Renovated Wing at the KMKG

Thought I would just post this picture of the newly renovated Art from the Islamic World wing of the Royal Museum of Art and History in Brussels. It was taken with the camera in my phone, so not of the best quality. A small but impressive selection of some 300 artefacts (tip of the iceberg, the KMKG has an important collection, a lot from bequests) are displayed. The interior decoration gets its inspiration from islamic architecture. In front of the fourteen windows that border on the Jubelpark there is a big mashrabiyya. It is used in the East to prevent the warmth and the sun from entering the buildings but still provide some ventilation. The textile exhibits are entombed in sumptuous sarcophagi-esque display cases. One minor point here, some of them are so high (waist high), some disabled visitors will not be able to see. One of the top pieces is the earliest know piece of velvet with çintamani-pattern in the world.
The permanent exhibits are grouped per big period, there are some interactive screens with clear information for each section on architecture and period history. Flash presentation can be found here. At the end of the room there is a reconstruction of the front of a mosque with some original elements of beautiful wood carvings. There is an audio guide available. I'll be back there some time next week, I hope to bring my camera and make some more snaps. Right. I'll get on with my studying, have an exam on Art of the Islamic World on Monday.