Tales from the Thousand and One Nights. The Islamic Art in the Collection of the Moravian Gallery

The exhibition with the title Tales from the Thousand and One Nights. The Islamic Art in the Collections of the Moravian Gallery in Brno introduces us to the collection of objects of Islamic art in this institution. The presentation aims to comprehensively, and for the very fi rst time in the Czech Republic, show items relating to the Islamic Orient, whether by their origin or by the fact that the Orient provided inspiration to European artists.

The set of almost 240 exhibits reveals the skills of the Islamic world from Morocco to the Balkans and, via the Near East, as far as Iran. As the artefacts were made with the purpose of service, rather than pleasure, it is essentially erroneous to refer to them as art. The approach to art in Islam is different to the traditional western classifi cation, it is thought of mainly in relation to everyday life and its expressions therefore appear more like craftwork.

The most interesting and, at the same time, valuable items are found in the textile department among carpets or examples of woven cloths. The collection of metal objects presents standard household utensils that met the demands of the middle strata of society, commonly on sale at Oriental markets in the 18th - 19th century. Other noteworthy artefacts in this category include calligraphers' tools, ingenious censers, and mosque lamps. Also related to the mosque environment is a set of faience tiles of various colours and shapes, mostly dating back to the Middle Ages. The impeccable output of crafted objects is showcased by varnished boxes or furniture with mother-of-pearl inlays. Aesthetically enjoyable is the collection of women's jewels from the traditional environment of the Arabic peninsula. The men's world will be represented at the exhibition by knives, swords and fi rearms. The final original chapter embraces Orient-inspired items of European provenance predominantly made in glass or ceramics.

The cultural, political and economic relations between Europe and the Orient continue to attract researchers and the general public. A rich shared history is a key to understanding many complex situations of topical importance today. One of the paths to take in order to learn about the background of the Islamic world is the path leading via the common points in the cultural history of the two worlds.