In a landmark partnership with the Musee du Louvre in Paris, Singapore's Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM) presents Crosscurrents: Masterpieces Of Mughal, Safavid And Ottoman Art from June 19 to Jan 24, 2027, showcasing exceptional works from three of history's most influential Islamic empires.
In a statement, ACM said the exhibition features 100 masterpieces from the Louvre's Islamic art collection alongside 30 works from ACM.
"Taking the Safavid, Ottoman and Mughal worlds as its focus, it examines the cosmopolitan world that connected Istanbul, Isfahan, Delhi and the South-East Asian region through all kinds of currents – whether commercial, diplomatic, migratory, or artistic," said Christophe Leribault, president-director of the Musee du Louvre.
"These shared histories are embodied in the remarkable diversity of the objects on display, many of which are exhibited here for the first time in Singapore. I am thrilled that this project launches a strong partnership between our two institutions, united by a shared commitment to understanding art as a universal dialogue," he added.
Across empires and eras
Spanning ACM's Levels 2 and 3, the exhibition traces artistic exchanges shaped by trade, diplomacy and cultural connections across Mughal India, Safavid Iran, the Ottoman world and South-East Asia, highlighting how artistic traditions evolved across regions and eras.
Clement Onn, ACM and Peranakan Museum director, said the partnership with the Louvre brings some of the world’s finest works of Islamic art to the region.
"By placing these works in conversation with objects from ACM’s own collection, the exhibition highlights the artistic and cultural connections that have linked South-East Asia with the wider Islamic world over many centuries.
"It also brings South-East Asia more clearly into view within this larger story, showing the region’s important place in the trade, diplomatic, and cultural networks that connected Asia across vast distances," he said.
According to ACM, the exhibition presents art collections between the 16th and 18th centuries by the Mughal, Safavid, and Ottoman empires, which emerged as major artistic and cultural centres.
Artists across these empires blended influences from China to Europe, creating distinctive visual languages that produced some of the finest works of Islamic art.
"Among these masterpieces is an Ottoman jade cup from the royal collection of Louis XIV, which was displayed at the Palace of Versailles before entering the Louvre in 1796," it said.
