Luxury for Export:
Artistic Exchange between India and Portugal around 1600
February 8 – May 4, 2008

EXPLORE THE EXHIBITION

In the early 1500s the Portuguese established trading ports throughout the Indian Ocean, initiating an extensive commercial network that soon stretched throughout Asia. Portuguese traders returned to Europe with luxury objects of superb artistry, often fashioned from exotic materials. In turn, European works of art were eagerly sought by the Mughal emperors who ruled much of the Indian Subcontinent by 1600. The precious objects in this exhibition - made of ivory, mother-of-pearl, crystal, gold, and gemstones - vividly illustrate this dynamic exchange.

The centerpiece of the exhibition is a rare silk embroidery made in Bengal specifically for export to Portugal. Unique in imagery, the textile depicts a triumphal arch surrounded by a myriad of birds, beasts, and humans, making it one of the richest and most fascinating products of trade between India and the West in the 17th century.

Curated by Pedro Moura Carvalho.

Luxury for Export is made possible by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

Luxury for Export Programs
Exhibition programs offer more ways to engage in art and ideas at the Gardner. Explore exhibition themes with leading scholars, attend a contemporary performance, participate in a conversation about East-West themes in literature and art, or bring the family for Day of Discovery.
Exhibition programs — dates, times, tickets

Introduction to the Exhibition
Pedro Moura Carvalho and Alan Chong
Saturday, February 9, 1:30pm

Jazz at the Gardner
Rudresh Mahanthappa Quartet
Thursday, February 21, 7pm

Study Day
Pedro Moura Carvalho, exhibiton curator
William R. Sargent, Peabody Essex Museum
Milo Cleveland Beach, Freer Gallery of Art
Jorge M. Flores, Brown University
Saturday, March 1, 1:30-5:30pm

Day of Discovery
Tara Ahmed
Triveni School of Dance
Serra Yilmaz
Weaving Tales
Saturday, March 15, 11:30-4pm

Conversations
Bharati Mukherjee and Michael Downing
A Fantastically Embroidered Life
Thursday, March 27, 6:30pm

Conversations
Vishakha Desai
India’s Role in the World
Thursday, April 10, 6:30pm

Artist Performance
Gcina Mhlophe
Traveling in Time
Thursday, April 24, 6:30pm