{"id":15004,"date":"2025-10-05T10:30:17","date_gmt":"2025-10-05T03:30:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cstc.vn\/blogtsk\/mamluks-as-master-designers-louvre-abu-dhabi-exhibition-unveils-their-artistic-legacy\/"},"modified":"2025-10-05T10:30:17","modified_gmt":"2025-10-05T03:30:17","slug":"mamluks-as-master-designers-louvre-abu-dhabi-exhibition-unveils-their-artistic-legacy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cstc.vn\/blogtsk\/mamluks-as-master-designers-louvre-abu-dhabi-exhibition-unveils-their-artistic-legacy\/","title":{"rendered":"mamluks as master designers: louvre abu dhabi exhibition unveils their artistic legacy"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2 class=\"wow wow-yellow\">Louvre Abu Dhabi hosts Mamluks: Legacy of an Empire<\/h2>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Mamluks: Legacy of an Empire at Louvre Abu Dhabi is the first exhibition in the Gulf devoted to the Mamluk Sultanate (1250\u20131517). Spanning over two and a half centuries of history, the show, on view until January 25th, 2026, traces how a dynasty of former slave soldiers came to rule vast territories, leaving behind a cultural and artistic legacy of extraordinary reach. Curated by Dr. Souraya Noujaim and Dr. Carine Juvin, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.designboom.com\/tag\/exhibitions\/\"><strong>exhibition<\/strong><\/a> builds on its earlier presentation at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.designboom.com\/tag\/musee-du-louvre\/\"><strong>Mus\u00e9e du Louvre in Paris<\/strong><\/a> while expanding with works from regional collections shown exclusively in Abu Dhabi.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Gathering over 270 works from 34 institutions worldwide, from metalwork and manuscripts to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.designboom.com\/tag\/carpets-and-rugs\/\"><strong>carpets<\/strong><\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.designboom.com\/tag\/glass-art-and-design\/\"><strong>glass<\/strong><\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.designboom.com\/tag\/ceramics\/\"><strong>ceramics<\/strong><\/a>, the show reframes the dynasty as cultural innovators whose visual language resonates with contemporary design. During the preview of Mamluks: Legacy of an Empire at Louvre Abu Dhabi, designboom <a href=\"https:\/\/www.designboom.com\/tag\/art-interviews\/\"><strong>discusses<\/strong> <\/a>the contemporary relevance of Mamluk art with <strong>Scientific Curator Dr. Carine Juvin. The curator describes the Mamluks as<\/strong>\u00a0<em>\u2018great designers, great graphic designers. Th<\/em><em>eir art is made of rich color, geometry, and complex motifs, which are still very appealing to the modern eye.\u2019\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Venetian School, A Venetian Diplomatic Mission Received by the Governor of Damascus Italy, Venice, 1511 Oil on canvas Paris, Mus\u00e9e du Louvre, Department of Paintings, INV-100 | all images by Daryll Borja-Seeing Things \u00a9 Department of Culture and Tourism\u2013Abu Dhabi<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wow wow-yellow\">From Military Slaves to Cultural Architects<\/h2>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.louvreabudhabi.ae\/en\/exhibitions\/mamluks-exhibition\"><strong>exhibition<\/strong><\/a> at Louvre Abu Dhabi opens with a shadow play theater, evoking popular entertainments of the period, and situates visitors within the Mamluks\u2019 origin story. They were young slaves brought from Central Asia or the Caucasus who rose to power in Cairo and Damascus. Juvin guided us through short \u2018first-person\u2019 biographies of key rulers, including Baybars, the founder of the sultanate, and Al-Nasir Muhammad ibn Qalawun, whose reign marked the dynasty\u2019s apex. Objects commissioned under these rulers include inlaid incense burners, helmets, and mosque lamps that reveal how script itself became design, with radiating inscriptions symbolizing solar power.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Blazons, meanwhile, functioned like proto-logos: emblems that identified emirs and were stamped on architecture, arms, and everyday objects. <em>\u2018The Mamluks had a remarkable ability to transform language and symbols into design devices of authority,\u2019<\/em> <strong>Juvin explains during the tour.