MUSEUM of Royal Worcester staff are getting set to take the wraps off a new exhibition which reveals the city’s porcelain connections with the Arts of Islam.
Stunning objects and archive material not usually on show will form part of the showcase which opens at the museum today (Saturday).
Curator Fuchsia Hart will also be discussing her research during a live Facebook event on October 17 from 2pm.
Museum director Sophie Health said: “Worcester porcelain borrowed design inspiration from all over the world to keep up with the tastes of its customers.
“This started with China and Japan in the 18th century but the industry also looked to the arts and cultural traditions of the Islamic worlds of the Middle East and India in the 19th and 20th centuries, influencing some of their most elaborate and high status objects.”
Fuchsia Hart, Project Researcher, said: “Seeing how objects traditionally thought of as ‘Islamic’ were interpreted, and reinterpreted, in Worcester, from the early 19th century to the 1980s, can help us to chart the relationship between this country and places further afield.
“Researchers in the field are frequently involved with large national museums but the collection and archive at the Museum of Royal Worcester demonstrates that there is much to be gained from research in regional collections which also tell a big story of global exchange.”
Coun Jabba Riaz (Cathedral), said: “The Museum is interested in hearing from our local communities about what these objects mean to them and invite people to visit and get involved, ask questions and take part in person and online to find out more.
“It’s a really beautiful project which highlights the journey of Royal Worcester into the Middle East and Asia and how Islamic art calligraphy and geometry influenced many of the designs at the time”
Tickets can be pre-booked at museumofroyalworcester.org or call 01905 21247.
