For more than a thousand years, the Indian Ocean has connected continents, carried precious goods and transformed cultures. The lands that now form the UAE have long been a strategic part of these networks, connecting the Arabian Peninsula with the wider Indian Ocean world through extensive routes of trade, seafaring and cultural exchange. Open to the public from 14 October 2026 to 14 February 2027, Louvre Abu Dhabi invites visitors to rediscover this extraordinary maritime world through Spices and Wonders: Sailing the Indian Ocean, an exhibition organised in partnership with the Guimet – National Museum of Asian Arts, France, tracing ten centuries of trade, exploration and cultural exchange across the Indian Ocean from Antiquity to the 17th century.
© Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi
The exhibition also traces the development of long-distance navigation across the Indian Ocean, highlighting the role of the UAE’s coastal communities in these centuries-old networks and their connections with traders, sailors and cultures across the region. Through more than 240 artworks, including textiles, metal objects, ceramics, sculptures and navigational instruments, visitors will discover the treasures accumulated along these routes and the rich material and immaterial exchanges that shaped the world we know today.
Spices and Wonders is curated by Dr. Guilhem André, Director of Scientific, Curatorial and Collections Management at Louvre Abu Dhabi, and Dr. Claire Déléry, Curator of the Chinese Ceramics collection at the Guimet – National Museum of Asian Arts, France, with the assistance of Fakhera Alkindi and Dr. Andrea Rózsavölgyi at Louvre Abu Dhabi.
Dr. Guilhem André, Director of Scientific, Curatorial and Collections Management at Louvre Abu Dhabi and exhibition curator, said: “Spices and Wonders: Sailing the Indian Ocean reflects the very essence of Louvre Abu Dhabi’s mission: to reveal the stories that connect cultures. Developed in close partnership with the Guimet museum, the exhibition explores the Indian Ocean as one of history’s greatest spaces of exchange, while highlighting the important role of the Arabian Peninsula and the UAE’s territory within these networks. From the UAE’s coastline and ports, peoples, goods and ideas travelled across the Indian Ocean, connecting communities across Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, South and Southeast Asia and beyond. For Louvre Abu Dhabi, this is a narrative that resonates deeply with our region and offers an opportunity to explore the UAE’s longstanding connections with the wider Indian Ocean world.”
The exhibition unfolds across six thematic sections, tracing a journey from early UAE and Gulfexchanges to a contemporary reflection on the ocean as a living ecosystem. It opens with an evocative short film by Emirati poet, visual artist and award-winning director Nujoom Alghanem, using archival imagery and sensory storytelling to highlight the UAE and Gulf’s longstanding connection to the Indian Ocean through their maritime heritage, pearling traditions and trade networks. These traditions are further brought to life through precious pearls and a jewellery set by Al Fardan Fine Jewellery inspired by the Murtasha, a traditional Emirati adornment associated with the UAE’s pearling heritage, reflecting the craftsmanship and cultural traditions that developed around the pearl trade.
The first section highlights the Origins of the Indian Ocean Trade Routes in antiquity, exploring the movement of plants, precious stones and pearls, and exchanges between the Mediterranean Sea, the Gulf and India. The second section, Crossing the Indian Ocean, features ancient maps, voyages into the unknown, explorers and the arrival of new actors in the Indian Ocean. Visitors will also discover a manuscript by Ibn Majid, the celebrated 15th-century navigator from Ras Al Khaimah whose writings helped preserve maritime knowledge and record routes across the Indian Ocean, on loan from the Bibliothèque nationale de France.
Six large-scale ship models anchor the third section, Ships and Cargoes, spanning medieval and early modern vessels to historic shipwrecks, paired with interactive and film elements on navigation and seafaring knowledge.
The fourth section, Precious Spices and Goods of the Indian Ocean, focuses on the export of precious raw materials (gold, jewellery and perfumes), manufactured goods, and the transformation of exogenous materials. Visitors will also discover a unique olfactory installation developed in partnership with Givaudan, a global leader in fine fragrances, bringing maritime exchanges to life through six raw scents and three blends based on historic perfume recipes inspired by the Arab-Ottoman World, China, and India. Among the scents featured is frankincense, a fragrant aromatic resin traditionally sourced from the Arabian Peninsula.
The fifth section, People of the Indian Ocean: worlds in dialogue, explores the role of local populations in trade networks and their influence on practices, customs and their everyday life. The sixth section, An Ocean of Beliefs and Wisdom, examines the circulation of religions and artistic traditions, complemented by sound and music transferred through these routes.
Spices and Wonders culminates in an immersive sound-and-video installation by musician and composer Sam Nester, reimagining embodied listening through the ecological networks of the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Gulf.
Across the exhibition, six multimedia experiences create a layered sensory journey through sight, sound and scent, encouraging visitors to engage with and discover the Indian Ocean in an immersive way.
Dr. Claire Déléry, Curator of the Chinese Ceramics collection at the Guimet – National Museum of Asian Arts, France and exhibition curator, added: “This exhibition highlights the major, pioneering role played by Arab sailors in utilising the direct open-sea route connecting the Arabian Peninsula and India. This maritime route relied on a precise understanding of the monsoon wind cycles that drive the Indian Ocean, as well as the use of stars to set a course and calculate a ship’s latitude. For centuries, sailors from the Gulf were the leading figures in Indian Ocean trade; among them were renowned theorists of celestial navigation, such as Ibn Majid, who was born in Ras al-Khaimah in the 15th century.”