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Mamluks: Legacy of an Empire at Louvre Abu Dhabi is the first exhibition in the Gulf devoted to the Mamluk Sultanate<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wow wow-yellow\">Society Beyond the Elite<\/h2>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Moving beyond rulers, the curator highlights a more complex society. Manuscripts commissioned by women, including a Qur\u2019an ordered by a powerful court supervisor in 14th-century Cairo, and objects made for Qaytbay\u2019s wife with distinctive garden motifs expand the narrative. Religious minorities also contributed to a shared aesthetic, from Coptic Bibles to Jewish pilgrimage scrolls. <em>\u2018I wanted to emphasize the whole Mamluk society, not just the governing elite,\u2019<\/em> <strong>Juvin tells designboom.<\/strong> <em>\u2018Their art reflects exchanges with many cultures while still developing a strong identity.\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Trade routes, pilgrimages, and diplomacy positioned the Mamluk Sultanate as a hub between Asia, Africa, and Europe. Objects in Mamluks: Legacy of an Empire carry these stories through Chinese-inspired lotus blossoms on glassware, a Hajj certificate commissioned by a woman pilgrim, Mamluk metalwork unearthed in West Africa, and a Venetian painting depicting an embassy in Damascus with photographic precision. \u2018<em>The sultanate was really a node point in global exchange,\u2019<\/em> <strong>Juvin notes,<\/strong> <em>\u2018and this cosmopolitanism is inscribed in their design.\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n<p>the show traces how the dynasty came to rule vast territories | image \u00a9 designboom<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wow wow-yellow\">Scenography as Storytelling<\/h2>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The Abu Dhabi edition, adapted from its first presentation in Paris, adds interactive screens, a gaming table for blazons, and architectural details that punctuate the display. These elements, Juvin says, were developed to <em>\u2018engage the public with individual stories inside the larger history.\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The exhibition culminates with the Baptistery of Saint Louis, a monumental 14th-century basin densely engraved with figures and animals, later repurposed in France for royal baptisms. Its hybrid biography, an Islamic masterpiece entwined with European history, mirrors the show\u2019s central theme that revolves aroundthe mobility of objects and the power of design to cross cultures.<\/p>\n<p>The four gospels in coptic Egypt, Wadi el-Natrun 982 (Year of the Martyrs) \/1266 CE Ink and pigments on paper Abu Dhabi, Louvre Abu Dhabi<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wow wow-yellow\">the museum\u2019s mission to connect civilizations<\/h2>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>For Manuel Rabat\u00e9, Director of Louvre Abu Dhabi, the exhibition aligns with the museum\u2019s mission to connect civilizations. <em>\u2018Our permanent galleries are a time machine, telling 10,000 years of humanity. These temporary exhibitions are our deep dives \u2014 into a moment, a rupture, a civilization. With the Mamluks, we wanted to show how connected they were and what universal relevance their story holds today,\u2019<\/em> <strong>he tells designboom. <\/strong>He emphasizes the resonance of showing the Mamluks in the Gulf. <em>\u2018When we present them here, we are touching the heart of the Emirati, the Arab, the Muslim \u2014 but also revealing to international visitors the complexity and diversity of this society. It makes sense here,\u2019<\/em> <strong>he reflects.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>gathering over 270 works from 34 institutions worldwide<\/p>\n<p>Lamp bearing the name of Sultan Barquq (r. 1382\u20131399) Egypt, Cairo C. 1386 (from the Mosque of Sultan Barquq) Blown glass, enamelled and gilded Paris, Mus\u00e9e du Louvre, Department of Islamic Art, OA 7568<\/p>\n<p>\t<!-- CLOSE ARTICLE CONTENT --><\/p>\n<div class=\"fullwidth-image\">\n<div class=\"layout-box\">\n<div class=\"page-content\">\n<p>blazons functioned like proto-logos<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>\t<!-- OPEN ARTICLE CONTENT -->\t<\/p>\n<p>Double closing page of a monumental Quran Egypt, Cairo C. 1360\u20131380 Ink, pigments and gold on paper Dublin, Chester Beatty Library, CBL IS 1628<\/p>\n<p>Shadow theatre puppet (ship and crew of warriors) Egypt 15th century, Parchment cut-out Stuttgart, Linden-Museum, 84682<\/p>\n<p>the show reframes the dynasty as cultural innovators<\/p>\n<p>\t<!