Dragon and Phoenix: Centuries of Exchange between Chinese and Islamic Worlds at Louvre Abu Dhabi
Dragon and Phoenix
Centuries of Exchange between Chinese and Islamic Worlds
October 6, 2021 — February 12, 2022
Two worlds rich in culture, arts, and sciences: China, and the Islamic world. Reaching far beyond their horizons, this is the untold story of how China, ‘the dragon’, and the Islamic world, ‘the phoenix’, exchanged ideas between the 8th – 18th centuries.
When the Dragon and the Phoenix met, who could have predicted the impact on global trade, art, and history?
As a museum with a universal viewpoint, Louvre Abu Dhabi explores stories of cultural connections. In this exhibition, we see a new perspective on the meeting of two great cultures, and in this story, Europe is not the central character.
From Arabia and Africa to the far reaches of Asia, along ancient trade routes - on both land and sea - people, technology and luxury goods traveled for more than 800 years. Through a display of 240 masterpieces, we explore the remarkable and little-known history of these cultural exchanges.
The exhibition begins in the 8th century, as the Islamic world gazed towards China, a great source of technical advances and objects of beauty. Chinese porcelains and textiles were prized by caliphs and were given as diplomatic gifts, which inspired Islamic local production in turn. Later, Chinese emperors invited artists and craftsmen from all over the Islamic world to renew certain styles and ideas. The Islamic world was an important source of inspiration for China and a supplier of luxury products, including the cobalt blue used in Chinese blue-and-white porcelain.
There is a long history of using dragons and phoenixes in these two artistic traditions. In this exhibition, we will find them on porcelain, silk, jade, in paintings and crafted into precious silver and gold objects. One of the highlights on display is a rare gold cup with a dragon handle. This masterpiece of Louvre Abu Dhabi’s collection may have been used by a nomadic Mongol dignitary journeying from China. Also on show are some of the most spectacular textiles ever created: Panni Tartarici are Chinese silks woven with gold, a union of Chinese traditions and those of the Near East and Central Asia.
Dragon and Phoenix also highlights the ‘alliance of the two pens’, the brush in China, and the reed pen in the Islamic world. Thanks to a superb selection of drawings, manuscripts, and scrolls, the exhibition shows the similarities and the spiritual value placed on the two calligraphic traditions.
Featuring works from the collection of Louvre Abu Dhabi and 13 lending museums and institutions, discover a meeting of two great cultures, and its importance for the world.
