In celebration of the deep-rooted and unique relationship that Qatar shares with Kuwait, Qatar Museums is proud to present Splendours of the Ancient East: Antiquities from The al-Sabah Collection. The exhibition that will feature around 170 objects, grew out of the wish of Sheikh Nasser Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah and Sheikha Hussa Sabah al-Salem al-Sabah to share a selection of artefacts made to celebrate the ingenious creativity of artists from the Ancient Near East.

For the Islamic art historian, the material culture of the region in the centuries before Islam is a revelation, dismissing the notion that the origins of Islamic art only lie in the classical world of the Roman and Sasanian empires. When looking at the history of art in the region, a continuity of certain themes can be observed, including the stylisation of animal motifs, a taste for carved hardstones and the influence of the nomadic tribes from central Asia. Treasures such as these remain hallmarks of Islamic Art even to the present day.