Oceans That Speak: Islam and the Emergence of the Malay World at the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia

 

Waistcoat with Calligraphy of an inner Kiswah curtain from Mecca
© Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia

 
 

Oceans That Speak

Islam and the Emergence of the Malay World

December 13, 2024 — June 15, 2025

 

For centuries, the Malay world has been a crossroads of cultures. Geography has put it at the centre of trade networks between east and west; the monsoon winds made the region a sanctuary for merchants and mariners, bringers of more than trade cargoes. When Islam arrived in the Malay world, the aesthetic landscape changed forever. Not even European colonization could hold back the tide that came with improved travel and communications between the Muslims of Southeast Asia and the heartlands of South Asia and the Middle East.

Above all was the Spice Route, which traversed the wide expanse of the Indian Ocean and beyond, defining the Malay World's connection with other regions. The ports and harbours scattered throughout the archipelago served as crucial meeting points for trade, offering opportunities to replenish supplies. These were also transits for awaiting the favourable monsoon seasons and trade winds. One of the most important port cities was Melaka, which flourished as a spice emporium. It was a pivotal entrepôt in collecting produce from neighbouring lands, including the Maluku Islands, famously known as the ‘Spice Islands’. The oceans encircling the region have served as an important conduit for travel, trade and migration. Over the centuries, this progression has woven a rich tapestry of cultural adaptations and interactions, shaping a cosmopolitan Malay world.

Oceans that Speak: Islam and the Emergence of the Malay World gives a voice to the heritage of this region, highlighting the ever-growing collection of the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia. The exhibition explores the complex currents of exchange that came with the movement of people, ideas and faith and the artefacts on display are the creative outcome of highly distinctive and often overlooked art from this part of the world.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Exhibition Preview

 

Gold mounted silver-gilt box and cover
Java
Dated 1875 AD/1291 – 1292 AH
2017.5.12
© Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia

Qur'an
Aceh
Circa 19th century AD/circa 13th century AH
2021.8.1
© Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia

Kitab Mawlid Sharaf al-Anam
Mecca
Mid 19th century
© Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia

Waistcoat with Calligraphy of an Inner Kiswah curtain from Mecca
© Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia

Keris of Sultan Abdul Jalil
Riau Archipelago
Dated 1124 AH/1712 AD
2017.2.7
© Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia

Qur’an
Patani
19th century
© Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia

Letter from ‘Abd al-Rahman bin Muhammad Saman to Sultan of Pontianak
Mecca
1283 AH (1866 AD)
© Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia

Mandau or Parang Ilang
Borneo or East Kalimantan
Late 19th century
© Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia

Chest on Wheels
Java
19th century
© Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia

Batik Jimat Shirt
Cirebon, Java
19th century
© Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia

Ceremonial Hanging
Palembang, Sumatra
20th century
© Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia

19th-century gebyok (wooden facade) with Islamic decorative elements
© Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia