Aga Khan Museum

�Visions of Mughal India� and �The Lost Dhow�

‘You carry all the ingredients
To turn your existence into joy.
Mix them, mix Them!’
Hafez, ‘To Build a Swing’ in The Gift

There was an element of surprise to find Toronto as the venue for the first and only Aga Khan Museum in the world. One may consider Paris, since the Aga Khan does have a residence outside the city. One may think of Geneva, where the Aga Khans through generations have maintained close links. London has a history of Ismaili residents and the Ismaili Centre Jamat Khana presence in South Kensington, opposite the Victoria and Albert Museum, has been long.
Then again, Toronto has evolved into a city with a global identity _ a confluence of multi-ethnic and cross-cultural compositions and experiences. This thriving city is now home to many born in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China....Yemen, Zambia. This 21st century city has attracted scores of talent and personalities. In such a cosmopolitan backdrop, the site of the institution dedicated to the intellectual, cultural and artistic heritage of Islamic civilisations appears appropriate.

The Aga Khan Museum, designed by renowned Japanese architect Fumihiko Maki and the surrounding parkland laid out by Lebanese-Serbian landscape architect, opened in late 2014. The formal garden is inspired by the classical Persian char-bagh (four-part garden). The museum’s rich reservoir covers a time-bridge from the 8th century to the 19th century and a geographical terrain that reaches across Spain to Southeast Asia. The diverse collection of more than 1,000 items feature ceramics, Holy Qurans, Islamic manuscripts, paintings, textiles and diverse decorative pieces.
Any culture vulture with an abiding interest in history would be enthused by the rich offerings.  In the spring, I was in Toronto and privileged to see a number of acclaimed exhibits _ ‘Visions of Mughal India: The Collection of Howard Hodgkin’, ‘Inspired by India: Paintings by Howard Hodgkin’ and ‘The Lost Dhow: A Discovery from the Maritime Silk Route.’

The first exhibition offers a glimpse into the art produced at the Mughal court, the Deccan Sultanate and the Rajput kingdoms from the late 16th to mid-19th centuries. A British artist (born in 1932), Hodgkin’s private collection includes a magnificent series of 20 elephants in combat dating back to the late 17th and early 18th centuries. An unfinished portrait (opaque water colour) of the last Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar, portrays the ruler with sad, gazing eyes. A 16th century Ottoman Nakshi script glorifies the beauty of Yaqut’s calligraphy, rendering the following tribute: ‘Illuminates the eye and nourishes the mind.’ The corresponding show, inspired by India, showcases Hodgkin’s own paintings from 1970 to 2014. This is the first time his collection has gone public.
The third exhibit, on loan from the Asian Exhibition Museum, Singapore, had its first viewing in North America. A 9th century shipwreck off the Balitung Island between Sumatra and Borneo in Indonesia is the substance of this stunning display. Some 70,000 pieces of Chinese ceramics, weighing approximately 25 metric tons, were excavated from the sea bed in 1998. These rare Tang dynasty (6th to 9th centuries) artefacts have been subject to the state-of-the art conservation measures. The creative exhibition documents the little known maritime silk route that extended from China to the coasts of Arabia.  It appears appropriate that a masterfully-crafted miniature dhow (a sailing vessel) was gifted to the exhibition by Sultan Qabus of Oman.

The cosmopolitan reach of the Aga Khan Museum is reflected in the diversity of its programmes. Offerings in the first six months of 2015 included: Exhibition: ‘A Thirst for Riches: Carpets from the East in Paintings from the West’ points to the buoyant commercial links between Muslim civilisations and Europe. Lectures: ‘The Qur’an: An Introduction by Dr. Ruba Kana’an, Aga Khan Museum and ‘Scheherazade’s Tales: An Early Manuscript of 1001 Nights, by Dr. Selma Zecevic, York University, Toronto. Courses and Workshops: ‘From Cairo to Samarqand: Discovering the Cities of Muslim Civilizations.’ Music: ‘Miyan-ki-Daane: Raags of Tansen’; ‘Footsteps of Babur’ brings together musicians from Afghanistan, Indian and Tajikistan and the Mauritanian Noura Mint Seymali’s music conveys the sounds of the Sahara, the Maghreb and West Africa. Film Series: ‘Cinematic Discoveries along the Silk Road and the Spice Route.’

The eye, the mind and the soul having been sufficiently nourished; the body and its faculties of smell and taste were indulged at the ‘Diwan’ restaurant. In a journey down the river of Middle-eastern and Asian flavours, global gourmet taste-buds were awakened – akin to ‘dining without borders.’ Here is a summary and true reflection of both the Aga Khan Museum and Toronto’s status as a cosmopolitan culinary capital. 

