The Islamic World: A history in objects Venetia Porter
Event details
British Museum curator Venetia Porter offers a fresh approach to the history of the Islamic world from its origins to the present day through a wide variety of objects.
From pre-Islamic works that provided a foundation for the arts of Islam to masterpieces produced under the great empires and objects that continue to be made today, Venetia will trace the development of civilisations at the forefront of philosophical and scientific ideas, artistic and literary developments, and technological innovations, exploring a wealth of cultural treasures along the way.
Find out how objects, including architectural decoration, ceramics, jewellery, metalwork, illustrated manuscripts, and modern and contemporary art, shed new light on the Islamic world both past and present.
Come along and meet Venetia, one of the authors of The Islamic World: A history in objects, and learn more about one of the most influential and diverse cultures of the world.
About the speaker
Dr Venetia Porter is a curator of the collections of Islamic and Contemporary Middle Eastern art at the British Museum and the lead curator for the Albukhary Foundation Galleries of the Islamic World project. Venetia studied Arabic and Islamic art at the University of Oxford and her PhD from the University of Durham is on the medieval history and architecture of Yemen. She researches and publishes on a range of topics from Islamic tiles, amulets and seals to contemporary art. In 2012 she curated the exhibition Hajj: journey to the heart of Islam.