Joining forces with the Musée du Louvre in France, one of the most renowned institutions in the world, Museum of Art Pudong (MAP) will present another major exhibition, The Wonder of Patterns: Masterpieces from India, Iran and the Ottoman World from the Musée du Louvre starting from December 13, 2025. This exhibition marks the Louvre's first-ever showcase in Shanghai, and it stands as the largest exhibition the museum has ever organized in China. Spanning from the 16th to the 19th centuries and a geographical scope across three continents, including Asia, Africa, and Europe, the exhibition is structured into three sections, presenting approximately 300 treasured pieces from the Louvre's collection. The exhibits encompass various important categories from Indian, Iranian, and Ottoman art, such as ceramics, jewelry, jade and hardstone objects, glassware, metalware, carpets, calligraphy, paintings, sculptures, and wood carvings. More importantly, never having been shown publicly in the Louvre since acquisition, a number of these works will be unveiled to the public for the first time through this exhibition. Traversing afar on this journey, these masterpieces are about to initiate a new dialogue between civilizations in Shanghai.

A Comprehensive Display of Artworks from India, Iran, and the Ottoman Worlds

Drawing upon the Louvre's vast collection, the exhibition is a majestic presentation of the culmination of artistic creation of India, Iran, and the Ottoman worlds from the 16th to the 19th centuries. It vividly highlights the interconnections and interactions between this vast region and Asia as well as Europe, bearing witness to how art gained new vitality through the encounter of civilizations. The art from these regions is known for its unique and rich aesthetic of patterns—floral motifs, poetic imagery, geometric designs—which, like a kaleidoscope, reflect the cultural and historical context of the time, and have provided an endless stream of inspiration for later art and design. Even today, we can find these dazzling patterns in jewelry, architecture, bookbinding, decorative, and graphic design. The exhibition unveils a specific historical period: frequent exchanges and interactions not only reshaped the world order but also drove artistic innovation, gave birth to new styles and trends, and created new dynamics between the East and the West.

The exhibition opens with a selection of pieces from the collection of the French Sun King, Louis XIV. The subsequent three sections guide the visitors through an epic narrative journey, a magnificent exploration spanning different continents and four centuries. The first section focuses on the art of India. Established in 1526, the Mughal Empire's territory almost extended over the entire Indian subcontinent at its peak. Leveraging its geographical advantage since ancient times, India had widely disseminated its own culture and arts to many regions elsewhere. While maintaining its own traditions, the dynasty continuously absorbed influences from surrounding areas, creating a brand-new aesthetic style, be it the metalware that integrates Iranian and Central Asian influences, the precious jade that reflect the fusion of local and Persian traditions, or the various export wares featuring a mix of European and local styles. These objects all demonstrate artistic charm of the Mughal Empire, which is rooted in heritage yet constantly evolving through synthesis and innovation.

The second section introduces the art of Iran by vividly presenting the diverse artistic achievements of the Safavid and Qajar dynasties. In 1501, Shah Isma’il I founded the Safavid dynasty centered in today’s Iran, with territory stretching from Armenia to Afghanistan. East-West trade routes spurred a high degree of prosperity in artistic development, culminating in a golden age of artistic creation: ceramic pieces such as the Dish with poetic inscription and the Roundel with animal fight not only have practical value but also carry literary themes and poetic imagery, perceived as speaking artworks; bottles with floral and animal decorations showcase the luxurious decorative technique of lustreware, while also demonstrating how patterns from Chinese blue-and-white porcelain were incorporated into the Safavid artistic language; oil portrait paintings of royalty and nobility reveal the evolution and breakthroughs local artists made after absorbing European painting techniques; the widely popular craft of enamelware was also applied to the production of local water pipes during this period. In the 19th century, under the Qajar rule, Iran regarded the art of the Safavid period as the standard model. Craftsmen drew inspiration from history and literature, a trend that both strengthened national identity and revived the glorious past.

Situated on the forth floor of MAP, the third section is centered around the art of the Ottoman Empire. Served as a pivotal cultural hub linking the East and the West, the Ottoman Empire once dominated the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa, while attaining awe-inspiring new heights in its artistic accomplishments. From the 15th century onward, the empire made Istanbul its capital, transforming it into a vibrant cultural metropolis. This section underscores the charm of Arabic calligraphy. Exhibits from formally rigorous official documents to exquisitely crafted calligraphic albums and ornate calligraphy tools, all attest to the importance of calligraphy as an art form. The exhibition further immerses viewers in the dazzling world of Iznik ceramics: ceramic treasures such as tankards and the Dish with fantastic creature not only reflect the influence of Chinese porcelain, but also mirrors the Ottoman potters’ continuous exploration of patterns. Numerous decorative architectural components made from various materials reflect the Ottoman Empire's aesthetic achievement of extending patterns from objects to architecture.

