Louvre Abu Dhabi's 'Furusiyya' exhibit to launch in February

In a rare comparative study, Louvre Abu Dhabi’s upcoming exhibition Furusiyya: The Art of Chivalry between East and West (19 February – 30 May 2020) will display objects of medieval chivalric culture from the Islamic and Christian worlds. The immersive presentation will encompass over 130 artefacts, from medieval armours, objects related to riding and battle, as well as illuminated manuscripts depicting chivalric scenes. Particular attention was paid to the values of the medieval Knights. Courage, faith, loyalty or honor can thus be seen as the anchor of a common culture, present in both Islamic East and Christian West.

Presented across three sections, artefacts on show originate from across the Middle East, including Iraq, Iran, Egypt and Syria, to the French and Germanic states in Europe, covering the period from the early 11^th to the 16^th century. The show will allow visitors to discover similarities of knightly traditions in these different parts of the medieval world and spotlight the extraordinary cultural exchanges originating from key meeting points such as Southern Spain, Sicily and Syria. In keeping with the theme of Louvre Abu Dhabi’s current cultural season Changing Societies, the exhibition highlights key artworks and artefacts across different times and cultures. The show aims to visualise how historic circumstances have contributed to their production or, in turn, how these works now act as a witness to historic changes in the cultures that produced them.

Held in partnership with Musée de Cluny, musée national du Moyen Âge in Paris, and Agence France-Muséums, Furusiyya: The Art of Chivalry between East and West is curated by Chief Curator Dr. Elisabeth Taburet-Delahaye, former Director of Musée de Cluny, musée national du Moyen Âge, alongside Co-Curators Dr. Carine Juvin, Curator of the Department of Islamic Art at Musée du Louvre and Michel Huynh, Head Curator at Musée de Cluny, musée national du Moyen Âge.

Manuel Rabaté, Director of Louvre Abu Dhabi commented: “Furusiyya: The Art of Chivalry between East and West is the perfect exhibition to take place at Louvre Abu Dhabi. Our home city has always been a gateway between East and West and is a natural stage for this exploration of a key moment in Arab history and its cross-cultural exchanges with the Western World. The many international partners for the show – be it lenders or scientific experts – highlight the importance of this subject within the academic community and we are incredibly grateful to Musée de Cluny, musée national du Moyen Âge, and our partners from New York, Dublin, Paris and beyond, who came together to make this show a first-of-its-kind.”

Upon entering the exhibition, visitors will be presented with two monumental horse armours, Louvre Abu Dhabi’s spectacular Ottoman Horse Armour from the late 15^th century, installed alongside a European Horse and Knight Armour from the first quarter of the 16^th century, on loan from Musée de l'armée. Both aim to immerse the visitors into the key themes throughout this exhibition – knights and their horse as well as the art of battle and knightly culture.

The second section of the exhibition will allow viewers to discover objects around knightly combats and the art of battle, such as attack and defence armaments and equipment worn by the warrior’s horse. Educational manuscripts on war and fighting techniques were common in both cultures and the juxtaposition of an Arabic Kitāb al-makhzūn jāmiʿ al-funūn (The treasure that combines all arts) from Bibliothèque Nationale de France with a French Combat Treaty from Musée de Cluny, musée national du Moyen Âge, allow visitors to understand similarities and differences of approaches to fighting and battle. A variety of battle helmets and knightly armour from the Ottoman Empire, Egypt and Europe, alongside several depictions of battling warriors in illuminated manuscripts and carved reliefs, will contribute to the visitor’s understanding of knightly fashion at war. The Turban Helmet of Sultan Bajazet II from Musée de l’Armée, shown alongside a Western Bascinet from Musée de Cluny, musée national du Moyen Âge, give an idea of the different modes of defence, adapted to different arms and fighting techniques, across both cultures.

The final section of the exhibition will trace the development of a knightly culture and their similarities in the Western and Islamic worlds. From pastimes such as falconry, jousting, horseback parades, to hippology (the study of horses) and chess, objects on show will highlight their cultural touchpoints between East and West. A 14^th century Parisian carved Case with Courteous Novel Scenes from Musée du Louvre, showcasing a jousting tournament and other courtly activities, as well as a manuscript from Bibliothèque Nationale de France showing the Delivery of the chess game board by the King of India envoys from 15^th century Iran speak about knightly life at the court and further illuminate the different manifestations of chivalric culture between the Middle East and Europe.

The exhibition will be accompanied by an extensive cultural programme, curated by Ruth MacKenzie, looking at contemporary culture through the lens of medieval traditions and vice versa.

The work of Egyptian contemporary artist Wael Shawky explores the Crusades from the Arab point of view. Interrogating traditional historical narratives, based on Amin Maalouf’s Cabaret Crusadeshis large-scale musical theatre performance La Chanson de Roland (The Song of Roland) is based on a French epic poem from the 11^th or 12^th century France, glorifying the reign and conquests of Emperor Charlemagne and his nephew Roland.

A full family weekend will plunge visitors in the medieval times, with activations in the Park, under the Dome, film screenings, parades of knights, workshops and much more (28 and 29 February from 12pm to 6pm).

The renowned Trio Joubran has become eponymous with the oud, or Arabic lute. Coming from a long line of luthiers, the trio innovates in their performance and their instruments come together like three soloists who form one single voice. Their performance The Long March will be on show at the museum’s Auditorium on 26 March at 8pm. Tickets are for 150 AED (including VAT) and are available online.

Lenders to the exhibition include Musée de Cluny – Musée national du Moyen Âge, Musée du Louvre, Louvre Abu Dhabi, Musée de l’Armée, Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Musée Jean-Claude Boulard – Carré Plantagenêt, Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lyon, The Metropolitan Museum of Arts, The Chester Beatty Library and Furusiyya Art Foundation.