Sherin Guirguis

Wonders of Creation explores intersections of art and science in Islamic intellectual and visual culture from the 8th century to the present day, using the lens of “wonder” as defined by a celebrated 13th-century Islamic cosmography, an influential text describing the wonders of the universe. Written in Arabic and Persian by the scholar Zakariyya ibn Muhammad al-Qazwini (d. 1283), The Wonders of Creation and Rarities of Existence catalogues the marvels of the universe in a single, richly illustrated book. The text contains anecdotes about the wondrous qualities of the natural world and its inhabitants, all created by God. Beginning with the stars and heavens, it then travels across the earth to conclude with humanity and its crafts and traditions.

Using wonder as the vehicle to explore Islamic culture, Wonders of Creation illuminates the extraordinary global impact of science and artistic production from the Islamic world while introducing new audiences to its diverse geographies and multifaceted visual cultures. Over 200 works, including illustrated manuscripts and paintings, maps, scientific instruments, magic bowls, luster dishes, architectural elements, and contemporary art, will evoke sentiments of wonder through a visual journey inspired by Qazwini’s text. As an encyclopedic cosmography, Qazwini’s text is, simply put, a description of the universe; in the exhibition, it serves as a framework carrying the reader through the orbits of the cosmos from the heavens to the earth.

The exhibition begins with an introduction to the original text and its impact. Three major sections on the celestial and terrestrial spheres and humankind examine topics such as astronomy, astrology, natural history, mineralogy, alchemy, medicine, geometry, and architecture through objects from Spain, North Africa, and the Middle East to Central, South, and Southeast Asia and the modern diaspora.