Louvre Abu Dhabi launches Spices and Wonders exhibition on Indian Ocean trade
Exhibition Overview
Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, inaugurated the exhibition Spices and Wonders: Journeys Through the Indian Ocean at Louvre Abu Dhabi. The show, organised in partnership with France’s Musée National des Arts Asiatiques – Guimet, runs from 14 October 2026 to 14 February 2027. It presents more than 240 artworks and historical objects that trace a millennium of trade, exploration and cultural exchange across the Indian Ocean, from antiquity to the seventeenth century. The narrative follows the evolution of long‑distance navigation, highlighting the role of UAE coastal communities within these ancient networks and their links with merchants, seafarers and cultures stretching from Africa to Southeast Asia and Europe.
Curatorial Insights and Sections
The exhibition is curated by Dr Guilhem André, Director of Curatorial Affairs, Collection Management and Scientific Research at Louvre Abu Dhabi, and Dr Claire Delery, Curator of the Chinese Ceramics Collection at Musée National des Arts Asiatiques – Guimet in France. They are assisted by Fakhra Al Kindi and Dr Andrea Rosavolgi from the Louvre Abu Dhabi team. Dr Guilhem André said: “Spices and Wonders embodies the essence of Louvre Abu Dhabi’s mission to highlight the stories that connect cultures. “This exhibition is the result of a close partnership with the Musée Guimet. It shines a light on the Indian Ocean as one of history’s most significant arenas for commercial and cultural exchange, while highlighting the important historical role played by the Arabian Peninsula and the UAE within these networks. “From the UAE’s coastlines and ports, people, goods and ideas travelled across the Indian Ocean, helping connect communities in Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, South Asia, Southeast Asia and beyond. “This inspiring narrative holds particular significance for our region and offers an opportunity to explore the deep‑rooted connections that have linked the UAE with the wider Indian Ocean world.” Dr Claire Delery added: “This exhibition highlights the pioneering role of Arab seafarers in navigating the open‑sea routes between the Arabian Peninsula and India. “Voyages along these routes relied on a sophisticated understanding of monsoon wind cycles, which guided navigation across the Indian Ocean, as well as the ability to use the stars to determine ships’ positions and calculate latitude. “For centuries, seafarers from the Arabian Gulf were at the forefront of Indian Ocean trade, including some of the most renowned innovators in celestial navigation, such as Ibn Majid, who was born in Ras Al Khaimah in the 15th century.”
The show is organised into six thematic sections that begin with early commercial and cultural exchanges in the UAE and Arabian Gulf and end with a contemporary view of the Indian Ocean as a vibrant, interconnected system. It opens with a short film by Emirati poet, visual artist and filmmaker Nujoom Al Ghanem, which uses archival imagery and storytelling to explore the UAE’s maritime heritage, pearl‑diving traditions and trading links with the Indian Ocean. The film is complemented by a display of precious pearls and a jewellery set inspired by Al Murtasha, a traditional adornment linked to the UAE’s pearl‑diving heritage, presented by Al Fardan Fine Jewellery to showcase the craftsmanship and cultural legacy of the pearl trade. The first section, The Origins of Indian Ocean Trade Routes, examines the beginnings of these networks in antiquity, tracing the movement of plants, precious stones and pearls as well as exchanges between the Mediterranean, the Arabian Gulf and India. The second section, Crossing the Indian Ocean, features historical maps, voyage accounts, explorer stories and the arrival of new powers; it also displays a manuscript by the fifteenth‑century Arab navigator Ibn Majid, associated with Ras Al Khaimah, on loan from the National Library of France. The third section, Ships and Cargoes, presents six large‑scale ship models representing different periods from the Middle Ages to the early modern era, inspired by historical shipwrecks, together with interactive elements and videos that recount ocean navigation and the knowledge linked to sailing across the Indian Ocean. The fourth section, Spices and Precious Commodities of the Indian Ocean, looks at the export of gold, jewellery, perfumes and manufactured goods and analyses how imported materials were transformed and repurposed; it includes a multisensory olfactory experience created with Givaudan that offers six raw fragrance materials and three perfume compositions based on historical recipes from the Arab world during the Ottoman era, China and India, with frankincense among the featured ingredients. The fifth section, Peoples of the Indian Ocean: Worlds in Dialogue, investigates the role of local communities in trading networks and their influence on customs, practices and everyday life. The sixth section, An Ocean of Beliefs and Wisdom, explores the spread and exchange of religions, artistic traditions, musical traditions and sounds along these maritime routes. The exhibition concludes with an immersive installation by musician and composer Sam Nester that combines sound and video to reimagine listening through the ecological networks of the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Gulf. Across the show, six multimedia experiences blend sound, imagery and fragrance to provide a layered sensory journey that brings the history of the Indian Ocean to life.
Loans, Support and Public Engagement
Exceptional works are on loan from 24 international institutions spanning seven countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council, Southeast Asia and Europe, with a particularly strong contribution from organisations throughout the Arabian Gulf. Highlights include an Indian dagger and scabbard dated circa 1615–1620 from the al‑Sabah Collection at Kuwait’s Dar al‑Athar al‑Islamiyyah; an Egyptian Mamluk incense burner from 1294–1340 loaned by the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, Qatar; and an Indian palampore, a large printed cotton textile from circa 1700–1725. Further highlights are a statue of Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara from southern Vietnam dating from the second half of the seventh to the early eighth century, and a German De Bure terrestrial globe from circa 1535; the textile and statue come from the Musée Guimet in France, while the globe is provided by the National Library of France. Louvre Abu Dhabi contributes the largest number of objects from its own collection to an exhibition since the museum opened, including the Flat Map of the World by Vesconte Maggiolo (Genoa, Italy, circa 1531), a World Map in the Namban screen style from Japan (circa 1690), a Gem‑Studded Carved Ivory Casket from Kotte, Ceylon (circa 1543), and the lacquered screen Dutch Tribute and the Western Lake from China (dated between 1644 and 1912). The show receives support from Al Fardan Fine Jewellery, which underscores the UAE’s pearl‑diving heritage and the associated craftsmanship, and the company has also loaned pieces from its collection for the exhibition. Additional backing comes from Winton Capital Management.
Alongside the exhibition, Louvre Abu Dhabi offers a comprehensive cultural and educational programme for families, teenagers and children. This includes a dedicated children’s trail with engaging questions and information to help younger visitors explore the displays, a discussion with the exhibition’s curators, and a separate conversation with two contemporary artists participating in the show, both scheduled for 13 October. The programme also features a performance by the UAE National Orchestra on 15 November, accompanied by film screenings. The museum’s regular initiatives – Family Weekends, Drawing at the Museum and Sketch and Talk – will incorporate sessions devoted to the exhibition, complemented by specially designed guided tours. A trilingual exhibition catalogue will be available for purchase at the museum shop. Finally, a second edition of the travelling exhibition is set to be presented at the Musée Guimet in France from 12 May to 6 September 2027.
