Light
Nur
Light
Nur
Light in Art and Science
from the Islamic World
Focus-Abengoa Foundation, Seville, Spain
October 26, 2013 – February 9, 2014
Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas, Texas, USA
March 30, 2014 – June 29, 2014
The Focus-Abengoa Foundation premieres a major traveling exhibition
of Islamic art and culture, spanning more than ten centuries and including
artworks and secular objects from throughout the Islamic world, from Spain
through Central Asia. Nur: Light in Art and Science from the Islamic World
explores the use and significance of light in Islamic art and science, and
demonstrates how light is a unifying motif in Islamic civilizations worldwide. The exhibition, organized and developed by Islamic art and culture
expert Dr. Sabiha Al Khemir, includes 150 objects lent by public and private
collections. Many of these have never before left their country of origin and
have never before been presented publically, and many embody the legacy
of al-Andalus.
Inkwell, Jazira or West Persia, ca. 1275, copper alloy, gold and
silver inlay, H. 5.9 cm. Furusiyya Art Foundation, Vaduz [R-2032]
Quran Bifolio, Tunisia, Qayrawan, late 9th–early 10th century, parchment, ink, gold, silver, blue dye.
28 x 75.8 cm (unmounted). Furusiyya Art Foundation, Vaduz [R-8001]
Deriving its title from the Arabic word for light in both the physical and
metaphysical sense, Nur is organized thematically into two major sections.
The first section includes manuscripts illuminated with gold and color pigments, ceramics painted with luster, inlay metalwork decorated in silver and
gold, and objects made from precious and semi-precious stones. A second
section focuses on scientific fields and includes such objects as equatorial
sundials, astrolabes, and anatomical instruments, all of which exemplify the
Islamic world’s influence on scientific thought.
Furthermore, Nur highlights how Spain has served historically as a cultural
bridge between the Islamic world and Europe and was an entry point for
Islamic discoveries in fields such as medicine, geometry, and astronomy. It
also explores the idea of light as a shared and unifying metaphor in Muslim,
Christian, and Jewish cultures.
Fundación Focus-Abengoa
Hospital de los Venerables
Plaza de los Venerables, 8
41004 Seville, Spain
[email protected]
www.focus.abengoa.es
T +34 954 56 26 96
F +34 954 56 45 95
Cover:
Blue and white bowl with radial design,
13th century, ceramic, H. 9.3 cm.
Brooklyn Museum, New York, Gift
of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas S. Brush [75.2]
Audioguide service
Educational visits
Educational workshops
Advanced ticket sales
and further information:
+34 902 09 11 37
Page 2:
Manuscript on the Prophet,
18th century. Khizana Qarawiyine,
Fez, Morocco [1], Ministry of Culture
of the Kingdom of Morocco
This exhibition has been organized by
Focus-Abengoa Foundation, Seville, Spain,
in collaboration with the Dallas Museum of Art,
Dallas, Texas, USA.
Page 6:
Bottle, glass, Syria, mid 13th century,
Ayyubid, enamel, gilding, decorated
with Christian scenes, H. 28 cm.
Furusiyya Art Foundation, Vaduz [R-3012]
IBERIA, official transport company
Page 7:
“Nasireddin’s Observatory,”
Tevarih-i guzide, manuscript on astronomy,
1562–63, 37.5 x 56 cm (open). The British
Library, London [OR 3222, fol. 105]