WINTER EXHIBITIONS

Offer Vibrant Tour Of Global Cultural Treasures

This winter The Ringling presents two exhibitions of truly spectacular objects that bring the rich complexity of world cultures to the US. As part of The Ringling’s celebration of Asia, which revolves around the February opening of the Center for Asian Art in the Dr. Helga Wall-Apelt Gallery of Asian Art, visitors will encounter a panoramic view of the cultural heritage of the continent and beyond.

SAMURAI: THE WAY OF THE WARRIOR

JAN 15 – APR 17, 2016

Museum of Art, Searing Wing

“We always aim to expose our audiences and members to the widest variety of cultural material and themes,” said Christopher Jones, The Ringling’s Assistant Curator of Exhibitions. “Through these two exhibitions, visitors will journey across land and sea as they delve into diverse regions and encounter creative practices that have contributed to human civilization over thousands of years.”

INK, SILK AND GOLD: ISLAMIC ART FROM THE MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS, BOSTON

FEB 5 – MAY 1, 2016

Museum of Art, Searing Wing

Samurai: The Way of the Warrior traces a thrilling period of social and political history in Japan by focusing on the ornate arms, armor, and accessories of the legendary samurai warriors, who ruled the insular country from 1185 to 1868. The age of samurai was defined by the military rule of the shogun, during which time elite warriors donned elaborate yet effective battle gear that signified their status and power.

The approximately 70 rare and exquisite objects in the exhibition—including intricately-designed full suits of armor, ornamented helmets, distinctive swords, and adorned swordhilts and saddles—are on loan from the Museo Stibbert in Florence, Italy, which possesses one of the most significant private samurai collections outside Japan. Anglo-Italian Frederick Stibbert began collecting Japanese samurai armor in the 19th century, shortly after Japan opened itself to outside trade and the samurai’s subsequent loss of political and economic power. The exhibition also sheds light on the daily rituals and personal life of samurai warriors with marvelous lacquered writing boxes, incense trays, and foldable chairs.

The exhibition Ink, Silk and Gold: Islamic Art from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, weaves together a vast geopolitical tapestry whose common thread is Islam. Offering a window into the multifaceted artistic traditions of the Islamic world, and spanning the globe from Spain to Indonesia allows The Ringling to host a conversation about Islamic art as a synthesis of numerous cultures over the centuries.

The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston boasts one of the premier collections of Islamic art in the country, and Ink, Silk and Gold is the first comprehensive presentation of the MFA’s Islamic holdings to the public. The exhibition features approximately 100 superb works of art from the eighth to the 21st century, bringing together silver inlaid metalwork, manuscript pages inscribed with gold, brocaded velvets, lusterpainted ceramics, and more.

The title of the exhibition refers to the centrality of material in Islamic art and how an object’s medium expressively shapes both its form and meaning. Highlights of the exhibition include the monumental Mamluk pulpit door from a mosque, inlaid with ivory and ebony, and magnificent Persian and Mughal carpets. Intricate patterning and Arabic calligraphy unify much of traditional Islamic art and design. One example is the famous Blue Koran in which the gold ink on indigo-dyed parchment could be read as a particularly spectacular night sky. Additionally, a blue-and-white dish from the Ottoman Empire, which emulates Chinese ceramics, and glass and metal vessels that echo Byzantine style underscore the exchange between cultures that has contributed to Islamic art over time.

Photos, left to right:

Sword / Ko-wakizashi; Steel, iron, gold, silver, horn, wood, lacquer, stingray skin; First quarter of the 19th century; Blade: 33.4 cm; Grip: 11.3 cm, Museo Stibbert, Firenze. Mosque Lamp, early 1320s, Egypt (Cairo), Glass with gold and enamel decoration, 27.5 x 20 cm, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Edward Jackson Holmes. Photograph © 2015 Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Prince and Lady under Flowering Branch. Page from an album made for Prince Bahram Mirza, Ink, gold, and color on silk, mounted on paper, Francis Bartlett Donation of 1912 and Picture Fund. Photograph © 2015 Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Samurai: The Way of the Warrior Exhibition organized by Contemporanea Progetti, Florence, Italy in collaboration with the Museo Stibbert.

Support for this exhibition was provided in part by Sarasota County Tourist Development Tax revenues; the Amicus Foundation Endowment; the Ting Tsung and Wei Fong Chao Foundation Endowment; The Japan Foundation, New York; and The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art Foundation.

Major Sponsor: PNC Wealth Management

Ink, Silk and Gold: Islamic Art from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston This exhibition was organized by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Support for this exhibition was provided in part by Sarasota County Tourist Development Tax revenues, the Arthur F. and Ulla R. Searing Endowment, and the William G. and Marie Selby Foundation Endowment.

Major Sponsor: PNC Wealth Management