A Visual Feast of Patterns Composed by Masterpieces from the Louvre’s Collection, Reflecting Cross-cultural Exchanges

The exhibition brings together a vast number of treasures from the Louvre's collection, presenting viewers with a rich visual feast of patterns. A 17th-century window screen from North India exemplifies naturalistic style while emphasizing symmetrical design, demonstrating a perfect balance between organic forms and structural order in local domestic aesthetics. The Tile panel with poetry contest depicts two young men engaged in a poetry contest, providing insights into the etiquette and formalities of Isfahan’s court life as well as the harmony between humans and nature. The Bookbinding with rose and nightingale decoration reflects a humanistic spirit through its elaborate flora and fauna patterns, aligning with the tradition of expressing emotions through depictions of natural motifs. The Peacock dish presents a breathtaking fantastical garden within a small circular space, whereas peacock is an extremely rare choice among bird motifs on vessels produced during the same period. A footed bowl in vibrant coral red, which breaks away from the prevalent blue-and-white color scheme, shows beautifully arranged floral patterns that exemplify natural elements treated abstractly. The Tile with prunus branch, tulips, carnation and clouds featuring organic design patterns had adorned architectural spaces, offering a spectacle of movements.

Patterns also bear witness to the cultural exchanges between India, Iran, and the Ottoman worlds and other cultures. For instance, the Bottle with dragon decoration from the 17-century Safavid period demonstrates a sophisticated adaptation of their Chinese ceramic archetypes, affirming the fusion of Iranian and Chinese culture. These objects constitute a precious historical legacy of cultural interactions along the ancient Silk Road. Today,arriving at MAP on the riverbanks of the Huangpu River, they will infuse new energy into the narrative of the Belt and Road Initiative.

The Louvre: A Key Advocate for Islamic Art Studies in the West

Islamic art is a flowing epic, profoundly interpreting a unique worldview with its ever-changing artistic language. It is inclusive yet self-contained. Its innovative lexicon of patterns has deeply influenced the evolution of decorative arts from the 20th century onward, giving rise to multiple epoch-making art and design movements. In the West, the study of this artistic discipline has undergone a long formative process. Throughout this cross-cultural dialogue, the Louvre has always played a pivotal role.

As one of the world's most renowned museums, the Louvre was born from the French Revolution. Its foundational collections were comprised of various artistic treasures from the French royal collections. During the reign of King Louis XIV in the 17th century, artworks from the Islamic world had entered the royal collections for the first time. Over the subsequent two centuries, these artistic treasures not only accompanied the birth of the Louvre but also witnessed numerous pivotal moments in French and global history.

In 1793, the Louvre officially opened as the Muséum Central des Arts. By the late 19th century,  culture and art from the Orient were becoming increasingly fashionable in Paris. It was during this period that rooms dedicated to Islamic art were first mentioned in the Louvre’s archives. Throughout the following century, these artworks were transferred between different departments and locations amidst historical upheavals. Despite the two world wars, the collection in this category continued to be expanded and refined through the efforts of people from various fields. Many experts, collectors and enthusiasts had made significant contributions to the Louvre's research on these works. Key figures included the Louvre’s curator and pioneer of Islamic art studies in France, Gaston Migeon, as well as the collector Madame Delort de Gléon, among others. Through donations, acquisitions, exhibitions, research, and else, the Louvre played a major role in advancing the establishment of Islamic art as an independent academic discipline in the West.

In 2003, the French Ministry of Culture decreed the formal establishment of the Department of Islamic Art, making it the Louvre's eighth curatorial department and the fifteenth within the French National Museums. In the same year, a deposit from the Musée des Arts Décoratifs added 3,500 works to the Louvre’s extensive holdings. Then president Jacques Chirac officially announced the creation of a new space dedicated to these collections. The establishment of this new department embodies the foresight and dedication of numerous experts, patrons and collectors in the field. Its independence also represents a powerful symbol of the recognition of these collections as part of the French national heritage. The Louvre designed and constructed a new space specifically for the department within Cour Visconti, which opened officially in 2012. As the first collaborative project between MAP and the Louvre, The Wonder of Patterns will be a once-in-a-lifetime presentation of the outcomes of over two centuries of collection and research by the Louvre.

