown, Iran, 1600 © The Museum of Islamic Art, Doha — The Rothschild Polonaise Carpet
Unknown, Iran, 1600
© The Museum of Islamic Art, Doha

Watch Sheikha Al Mayassa’s presentation, “Globalizing The Local, Localizing The Global” at TEDWomen 2010.

Sheikha Al Mayassa, a patron of artists, storytellers, and filmmakers in Qatar, talks about how art and culture create a country's identity — and allow every country to share its unique identity with the wider world. As she says: "We don't want to be all the same, but we do want to understand each other."