-- CLOSE ARTICLE CONTENT --><\/p>\n<div class=\"fullwidth-image\">\n<div class=\"layout-box\">\n<div class=\"page-content\">\n<p>Carpet decorated with three medallions Egypt, Cairo Second half of 15th century Knotted wool Abu Dhabi, Louvre Abu Dhabi<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>\t<!-- OPEN ARTICLE CONTENT -->\t<\/p>\n<p>Chasuble Syria, Egypt or Iran (?) 14th century Lampas, silk and gold thread European addition: silk velvet, pearls, gold, glass, coral Copenhagen, The National Museum of Denmark, CXXXVII<\/p>\n<p>image \u00a9 designboom<\/p>\n<p>Albarello with coat of arms decoration Syria, Damascus 15th century Fritware, underglaze painted decoration H. max. 15 cm, D. 31.7 cm Abu Dhabi, Louvre Abu Dhabi<\/p>\n<p>\t<!-- CLOSE ARTICLE CONTENT --><\/p>\n<div class=\"fullwidth-image\">\n<div class=\"layout-box\">\n<div class=\"page-content\">\n<p>Basin known as the \u201cBaptist\u00e8re de Saint Louis.\u201d Signed: Muhammad ibn al-Zayn Syria or Egypt C. 1330\u20131340 Chased copper alloy, inlaid with silver, gold and black paste Paris, Mus\u00e9e du Louvre, Department of Islamic Art<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>\t<!-- OPEN ARTICLE CONTENT -->\t<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong>project info:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong>name:<\/strong> Mamluks: Legacy of an Empire<\/p>\n<p><strong>location:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.louvreabudhabi.ae\/en\">Louvre Abu Dhabi<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/louvreabudhabi\">@louvreabudhabi<\/a>, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi, UAE<\/p>\n<p><strong>dates:<\/strong> September 17th 2025 \u2013 January 25th 2026<\/p>\n<p><strong>organisers:<\/strong> Louvre Abu Dhabi in partnership with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.louvre.fr\/\">Mus\u00e9e du Louvre<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/museelouvre\">@museelouvre<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/francemuseums.com\/\">France Mus\u00e9ums<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>curators:<\/strong> Dr. Souraya Noujaim (general curator), Dr. Carine Juvin (scientific curator)<\/p>\n<p><strong>support:<\/strong> Fakhera Alkindi, senior curatorial assistant, Louvre Abu Dhabi<\/p>\n<p>The post <a href=\"https:\/\/www.designboom.com\/art\/mamluks-master-designers-louvre-abu-dhabi-exhibition-artistic-legacy-05-10-2025\/\">mamluks as master designers: louvre abu dhabi exhibition unveils their artistic legacy<\/a> appeared first on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.designboom.com\/\">designboom | architecture &amp; design magazine<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Louvre Abu Dhabi hosts Mamluks: Legacy of an Empire \u00a0 Mamluks: Legacy of an Empire at Louvre Abu Dhabi is the first exhibition in the Gulf devoted to the Mamluk Sultanate (1250\u20131517). Spanning over two &hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[142],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v16.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>mamluks as master designers: louvre abu dhabi exhibition unveils their artistic legacy - Blog TSK<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/cstc.vn\/blogtsk\/mamluks-as-master-designers-louvre-abu-dhabi-exhibition-unveils-their-artistic-legacy\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"mamluks as master designers: louvre abu dhabi exhibition unveils their artistic legacy - Blog TSK\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Louvre Abu Dhabi hosts Mamluks: Legacy of an Empire \u00a0 Mamluks: Legacy of an Empire at Louvre Abu Dhabi is the first exhibition in the Gulf devoted to the Mamluk Sultanate (1250\u20131517). Spanning over two &hellip;\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/cstc.vn\/blogtsk\/mamluks-as-master-designers-louvre-abu-dhabi-exhibition-unveils-their-artistic-legacy\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Blog TSK\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-10-05T03:30:17+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cstc.vn\/blogtsk\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/cstc.vn\/blogtsk\/\",\"name\":\"Blog TSK\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/cstc.vn\/blogtsk\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cstc.vn\/blogtsk\/mamluks-as-master-designers-louvre-abu-dhabi-exhibition-unveils-their-artistic-legacy\/#webpage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/cstc.vn\/blogtsk\/mamluks-as-master-designers-louvre-abu-dhabi-exhibition-unveils-their-artistic-legacy\/\",\"name\":\"mamluks