Colour Speaks all Languages.
Selected works from The Al Thani Collection.

From Autumn 2024, The Al Thani Collection at the Hôtel de la Marine will host a temporary exhibition on the theme of color and the ways it has been used and interpreted in works of art by different civilizations throughout history. Presenting approximately 80 works of art drawn from The Al Thani Collection, most of which are shown at the Hôtel de la Marine for the first time, the exhibition includes a diverse selection of extraordinary and often unusual objects representing cultures across five continents, and spanning the 3rd millennium BC to the 21st century. They are presented in six sections according to their color: black, white, red, yellow, blue and green.

Each section comprises a diverse range of cultural and historical works, encompassing a multitude of materials and techniques. These include sculptures crafted from wood, stone, or metal; ceramics; textiles; engravings; and art objects. The exhibition includes a Fang-Betsi wooden reliquary guardian sculpture (black), a Roman marble sculpture (white), a Mughal hookah base (red), an Egyptian head-shaped inlay (blue), an Olmec ceremonial ax in jade (green) and 'The Saint Louis Reliquary', a gold locket from the late 14th or early 15th century presented to Guy de Montfort by King Louis IX of France (yellow).

By way of this classification, visitors are invited to observe the various materials used to create the works in relation to their technical production. They can reflect on the effects produced by the variety of colors, the brilliance of the hues and the contrasts within the works, and finally, they can ponder the symbolism of the works in relation to the cultures of the world.

Titled after a quotation by the English essayist Joseph Addison (1676-1719), the exhibition will be on view in Gallery 3; a selection of Renaissance masterpieces from The Al Thani Collection are on display in Galleries 1, 2 and 4.

Organized by The Al Thani Collection Foundation in collaboration with the Center des monuments nationaux. Curated by Hélène de Givry, curator at The Al Thani Collection.

Renaissance Treasures
The Al Thani Collection at the Hôtel de la Marine

This display of approximately 60 works of art from The Al Thani Collection celebrates the innovation, skill and craftsmanship of the Renaissance period, and explores its enduring appeal to collectors through the ages. On display in galleries 1, 2 and 4 of The Al Thani Collection at the Hôtel de la Marine, it follows on from A Taste for the Renaissance: a dialogue between collections (6 March to 30 June 2024) which showed these objects alongside works of art on loan from the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

Presenting an extraordinary selection of objets d'art and rare jewels, this display showcases the virtuosity of Renaissance artists in a variety of techniques and materials, and includes examples in glass, enamel, ceramic, hardstone, metalwork, miniatures and exotica. Highlights include works of art created for noble and royal patrons by many of the most accomplished artists of the period, including the Arundel Zodiac, a carnelian intaglio likely created for the Duke of Mantua circa 1540; an extraordinary polychrome enamel plaque created in Limoges circa 1530 by the Master of the Aeneid; a rock crystal bowl by Giovanni Ambrogio Miseroni (1551-1616) engraved with scenes of the Triumph of Neptune and Amphitrite and recorded in the collection of the papal Borghese family; and a miniature portrait of Charles IX (1550-1574) by François Clouet (c.1516-1572) painted on slate circa 1561, and likely commissioned by his mother, Catherine de Medici (1519-1589).

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A Taste for the Renaissance: a dialogue between collections

The second in a series of three exhibitions held in collaboration with the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, this exhibition celebrates the extraordinary innovation, skill and craftsmanship of Renaissance art and explores its enduring appeal to collectors through the ages. Presenting masterpieces from the collections of the museum alongside those of The Al Thani Collection, the exhibition includes more than 130 works of art and comprises sculpture, metalwork, jewellery, glass, textiles, books, manuscripts, paintings, works on paper and exotica, many of which have never previously been shown in Paris. This includes works by Antico, Lucas Cranach the Younger, François Clouet, Vittore Crivelli, Donatello, Nicholas Hilliard, Hans Holbein the Younger and Leonardo da Vinci, together with treasures and objets d'art created for noble and royal patrons by many of the most accomplished artists of the period.

