Introduction

Almost a century ago, Gaston Migeon – curator of the Decorative Arts Department at the Louvre – dreamed that Islamic art would one day be consecrated within the prestigious Paris museum. His dream will finally come true in 2010, when the Islamic art collections of the Louvre and the UCAD (Museum of Decorative Arts) will be united at the very heart of the Musée du Louvre in a new two-story wing designed by architects Rudy Riccioti and Mario Bellini.

This exhibition, which provides an overview of the art of the Mughal, Ottoman, and Safavid empires, is also intended as a tribute to the many collectors, donors, and curators thanks to whom this awe-inspiring collection was painstakingly pieced together over the last 150 years.