24 June 2026 — 6 December 2026

Affinities: Islamic Art Wonders in the Department of Decorative Arts

Affinities are bonds of kinship and closeness – an apt word for the relationship between the Louvre’s Department of Islamic Art and its Department of Decorative Arts. Islamic works of art have circulated between East and West since the Middle Ages, and their techniques and ornament inspired European decorative arts. For more than a century Islamic art was in fact displayed within the Department of Decorative Arts, a dialogue the exhibition now revives through three themes: light, colour and sculpture. Inviting visitors to wander through the decorative arts galleries, “Affinities” tells a story of great technical and aesthetic innovation in the Islamic world and of the fascination it aroused in Europe and in French collections. Some 50 objects from the Department of Islamic Art, in a wide range of materials, dating from the 9th to the 17th century and coming from every region of the Islamic world, reveal the enchantment of materials and the wonder these objects inspired. They are bound up with marvels – ‘aja’ib in Arabic, a term for the wonders of nature and of the visual arts. The exhibition takes place while the Department of Islamic Art is closed for refurbishment, giving the public continued access to some of the most important pieces in the collection. Curated by Annabelle Collinet, Researcher and Collection Manager, Department of Islamic Art, and Philippe Malgouyres, Senior Heritage Curator, Department of Decorative Arts.

Musée du Louvre