Prince Charles, a fan of Islamic art, visited the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, Qatar, last year.
Photo: Osama Faisal via AP Photo
The Prince of Wales attended a meeting at the Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, the Smithsonian’s museums of Asian art, to discuss an upcoming exhibition in March 2016.
The exhibition is organized by the non-profit organization Turquoise Mountain—of which Prince Charles is founder—which aims to rebuild Kabul’s historic old city and supports the country’s arts.
The Prince of Wales, a big fan of Islamic art, met with museum director and Islamic art scholar Julian Raby, Turquoise Mountain CEO Shoshana Stewart, and other officials involved with the upcoming exhibition.
The show will showcase Afghan art, as well as traditional Afghan jewellery, calligraphy, and ceramics. Craftsmen from Murad Khani will also be present at the opening to discuss the unique facets of Afghan culture with visitors.
“I am thrilled to welcome His Royal Highness to the museum to help us envision how we can best tell Turquoise Mountain’s powerful stories of art and transformation,” said Raby in a statement. “The artisans of Turquoise Mountain are bringing vibrant life to the endangered cultural heritage of millennia. They bring hope in place of tumult.”
“The history, culture, and skill that exist in Afghanistan today are incredible resources and immense source of pride, ” Stewart added. “We are happy that visitors in Washington will be able to see that firsthand.”
Prince Charles is a well known art lover and regularly uses his influence to support a wide variety of cultural projects (see Prince Charles Saves English Arts Landmark and Prince Charles’ Drawing School Gets Upgraded to Royal Status).