On May 22, The Dallas Museum of Art announced the presentation of the first work of art from the rarely shown Keir Collection, now on view at the Museum. The DMA announced in February the 15-year renewable 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 2,000 works, in a range of media, that span 13 centuries of Islamic art making. The carved rock crystal ewer from late 10th- to 11th-century Fatimid Egypt (969–1171), on view beginning May 27 in a special installation on the Museum’s third level, is considered one of the wonders of Islamic art.
“The Fatimid ewer is among the world’s greatest treasures, and we are privileged and grateful to be responsible for its care and presentation, said Maxwell L. Anderson, the DMA’s Eugene McDermott Director. “The spectacular craftsmanship evident in its carving speaks for itself, and compels us to reflect on artistic traditions elsewhere during the 10th and 11th centuries. It and the handful of other remaining examples of this period are unique testaments of the talent and imagination of the medieval Egyptian workshop responsible for it.”
Ismailimail 