Overview

This catalogue accompanies Spices and Wonders: Sailing the Indian Ocean, organised by Louvre Abu Dhabi in partnership with The Guimet – National Museum of Asian Arts, France.
For centuries, the Indian Ocean linked the ancient societies of Africa, the Middle East and Europe to South and Southeast Asia. The exhibition runs from Antiquity to the 17th century and looks at centuries of trade, movement and cultural exchange through spices, textiles, ceramics and other cargoes that crossed the ocean. It brings together more than 250 works from 28 lenders, including shipwreck cargoes, early maps, navigation instruments and six ship models recreated for the exhibition. It gives central place to the peoples of the Arab world and the Gulf, whose sailors shaped these routes.
The exhibition is curated by Dr. Guilhem André, Director of Scientific, Curatorial and Collections Management at Louvre Abu Dhabi, and Dr. Claire Déléry, Curator of the Chinese Ceramics collection at The Guimet in Paris.
Exhibition opens at Louvre Abu Dhabi from 14 October 2026 to 14 February 2027, followed by a second edition at The Guimet from 12 May to 6 September 2027.

Technical Details

Publication Date:

Tuesday, October 6, 2026

Language:

English, Arabic, French

Format:

Hardcover

Dimensions:

21 x 27 cm

ISBN:

978-614-8065-21-7

Number of Pages:

224

Publisher:

Kaph Books