French Scenographer in Charge of MAP's Orsay Exhibition Returns to Create Immersive Atmosphere

Differentiating from the Louvre's own galleries, the upcoming exhibition at MAP will emphasize India, Iran, and the Ottoman worlds’ artistic splendor in a more comprehensive way. The Wonder of Patterns is once again designed by the renowned French scenographer Cécile Degos, who had designed for the Musée d'Orsay exhibition Paths to Modernity held at MAP. The exhibition’s identity and originality lie precisely in this scenographic conception, which shapes the visitor experience resonating well beyond the space itself.

Cécile Degos places the audience at the heart of the Indian, Iranian and Ottoman worlds, never imposing a décor that would overshadow the works, but instead offering an immersive experience within each universe. The spaciousness of MAP’s exhibition halls makes it essential to recreate more intimate, rhythmically structured scales for many of the precious and exquisite exhibits, such as jade, ceramics and manuscripts.This scenography, entirely developed for this project, unfolds as a sequence of “architectures within the architecture”: colors, forms and spatial rhythms are carefully orchestrated to guide the gaze and shape perception, without ever tipping into historical pastiche.

The three constellations gradually unfold within a coloured environment inspired by its architectures, materials and light, creating a sensitive immersion in each cultural world while revealing the circulation of motifs and influences between them. The two period rooms recreate a corner of the Ottoman Empire's court and affluent residences in an almost original state, providing visitors with an immersive viewing experience.

With a professional background as scenic designer for theatre and opera, Cécile Degos has infused the exhibition with a true dramaturgy of the visitor’s journey: thresholds, framings, and variations in height and tempo orchestrate a progressive encounter with the works, like a succession of entries onto a stage. The exhibition design maintains a subtle balance with the works without overshadowing them. The objects themselves, through their materials and motifs, quietly tell the countless historical connections among these cultures.

This exhibition marks MAP's collaboration with another world-leading museum, following previous partnerships with renowned institutions such as Tate and Musée d'Orsay. The Wonder of Patterns reflects MAP's commitment to diverse narratives in global art and its expanding artistic vision—by focusing on the splendid civilizations and artistic achievements of different regions, it continually constructs a richer and more multifaceted panorama of global art for its audience.

The exhibition The Wonder of Patterns: Masterpieces from India, Iran and the Ottoman World from the Musée du Louvre was organised by the Musée du Louvre and Museum of Art Pudong, produced by Shanghai Lujiazui Development (Group) Company Limited, with the exceptional participation of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris.

Sponsors

The Wonder of Patterns: Masterpieces from India, Iran and the Ottoman World from the Musée du Louvre is supported by the exhibition's Premier Sponsor, Range Rover, with wall paint provided by Nippon Paint China.

About MAP

Located at the heart of Xiao Lujiazui, Museum of Art Pudong (MAP) broke ground on September 26, 2017 and opened to the public in July, 2021.

Invested, built, and managed by the Lujiazui Group and designed by Ateliers Jean Nouvel (AJN), MAP is primarily set out to present world-class exhibitions to its audience as well as showcasing domestic artists. The four major functions of MAP include: to hold exhibitions, to promote art education, to develop cultural merchandise, and to advocate for international exchange. MAP aims to become a new cultural landmark of Shanghai and an important platform for international cultural exchange.

About Musée du Louvre

Open to all since 1793, the Musée du Louvre is one of the first museums in the world. Born of the French Revolution and heir to the great royal collections, this former palace of the kings of France has always lived and evolved alongside national – and global – history.

Today, the Louvre is one of the leading players on the international museum scene, with its 30,000 works of art displayed across 70,000 square metres, including masterpieces like the Mona Lisa, the Winged Victory of Samothrace, the Seated Scribe and the Venus de Milo. It holds collections that tell the history of cross-cultural exchange spanning from antiquity to the 19th century, from Asia to the Americas, showcasing a human narrative that continuously built upon dialogue and connection.

The Louvre is a museum with a universal vocation, a place where cultures and civilisations come together, where past and present interact. It is the place where all kinds of arts and all forms of expression manifest in today’s world – a place to better grasp the very aspirations of humanity.