The writer is a history and travel enthusiast. ‘India: Beyond the Taj and the Raj’ (UPL) is her latest book.

 

Aga Khan Museum

�Visions of Mughal India� and �The Lost Dhow�

You carry all the ingredients To turn your existence into joy. Mix them, mix Them! Hafez, To Build a Swing in The Gift There was an element of surprise to find Toronto as the venue for the first and only Aga Khan Museum in the world. One may consider Paris, since the Aga Khan does have a residence outside the city. One may think of Geneva, where the Aga Khans through generations have maintained close links. London has a history of Ismaili residents and the Ismaili Centre Jamat Khana presence in South Kensington, opposite the Victoria and Albert Museum, has been long. Then again, Toronto has evolved into a city with a global identity _ a confluence of multi-ethnic and cross-cultural compositions and experiences. This thriving city is now home to many born in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China....Yemen, Zambia. This 21st century city has attracted scores of talent and personalities. In such a cosmopolitan backdrop, the site of the institution dedicated to the intellectual, cultural and artistic heritage of Islamic civilisations appears appropriate. The Aga Khan Museum, designed by renowned Japanese architect Fumihiko Maki and the surrounding parkland laid out by Lebanese-Serbian landscape architect, opened in late 2014. The formal garden is inspired by the classical Persian char-bagh (four-part garden). The museums rich reservoir covers a time-bridge from the 8th century to the 19th century and a geographical terrain that reaches across Spain to Southeast Asia. The diverse collection of more than 1,000 items feature ceramics, Holy Qurans, Islamic manuscripts, paintings, textiles and diverse decorative pieces. Any culture vulture with an abiding interest in history would be enthused by the rich offerings. In the spring, I was in Toronto and privileged to see a number of acclaimed exhibits _ Visions of Mughal India: The Collection of Howard Hodgkin, Inspired by India: Paintings by Howard Hodgkin and The Lost Dhow: A Discovery from the Maritime Silk Route. The first exhibition offers a glimpse into the art produced at the Mughal court, the Deccan Sultanate and the Rajput kingdoms from the late 16th to mid-19th centuries. A British artist (born in 1932), Hodgkins private collection includes a magnificent series of 20 elephants in combat dating back to the late 17th and early 18th centuries. An unfinished portrait (opaque water colour) of the last Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar, portrays the ruler with sad, gazing eyes. A 16th century Ottoman Nakshi script glorifies the beauty of Yaquts calligraphy, rendering the following tribute: Illuminates the eye and nourishes the mind. The corresponding show, inspired by India, showcases Hodgkins own paintings from 1970 to 2014. This is the first time his collection has gone public. The third exhibit, on loan from the Asian Exhibition Museum, Singapore, had its first viewing in North America. A 9th century shipwreck off the Balitung Island between Sumatra and Borneo in Indonesia is the substance of this stunning display. Some 70,000 pieces of Chinese ceramics, weighing approximately 25 metric tons, were excavated from the sea bed in 1998. These rare Tang dynasty (6th to 9th centuries) artefacts have been subject to the state-of-the art conservation measures. The creative exhibition documents the little known maritime silk route that extended from China to the coasts of Arabia. It appears appropriate that a masterfully-crafted miniature dhow (a sailing vessel) was gifted to the exhibition by Sultan Qabus of Oman. The cosmopolitan reach of the Aga Khan Museum is reflected in the diversity of its programmes. Offerings in the first six months of 2015 included: Exhibition: A Thirst for Riches: Carpets from the East in Paintings from the West points to the buoyant commercial links between Muslim civilisations and Europe. Lectures: The Quran: An Introduction by Dr. Ruba Kanaan, Aga Khan Museum and Scheherazades Tales: An Early Manuscript of 1001 Nights, by Dr. Selma Zecevic, York University, Toronto. Courses and Workshops: From Cairo to Samarqand: Discovering the Cities of Muslim Civilizations. Music: Miyan-ki-Daane: Raags of Tansen; Footsteps of Babur brings together musicians from Afghanistan, Indian and Tajikistan and the Mauritanian Noura Mint Seymalis music conveys the sounds of the Sahara, the Maghreb and West Africa. Film Series: Cinematic Discoveries along the Silk Road and the Spice Route. The eye, the mind and the soul having been sufficiently nourished; the body and its faculties of smell and taste were indulged at the Diwan restaurant. In a journey down the river of Middle-eastern and Asian flavours, global gourmet taste-buds were awakened akin to dining without borders. Here is a summary and true reflection of both the Aga Khan Museum and Torontos status as a cosmopolitan culinary capital. The writer is a history and travel enthusiast. India: Beyond the Taj and the Raj (UPL) is her latest book.