The exhibition is organised by The Al Thani Collection Foundation and the Centre des Monuments Nationaux in collaboration with the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Exhibition curated by Dr. Emma Edwards, Project Curator, at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

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Medieval Treasures from the Victoria and Albert Museum: When the English spoke French

The exhibition presents more than 70 singular masterpieces of medieval art together in Paris for the first time, highlighting the complex and interdependent relationship of England and Continental Europe throughout the Middle Ages. Drawn from the Victoria and Albert Museum’s renowned collection of medieval art – one of the most comprehensive in the world – the exhibition includes extraordinary survivals from the period made in England, France, Italy and beyond, and illustrates the rich artistic culture that flourished in what was a truly international age. Comprising sculpture, textiles, ceramics, ivories, manuscript illumination, metalwork, jewellery, and enamelled and stained glass, the exhibition includes many of the Victoria and Albert Museum’s most remarkable works of art including the Gloucester Candlestick, the Becket Casket, the Clare Chasuble and the Luck of Edenhall.

The exhibition is organised by The Al Thani Collection Foundation and the Centre des Monuments Nationaux in collaboration with the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Exhibition curated by James Robinson, Keeper of Decorative Art and Sculpture and Emma Edwards, Project Curator, at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

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Treasures of The Al Thani Collection

The exhibition presents a rich diversity of approximately 65 artworks drawn from across the Collection, bringing together exceptional works of art from antiquity to the early modern period. Celebrating the unifying force of art across cultures, it juxtaposes superlative works of art from different civilisations, sharing with the public high points of creative expression across periods and geographies.

Displayed in three of the four galleries at the Hôtel de la Marine, highlights range from an Egyptian head of a royal figure carved from red jasper (1475-1292 BC) and a Chinese gilt-bronze sculpture of a seated bear (Han Dynasty, 206 BC-AD 25) to a Maya mask pendant (200-600 AD) and a Cycladic marble ‘Stargazer’ (c. 3300-2500 BC).

(The other gallery shows Medieval Treasures from the Victoria and Albert Museum: When the English spoke French, the latest in a biannual series of temporary exhibitions to be held at The Al Thani Collection at the Hôtel de la Marine).

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Ca' d'Oro: Masterpieces of the Renaissance in Venice

For the third in its biannual series of temporary exhibitions, The Al Thani Collection at the Hôtel de la Marine hosts a selection of exceptional loans from the Galleria Giorgio Franchetti at the Ca' d’Oro, Venice, which is currently under restoration.

Ca' d'Oro: Masterpieces of the Renaissance in Venice presents a selection of more than 70 works by the greatest artists of the Venetian Renaissance including medals by Gentile Bellini and Pisanello, paintings by Paris Bordon, Tintoretto, and Titian, and sculptures by Tullio Lombardo, Andrea Riccio, Jacopo Sansovino and Alessandro Vittoria. For the first time in over a century, Andrea Mantegna’s ‘Saint Sebastian' – the heart of the collection and the artist’s final masterpiece – leaves its home on the Grand Canal to go on show on the Place de la Concorde.

A gem of Late Gothic architecture, the Ca’ d’Oro is one of the most widely admired palazzi in Venice and is famed for its iconic façade and spectacular decor. Since 1927, the building has been home to a national museum, the Galleria Giorgio Franchetti, where the prized collections donated by Baron Giorgio Franchetti (1865-1922), together with additions from the Italian State, reflect the rich and varied visual culture of Venice with a specific focus on the Renaissance.

The exhibition is jointly organised by The Al Thani Collection Foundation, the Centre des monuments nationaux, the Regional Directorate of Museums of the Veneto and the Venetian Heritage Foundation, with the support of the Italian Ministry of Culture.

Exhibition curated by Philippe Malgouyres, Chief Curator of Heritage, Department of Decorative Arts, Musée du Louvre.

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Gulbenkian Revealed: In the Collector’s Private Realm

The Al Thani Collection Foundation, the Centre des monuments nationaux and the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation present Gulbenkian Revealed: In the Collector’s Private Realm which is on view until 2 October 2022 in the space dedicated to temporary exhibitions at The Al Thani Collection at the Hôtel de la Marine, Paris. The exhibition is organised as part of the Saison France-Portugal 2022.

The exhibition is presented in association with the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation and showcases treasures from the museum in Lisbon which houses the private collection of its eponymous founder, one of the most celebrated art collectors of the early 20th century.

Gulbenkian Revealed: In the Collector’s Private Realm presents a carefully selected group of 82 works of art, principally small in scale and made to be carefully handled and privately cherished by the connoisseur-collector. Through these objects, the exhibition explores five key principles which guided Calouste Gulbenkian (1869-1955) as a collector: preciousness, intimate scale, craftsmanship, provenance and rarity. Reflecting the diversity of artworks which appealed to Gulbenkian, the exhibition also highlights his fascination with the material quality of the objects that the collected.

