Louvre Abu Dhabi has announced the arrival of five unique artefacts on loan from Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History, as part of a historic cultural exchange announced by His Excellency Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi and Chairman of Louvre Abu Dhabi, and Maria Teresa Mercado, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Mexico.
This is the first time these precious pieces have been brought to the region, and they include a ritual mask from Calakmul, a recent Mayan archaeological discovery.
The five artifacts will remain on display at the museum until at least April 2025.
Since its establishment in Abu Dhabi in 2017 as the first world-class museum in the Arab world, the Louvre has become a beacon through which global human creativity is revealed, telling stories of cultural connections across time.
The accomplishment of this mission is supported by the influential international partnerships and constructive relationships that the museum has established with many international institutions through the signing of reciprocal loan agreements that facilitate the display of artifacts and works of art belonging to various historical periods from all over the world.
These distinctive artifacts and artworks serve as ambassadors of different cultures, highlighting the richness of these cultures and highlighting their importance to new audiences. By displaying artworks that have never been displayed in the region before, this initiative aims to enable visitors to gain a deeper understanding of diverse cultures. Through this new collaboration, the initiative’s scope extends to Mexico, reinforcing the museum’s commitment to a global narrative that expands the horizons of cultural communication and contributes to supporting the global appreciation of artistic heritage.
“The mission of culture is to foster mutual understanding and respect between different communities and civilizations around the world,” said His Excellency Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak. “Louvre Abu Dhabi has enabled the emirate’s local community and visitors to explore a range of world-class masterpieces and enrich their knowledge by facilitating ongoing cross-cultural communication and fruitful collaboration with a number of prestigious regional and international institutions. This new partnership will help the museum’s audiences learn about Mexico’s rich and ancient cultures, further strengthening our long-standing relationship with this vibrant country.”
This exhibition is made possible thanks to the efforts of the Mexican Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Culture, through the National Institute of Anthropology and History and the Louvre Abu Dhabi.
“This exhibition can be considered the most important event to promote Mexican culture organized in the UAE since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries,” said Maria Teresa Mercado Pérez, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Mexico.
The five Mexican artifacts on loan to the museum include a colossal head weighing 5,840 kg, carved from a massive block of basalt, and belonging to the Olmec civilization (1200-500 BC) Mexico, State of Veracruz, San Lorenzo-Teotihuacan (1200-900 BC) from the National Museum of Anthropology in Xalapa; University of Veracruz.
The colossal heads represent Olmec rulers who may have held political and religious positions in their time.
These pieces also include a “theatrical” type incense burner, Teotihuacan civilization (100 BC – AD 800); Mexico, Teotihuacan (0 – AD 650), Teotihuacan Archaeological Site, from the National Institute of Anthropology and History.
Incense burners began to be manufactured between 1 and 100 AD, and the incense at that time was made of charcoal and copal, which were abundantly available in Central America.
The third of the five pieces is a stone mask in the shape of a human face (100 BC – 800 AD), Mexico, Teotihuacan (200 – 900 AD), Teotihuacan Archaeological Site, from the National Institute of Anthropology and History, which embodies the features of a traditional human face, and its carving style is associated with the city of Teotihuacan in central Mexico, which is famous for agriculture and fertility. The fourth piece is a ritual mask belonging to the Mayan civilization (600 BC – 1521 AD), Mexico, Campeche, Calakmul Archaeological Site (200 – 600 AD), from the National Institute of Anthropology and History in Campeche, which is a recent archaeological discovery and is being displayed to the public for the first time. Royal burial rituals saw the appearance of such elaborate masks, as well as other objects such as incense burners and vessels. The fifth is a carved column from Chichen Itza, Chichen-Itza, Maya (600 BC – 1521 AD), Mexico, Yucatán, Chichen-Itza (900 – 1200 AD), National Museum of World Cultures, National Institute of Anthropology and History, belonging to the category of Atlantean statues, which are anthropomorphic sculptures; their arms are raised above their heads, and they carry an altar, a bench, or the threshold of a building that is likely a place of worship.
“It is a great honour for us to host these precious artifacts from Mexico at Louvre Abu Dhabi, to shed light on important chapters of Mesoamerican history and introduce it to the people of the region,” said Manuel Rabaté, Director of Louvre Abu Dhabi. “Louvre Abu Dhabi initially focused on artworks loaned from French partners, but has expanded this scope through collaborations with several regional institutions. This collaboration has since expanded to include institutions from across Asia and other regions around the world. These partnerships have enriched Louvre Abu Dhabi’s collection and strengthened its role as a central platform for cultural exchange that celebrates the richness and diversity of human creativity and history.”
In a statement to Emirates News Agency (WAM), Rabate stressed the importance of cooperation between the UAE and Mexico, describing it as “a wonderful cooperation between two countries and two museum systems” that links civilizations from all over the world, noting that this step is the first, indicating more cultural exchange between the two countries in the future.
He added that the process of bringing these artifacts to Abu Dhabi took three years of planning, noting that the coordination of their selection and transportation to Abu Dhabi was carried out with great precision to meet the highest international standards.
Rabate highlighted the role of Louvre Abu Dhabi, as the first universal museum in the Arab world, in providing access to global cultures for the region’s residents and visitors, noting the design of educational programmes to engage visitors of all ages.
“Everyone will have the opportunity to explore these artifacts through lectures, exploratory trips, digital and human interactions,” he said. “The museum will provide multilingual resources in Arabic, English, French and more, to ensure that the Mexican collection reaches a diverse audience. As a global museum, we seek to tell the story of all civilizations and all eras.”
For his part, Juan Manuel Gabriel López, National Coordinator of Museums and Exhibitions at the National Institute of Anthropology and History in Mexico, said that one of the main missions for which the National Institute of Anthropology and History was created 85 years ago was to disseminate Mexico’s rich and diverse cultural heritage, and has dedicated its efforts to preserving it and conducting research related to it.
“The mission and message of the National Institute of Anthropology and History is to use all available opportunities to highlight the diverse cultural fabric that has characterized Mexico in its past and present, because displaying this heritage is also a way to raise awareness of the importance of protecting it,” he added. “It is very wonderful to see five masterpieces now on display at the Louvre Abu Dhabi, as these masterpieces represent some of the cultures that flourished in Central America, and they are works of art that bear witness to the outstanding achievements and worldview of these ancient civilizations, which form part of the Mexican identity.”
He stressed that the success of this new fruitful collaboration is due to the great efforts made by the art collections management team, the museum curators and the scientific research team at Louvre Abu Dhabi, considering that this collaboration is a very important step in strengthening the global narrative framework of Louvre Abu Dhabi, as it contributes to shedding light on Mexico’s rich cultural heritage and enables it to reach the Middle East.
He pointed out that Mexican artifacts and artworks have been displayed in the museum’s permanent exhibition halls since its opening, but this cooperation confirms Louvre Abu Dhabi’s commitment to promoting cultural exchange between civilizations, supporting cultural dialogue, and strengthening the bonds of mutual understanding between the United Arab Emirates and Mexico.
The newly uncovered artifacts will be on display at the museum until at least April 2025, giving visitors a unique opportunity to see these cultural treasures up close and learn about the cultural significance of Mexico’s rich heritage.
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