Collections and Collectors of Provence A Taste of the Orient

Illuminated Persian copy of the Qur'an / Bibliothèque Méjanes, ms. 1350 / Courtesy of Mairie d'Aix-en-Provence

'A Taste of the Orient' pays homage to the scholars and collectors of Provence and its surrounding area who, from the time of Nicolas Fabri de Peiresc during the reign of Louis XIII to Arsene Roux in Morocco at the beginning of the 20th century, have tried to understand the societies and the history of the Mediterranean world, through objects and the nature of the very different languages spoken in this area.

The scholars, like Peiresc and Fauris de Saint-Vincens in Provence, accumulated archaeological and cultural objects and documents from the Mediterranean, to understand the world from these fragments that constituted the collections and fuelled their studies. The network of scholars, from the Renaissance Humanist Guillaume Postel in Paris, who introduced Arabic to the Royal College to the famous Orientalist Silvestre de Sacy in the 19th century, who contributed to the publication of dictionaries, translations of manuscripts, coins, medals and antiques.

Dancer with Tambourine / Carpentras, bibliothèque-musée Inguimbertine, inv. 849.6.1 / Courtesy of Mairie d'Aix-en-Provence

Others, on the other hand, enjoyed the experience of travel, such as the botanist Joseph Pitton de Tournefort, the Provence Orientalist, or Doctor Clot-Bey, or the architect Pascal Coste. They produced scientific works concerning linguistics, travel notebooks and pages of drawings, suitable for the general public.

All of them have passed on a scientific heritage and collections that give an interesting representation of the landscapes, peoples and cultures of the Mediterranean.

The exhibition displays:

• The Orientalism of the Scholars (17th-18th centuries)

• Interest in the Orient in the South of France (19th century)

• The uses of the Qur'anic text

• Languages and cultural identities

• The Europeans in Egypt of the 19th century

• The scientific missions of the 19th century: artists and travelers

• Orientalism, the history of taste and humanities (19th-20th centuries)

Inscribed tile from Natanz, Iran, 14th century / Aix-en-Provence, musée Granet, inv. 942.1.65 / Courtesy of Mairie d'Aix-en-Provence

The exhibition 'A Taste of the Orient' opened at Cité du Livre – Bibliotheque Méjanes (France) and will run until September 15, 2013.