Spirit and Matter: Masterpieces of Islamic Art

from the Keir Collection

Exhibition Website

Sep 18 2015 - Jul 31 2016

Spirit and Matter: Masterpieces from the Keir Collection of Islamic Art is the first exhibition at the DMA of art from the rarely shown and internationally renowned Keir Collection of Islamic Art. 

The exhibition presents a selection of over fifty masterworks in various mediums — rom rock crystal to works on paper, metalwork, ceramics, carpets, and textiles — and explores thirteen centuries of Islamic art making across three continents, from Spain to Central Asia. These magnificent objects highlight the aesthetic and cultural resonances imbued in these masterpieces by the people who made them. Organized and developed by the DMA’s Senior Advisor for Islamic Art Dr. Sabiha Al Khemir, Spirit and Matter marks the first time these works will be on view in North America.

The DMA announced in February 2014 the fifteen-year loan of one of the largest private holdings of Islamic art. The Keir Collection is recognized by scholars as one of the world’s most geographically and historically comprehensive, encompassing almost two thousand works, in a range of media, that span 1,300 years of creativity.

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website.

  • Islamic / Assyrian / Persian
  • Culture / Lifestyle

Exhibition Venues & Dates