Exhibition curated by Nuno Vassallo e Silva.

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Masterpieces from Islamic Lands

Coinciding with the opening of the museum space at the Hôtel de la Marine, this was the first in a biannual series of themed and focussed exhibitions to be held in the galleries alongside Treasures from The Al Thani Collection. It included works of art from across Islamic lands, which at their greatest extent stretched from Western Europe and Sub-Saharan Africa to Southeast Asia. The exhibition showcased manuscripts, metalwork, textiles, ceramics, glass, and jewellery made both for courtly use and recreation, as well as for sacred purposes, reflecting the rich and diverse heritage of the Muslim world, from the Umayyad Caliphate to the Mughal Empire.

Treasures of The Al Thani Collection

The Centre des monuments nationaux and the Al Thani Collection Foundation opened the museum space dedicated to showing artworks from the Al Thani Collection at the Hôtel de la Marine in November 2021. The inaugural exhibition showcased a rich diversity of approximately 120 artworks drawn from across the Collection, bringing together exceptional works of art from antiquity to the early modern period. Celebrating the unifying force of art across cultures, it juxtaposed superlative works of art from different civilisations, sharing with the public high points of creative expression across periods and geographies. Highlights ranged from an Egyptian head of a royal figure carved from red jasper (1475-1292 BC) and a Chinese gilt-bronze sculpture of a seated bear (Han Dynasty, 206 BC-AD 25) to a Maya mask pendant (200-600 AD) and the jade wine cup of the Mughal Emperor Jahangir (1569-1627).

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From the Depths of South Arabia: A South Arabian Stele in The Al Thani Collection

This exhibition explored the complex cross-cultural influences in ancient South Arabia that stemmed from the trade in indigenous aromatic resins, frankincense and myrrh, with the outside world. It presented an alabaster relief of a woman from The Al Thani Collection, remarkable for its monumental scale and the preservation of its jewellery. The sculpture is related to smaller reliefs from the Qatabanian kingdom of Yemen which reflect classical traditions. Contextual information about this kingdom was conveyed through a generous selection of coins, inscriptions and funerary stelai from the collection of the State Hermitage Museum. The exhibition was curated by Dr Mikhail Piotrovsky, General Director of the State Hermitage Museum.

The Treasure of a Persian Princess: A Chinese Porcelain Dish from The Al Thani Collection

This exhibition explored the profound influence of Chinese porcelain on the art and ceramics of the Islamic world in the early modern period. The central focus of the exhibition was the Mahin Banu Dish, a masterpiece of Chinese ceramic art from The Al Thani Collection that was acquired by a Persian princess in the 16th century and was subsequently owned by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan; it was shown alongside a selection of Chinese and Islamic objects from the Hermitage collections that are closely related in style and age. The exhibition curator was Dr Lidia Potochkina of the State Hermitage Museum.

Man, God and Nature in the Ancient World: Masterpieces from The Al Thani Collection

This exhibition included 117 ancient works of art created by a rich diversity of cultures spanning over three thousand years. United by the themes of man, god and nature, it explored the way in which people of the ancient world addressed and interpreted the forces around them. Highlights ranged from a Kiliya 'stargazer' idol carved from marble c. 3000 BC and an Egyptian royal head carved from jasper c. 1450 BC, to a ceremonial Mayan mask and Sasanian silver from the first centuries of the Christian era. The curators of the exhibition were Mr Atsushi Imai and Mr Takuzo Onozuka of Tokyo National Museum, and Dr Amin Jaffer, Senior Curator of The Al Thani Collection.

East Meets West: Jewels of the Maharajas from 
The Al Thani Collection

This exhibition explored the cultural and material exchanges between India and Europe through jewellery and precious objects ranging from the 17th century to the present. It featured more than 150 pieces from The Al Thani Collection, all associated with Mughal emperors, maharajas, and their courts. Highlights included famous gemstones such as the Idol’s Eye (a 70.2-carat diamond and the largest blue diamond in the world), the Arcot II diamond (formerly belonging to the British Crown Jewels) and other treasures such as a jade dagger owned by Emperor Shah Jahan, the builder of the Taj Mahal. The curators of the exhibition were Martin Chapman of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco and Dr Amin Jaffer, Senior Curator of the Al Thani Collection.

