A Falcons Eye: Tribute to Sheikh Saoud Al Thani

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A tribute to HE Sheikh Saoud bin Mohamed bin Ali Al Thani, who was so influential in the constitution of collections for Qatar Museums and the state of Qatar.

Following the 10-year anniversary celebrations of the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA), A Falcon's Eye is a timely exhibition that honours the work and legacy of HE Sheikh Saoud bin Mohamed bin Ali Al Thani. A Falcon's Eye is named for Saoud's discerning eye, but this catalogue also sheds light on his character; and his exquisite and eclectic taste. As an art connoisseur and collector, he was always on the move, identifying and purchasing the rarest treasures of the highest quality. Many of these objects are displayed in the galleries of MIA's permanent collection. Saoud was a collector, who knew how to spot - and then seize - rare opportunities that would never come again.

The book introduces Sheikh Saoud as the passionate visionary who laid the foundation of the collections at Qatar Museums; it unveils his far-reaching interests which include the natural sciences, antiquities, gems and jewels, paintings, decorative arts and photography. All objects are masterworks and a tribute to the exquisite taste and great knowledge of one of the most distinguished art connoisseurs of the modern world.

Author Bio

Hubert Bari has a doctorate in mineralogy and was an associate professor at the Natural History Museum in Paris. He organised many exhibitions in Europe. Curator and director of collections at Qatar Museums since 2002, he organised an exhibition on pearls in 2010 at the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA), which then travelled worldwide until 2018.

Mounia Chekhab-Abudaya, PhD in Islamic art history and archaeology at the Pantheon Sorbonne University in Paris, is the curator for North Africa and Iberia at MIA, where has curated several exhibitions including Hajj. The Journey through Art(2013-2014) in collaboration with the British Museum, Building Our Collection: Ceramics of Al Andalus (2014), Qajar Women (2015), The Hunt (2016) and Imperial Threads (2017).