Fans of Game of Thrones or The Jungle Book might want to consider an outing to the Aga Khan Museum. As a new show called Marvellous Creatures: Animals in Islamic Art reminds us, mythical beings and anthropomorphized heroes from the natural world are about as old as humanity itself. Before there were screens to see them on, they inspired artistic expression in almost every genre and culture.
Some 93 different design objects and artworks make up the Marvellous Creatures show, which runs until Sept. 11, 2016. Nearly half of the vibrantly coloured and fanciful ceramics, jewelry, glass, textiles, paintings and manuscripts are on loan from the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, Qatar.
What unites this disparate collection is that all depict animals, from the tiny blown-glass fish with its mouth comically agape (6th century Egypt), to a fancifully depicted elephant comprised of images of other creatures(6th century India).
Ceramics, jewelry, glass, textiles, paintings and manuscripts depict animals both real and mythical
Read at the source: By Karen Von Hahn – May 27, 2016 – www.thestar.com | Toronto Star
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