Treasures of Sheikh Al Thani welcomed at Paris' historic Hotel de la Marine

Masterpieces of Islamic art: Close-up sculpted faces
Masterpieces of Islamic art: Close-up sculpted faces Copyright AFP
By Theo Farrant
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From November 18, and for the next 20 years, Paris's Hotel de la Marine will host 120 objects from the Al Thani collection - masterpieces of Islamic art.

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The spectacular Al Thani collection is being displayed at Paris’ Hotel de la Marine from November 18 for the next 20 years.

After the historic hotel recently undertook a 4-year, €132 million restoration project, it is certainly one of the must-see destinations in the heart of Paris.

The exhibition will showcase an array of artworks, including ancient treasures and Islamic sculptures from the Al-Thani families’ collection. The exhibition of 120 objects, spanning more than 5000 years, represents a diverse range of civilisations and cultures.

This powerful collection of Islamic art will live in Paris for 20 years

AFP
Paris's Hotel de la Marine will host 120 objects from the Al Thani collectionAFP

Senior curator of the Al Thani Collection, Amin Jaffer, says that each object on display ‘says something about human creative and artistic endeavour’.

He comments that the ‘joy and the pleasure of this exhibition is indeed that visitors will really traverse civilisations, traverse periods, types of objects and materials’. The exhibition also aims to celebrate the ‘universal power of art through the ages’.

Highlights of the collection include a Chinese gilt-bronze sculpture of a seated bear (Han Dynasty, 206 BC-AD 25), an Egyptian head of a royal figure carved from red jasper (1475-1292 BC), and the jade wine cup of the Mughal Emperor Jahangir (1569-1627).

The collection is shared by projects undertaken by The Al Thani Collection Foundation, a non-profit organisation whose core mission is to advance and promote art and culture.

Watch the video above to check out some of the spectacular artworks in this exhibition.

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