The exhibition features exceptional works from 24 international lenders across seven countries in the GCC, Southeast Asia and Europe, with a strong representation from institutions across the Gulf. Highlights include a Dagger and scabbard (India, c. 1615–20), on loan from The Al-Sabah Collection, Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyya, Kuwait; and an Incense burner from the Mamluk Sultanate (Egypt, 1294–1340) on loan from the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, Qatar; Palampore, a large printed cotton textile (India, c. 1700 – 1725) and Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara (Southern Vietnam, Tan Long, second half of the 7th century to early 8th century), both on loan from the Guimet, France; and a Globe known as ‘De Bure’ (Germany, c. 1535) on loan from the Bibliothèque nationale de France.
The exhibition also marks Louvre Abu Dhabi’s largest contribution of artworks from its own collection since its opening. Highlights include Planisphere by Vesconte Maggiolo (Italy, Genoa, c. 1531); Map of the World, a folding screen in the namban style (Japan c. 1690); Carved Ivory Jewelled Casket (Kotte, Ceylon, c. 1543); and The Dutch Tribute and West Lake lacquer screen (China 1644 – 1912). In addition, Spices and Wonders is supported by Al Fardan Fine Jewellery, whose contribution to the exhibition reflects the UAE’s longstanding heritage of pearling and jewellery craftsmanship, and which has also lent works from its collection. The exhibition is also supported by Winton Capital Management.
Alongside the exhibition, Louvre Abu Dhabi will present a rich cultural and educational programme for adults, families and young people, designed to deepen visitors’ engagement with the works on display. Highlights include a specially designed children’s trail enabling young visitors to discover the exhibition through questions and fun facts; a curator talk and an artist talk on 13 October; a performance by the UAE National Orchestra on 15 November and film screenings. The museum’s ongoing programmes, including Family Weekend, Drawing at the Museum and Book an Easel, will feature sessions dedicated to the exhibition, alongside specially curated guided tours. A trilingual exhibition catalogue will also be available for purchase at the museum boutique.
Looking ahead, a second edition of this touring exhibition will be presented at the Guimet, France from 12 May to 6 September 2027.
About Louvre Abu Dhabi
Created by an exceptional agreement between the governments of Abu Dhabi and France, Louvre Abu Dhabi was designed by Jean Nouvel and opened on Saadiyat Island in November 2017. The museum is inspired by traditional Islamic architecture and its monumental dome creates a rain of light effect and a unique social space that brings people together.
Louvre Abu Dhabi celebrates the universal creativity of mankind and invites audiences to see humanity in a new light. Through its innovative curatorial approach, the museum focuses on building understanding across cultures: through stories of human creativity that transcend civilisations, geographies, and times.
The museum’s growing collection is unparalleled in the region and spans thousands of years of human history, including prehistoric tools, artefacts, religious texts, iconic paintings, and contemporary artworks. The permanent collection is supplemented by rotating loans from 19 French partner institutions, regional and international museums.
Louvre Abu Dhabi is a testing ground for new ideas in a globalised world and champions new generations of cultural leaders. Its international exhibitions, programming and Children’s Museum are inclusive platforms that connect communities and offer enjoyment for all.
About The Guimet – National Museum of Asian Arts, France
Founded in 1889, the Guimet houses the world’s most comprehensive collection of Asian arts, and the largest in Europe. With over 60,000 works spanning 7,000 years of history, its prestigious collections extend from Afghanistan to Japan, via India, China, Korea and South-East Asia. With paintings, sculptures, porcelain, prints, textiles, photographs, furniture and precious objects, the Guimet invites visitors on an extraordinary journey across Asia to discover its cultures, religions and schools of thought.
The Guimet – National Museum of Asian Arts, France, comprises three sites in Paris’s 16th arrondissement. The historic building on Place d’Iéna features 5,500 m² of permanent exhibition spaces, a splendid historic library, a 276-seat auditorium hosting a rich programme of concerts, films, performances, lectures and literary events, a restaurant and a panoramic terrace. Each year, the museum presents four to five temporary exhibitions, regular rotations within its permanent collections, and interventions by contemporary artists.
Located just a stone’s throw from the museum, Maison Guimet houses part of the collection of Chinese imperial furniture and a selection of works dedicated to the art of tea in Asia. By 2030, the site will undergo a major transformation to become Villa Guimet, an International Centre for Research on Asian Arts.
The third venue, the Hôtel d’Ennery, invites visitors on a journey through a 19th-century cabinet of art and curiosities. Thanks to a public-private partnership, it will house by 2028 the largest collection dedicated to Japan and Japonism in Europe.
About The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi
The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) drives the sustainable growth of Abu Dhabi’s culture and tourism sectors and its creative industries, fuelling economic progress and helping to achieve Abu Dhabi’s wider global ambitions.
By working in partnership with the organisations that define the emirate’s position as a leading international destination, DCT Abu Dhabi strives to unite the ecosystem around a shared vision of the emirate’s potential, coordinate effort and investment, deliver innovative solutions, and use the best tools, policies and systems to support the culture and tourism industries.
DCT Abu Dhabi’s vision is defined by the emirate’s people, heritage and landscape. We work to enhance Abu Dhabi’s status as a place of authenticity, innovation, and unparalleled experiences, represented by its living traditions of hospitality, pioneering initiatives and creative thought.
For more information about the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi and the destination, please visit dct.gov.ae and visitabudhabi.ae/.