as master designers: louvre abu dhabi exhibition unveils their artistic legacy - Blog TSK\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cstc.vn\/blogtsk\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2025-10-05T03:30:17+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-10-05T03:30:17+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cstc.vn\/blogtsk\/mamluks-as-master-designers-louvre-abu-dhabi-exhibition-unveils-their-artistic-legacy\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/cstc.vn\/blogtsk\/mamluks-as-master-designers-louvre-abu-dhabi-exhibition-unveils-their-artistic-legacy\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cstc.vn\/blogtsk\/mamluks-as-master-designers-louvre-abu-dhabi-exhibition-unveils-their-artistic-legacy\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/cstc.vn\/blogtsk\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"mamluks as master designers: louvre abu dhabi exhibition unveils their artistic legacy\"}]}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"mamluks as master designers: louvre abu dhabi exhibition unveils their artistic legacy - Blog TSK","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/cstc.vn\/blogtsk\/mamluks-as-master-designers-louvre-abu-dhabi-exhibition-unveils-their-artistic-legacy\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"mamluks as master designers: louvre abu dhabi exhibition unveils their artistic legacy - Blog TSK","og_description":"Louvre Abu Dhabi hosts Mamluks: Legacy of an Empire \u00a0 Mamluks: Legacy of an Empire at Louvre Abu Dhabi is the first exhibition in the Gulf devoted to the Mamluk Sultanate (1250\u20131517). Spanning over two &hellip;","og_url":"https:\/\/cstc.vn\/blogtsk\/mamluks-as-master-designers-louvre-abu-dhabi-exhibition-unveils-their-artistic-legacy\/","og_site_name":"Blog TSK","article_published_time":"2025-10-05T03:30:17+00:00","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/cstc.vn\/blogtsk\/#website","url":"https:\/\/cstc.vn\/blogtsk\/","name":"Blog TSK","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/cstc.vn\/blogtsk\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/cstc.vn\/blogtsk\/mamluks-as-master-designers-louvre-abu-dhabi-exhibition-unveils-their-artistic-legacy\/#webpage","url":"https:\/\/cstc.vn\/blogtsk\/mamluks-as-master-designers-louvre-abu-dhabi-exhibition-unveils-their-artistic-legacy\/","name":"mamluks as master designers: louvre abu dhabi exhibition unveils their artistic legacy - Blog TSK","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/cstc.vn\/blogtsk\/#website"},"datePublished":"2025-10-05T03:30:17+00:00","dateModified":"2025-10-05T03:30:17+00:00","author":{"@id":""},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/cstc.vn\/blogtsk\/mamluks-as-master-designers-louvre-abu-dhabi-exhibition-unveils-their-artistic-legacy\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/cstc.vn\/blogtsk\/mamluks-as-master-designers-louvre-abu-dhabi-exhibition-unveils-their-artistic-legacy\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/cstc.vn\/blogtsk\/mamluks-as-master-designers-louvre-abu-dhabi-exhibition-unveils-their-artistic-legacy\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/cstc.vn\/blogtsk\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"mamluks as master designers: louvre abu dhabi exhibition unveils their artistic legacy"}]}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cstc.vn\/blogtsk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15004"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cstc.vn\/blogtsk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cstc.vn\/blogtsk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cstc.vn\/blogtsk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15004"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/cstc.vn\/blogtsk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15004\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cstc.vn\/blogtsk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15004"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cstc.vn\/blogtsk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15004"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cstc.vn\/blogtsk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15004"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}