Notes on The Al-Sabah Collection

The Aberconway Kurdish Garden Carpet
Northwest Persia, 18th century
3.75 x 9.25m (12ft 3in x 30ft 4in)
The al-Sabah Collection, Dar al-Athar
al-Islamiyyah, Kuwait National Museum,
inv.no. LNS 10R

Seen on www.cloudband.com

The Al-Sabah Collection is one of the great collections of Islamic art in the world today. From precious stones to miniature paintings, to great carpets it is exceptional.

• The collection of Sheikh Nasser Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah of Kuwait.
  A member of the Kuwaiti ruling family, Sheikh Nasser has been collecting Islamic Art and jewelled objects in particular since the mid-1970s. Since 1983, the collection has been on loan to the Kuwait National Museum and during the occupation of Kuwait in 1990 the Iraqis took most of the contents of the museum to Iraq, where they remained until after the war ended. Although most of the collection was eventually repatriated, three of the most beautiful early Mughal carved emeralds have never resurfaced, including one the most important emeralds known to scholarship, another which features a religious inscription, and a gemstone with royal Mughal inscriptions. http://www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk/newsroom/current/mughal.html
• Possible Origin of the Elephant Headed Monster design.
• Glass from Islamic Lands: The al-Sabah Collection
• Jewelled arts of India in the Age of the Mughals

Persian Rugs and Carpet

Turkish Rugs

Turkmen Rugs

Southwest Asia Time Line

Caucasian Rugs