At the Dawn of Islamic Art: A Dish from The Al Thani Collection

The exhibition was centred around a unique bronze dish from The Al Thani Collection that shows the pre-Islamic art of Egypt as well as the geometric layout of trays seen in the first centuries of Islam, and is thought to be among the first works of art produced for a Muslim court. It was shown alongside a selection of closely related bronze objects from the Hermitage collections. The exhibition was curated by Dr Anton Pritula of the State Hermitage Museum.

Kings of the World: Expressions of Royal Power and the Arts among Masterpieces of The Al Thani Collection

Featuring approximately sixty objects from the collection, this exhibition used ancient sculpture, metalwork, coins, miniature paintings, weapons and jewellery to explore the image of the king and royal power throughout the ages and civilisations, from Sumerian royalty (around 2000 BC) to 19th-century European monarchies, via Pharaonic Egypt, the ancient Near East, Ottoman sultans and Mughal emperors. The exhibition was curated by Vincent Droguet, General Curator, Director of Heritage and Collections at the Château de Fontainebleau.

Treasures from The Al Thani Collection: 
Gems and Jewels of India and Masterpieces from a Royal Collection

This exhibition gave the Chinese public the first-ever opportunity to admire 270 jewels and gems as well as 290 rare and precious objects from The Al Thani Collection. The show of Gems and Jewels of India took visitors on an a spectacular trip through five centuries of remarkably refined artistic taste and perfected technique, represented by historic Indian diamonds and legendary jewels. Masterpieces from a Royal Collection included important works of art dating from antiquity to the present day, and representing cultures from all around the world; highlights ranged from Greek, Roman, Chinese and Pre-Colombian artefacts to a group of fifty-four important pieces by Fabergé. The exhibition was curated by Dr Amin Jaffer, Senior Curator of The Al Thani Collection.

Treasures of the Mughals and the Maharajas: The Al Thani Collection

The exhibition presented a rare journey into the world of Indian jewellery, characterised by dazzling gems and jewels dating from the time of the Mughal empire to the present day. Promoted by Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia and presented against a stunning and ethereal backdrop, Treasures of the Mughals and the Maharajas gave the Italian public the first-ever opportunity to admire 275 pieces assembled from The Al Thani Collection. The exhibition was curated by Dr Amin Jaffer, Senior Curator of The Al Thani Collection, and Giancarlo Calza.

From the Great Mughals to the Maharajas: Jewels from The Al Thani Collection

The Grand Palais exhibition enabled visitors to immerse themselves in the jewellery traditions of the Indian subcontinent, from the Mughal period to the modern day, all displayed in an evocative and ethereal setting. The evolution of gem setting and jewellery was shown through 250 exceptional pieces from The Al Thani Collection, together with major works on loan from prestigious institutions and private collections. Famous historic Indian diamonds, spectacular precious objects and legendary pieces of jewellery were brought together to represent the evolution of taste and technique in India’s jewelled arts over five centuries. The exhibition was curated by Dr Amin Jaffer, Senior Curator of The Al Thani Collection, and Amina Okada, Senior Curator of the the Musée Guimet.

Jewels of the Mughal Emperors and Maharajas: Treasures from The Al Thani Collection

The exhibition featured more than 175 pieces including the world’s largest cut blue diamond, the Idol’s Eye, and other select Indian jewels from The Al Thani Collection. It explored the history and design of Indian gems from the 16th to 21st centuries. In addition to masterpieces exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York (2014⁠–15) and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London (2015–16), some Indian treasures from the Collection were shown in Japan for the first time. The exhibition was curated by Yoko Azuma of the Miho Museum.

Bejewelled Treasures: The Al Thani Collection

This exhibition showcased over one hundred jewels, jewelled artefacts and jades from The Al Thani Collection, alongside three prestigious loans from the Royal Collection. The pieces ranged in date from the early 17th century to the present day and were made in the Indian subcontinent or inspired by India. They included spectacular precious stones and jades made for Mughal emperors, highlighting the exceptional skills of goldsmiths within the Indian subcontinent. The more recent pieces also demonstrated that cross-cultural exchanges continue to inspire contemporary jewellery design in India and Europe. The exhibition was curated by Susan Stronge, Senior Curator of the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Treasures from India: Jewels from the Al Thani Collection

Some sixty jewelled objects provided a glimpse into the evolving styles of the jewelled arts in India from the Mughal period until the early 20th century, with an emphasis on later exchanges with the West. The exhibition was shown within The Metropolitan Museum’s Islamic art galleries, adjacent to the museum’s own collection of Mughal-period art. The exhibition was curated by Navina Haidar of The Metropolitan Museum of Art.