Muscat – The National Museum of Oman inaugurated an exhibition titled ‘Fragrance Journeys’ at Bayt Greiza, which is administratively affiliated to the museum in cooperation with the Museum of Fine Arts in Lyon, in France, and the Embassy of France, under the patronage of H E Dr Fatima bint Mohammed al Ajmiya, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Health.

The inauguration was held in the presence of a number of high level dignitaries, members of the Diplomatic Corps in Oman, and members of the Board of Trustees of the National Museum of Oman, in addition to a number of people interested in cultural and museum affairs. The exhibition will continue from October 17 till May 7, 2023.

Jamal bin Hassan al Moosawi, secretary general of the National Museum, addressed the gathering, followed by speeches by Sylvie Raymond, director of the Museum of Fine Arts in Lyon and Luciano Rispoli, deputy French Ambassador to the Sultanate of Oman.

The exhibition presents 23 artefacts from the Museum of Fine Arts in Lyon, and highlights the frankincense and incense pathways of the most prominent eras from the Pharaonic era to avant-garde art which is embodied in a masterpiece of glazed pottery by the international artist Pablo Picasso shown for the first time in Oman.

Among the most prominent objects in the exhibition are an alabaster perfume bottle dating back to the Greek civilisation (5th and 6th centuries BC), an essential oil holder in the form of a bust of a Nubian man dating back to the Roman Empire, and an incense case in the form of a boat that was used to preserve and adorn incense from northern Italy, dating back to the 14th century AH. There is also Aparillo – a type of ceramic used for a pharmacist’s bowl for filling ointments, dried medicinal herbs, powders, etc from Spain, dating back to the period (1450-1400 AH), and a ‘cugo’ incense box used to keep incense for tea rituals.

The exhibition also includes works of art that embody modern arts in France, including an oval vessel by Claudius Linussier (1893-1953 AH) in the ‘Art Deco’ style, which was developed during the period between the two world wars.

Moosawi said, “We are honoured to cooperate with the Museum of Fine Arts in Lyon and to host this exhibition as it is the first temporary exhibition from the French Republic to be hosted in the Sultanate of Oman after many years.”

He added, hosting the exhibition comes within the framework of cultural diplomacy pursued by the museum with the aim of strengthening the bonds of friendship and introducing the visitor to the cultural balance of the fragrance culture of Omani origin in the land of frankincense and its manifestations in selected artefacts with distinct dimensions and historical, aesthetic and moral connotations of the ancient Egyptian civilisation, Greek civilisation, and Roman civilisation, Medieval Italy, Medieval France, passing through the Enlightenment and Modern Arts, to contemporary artistic expression in France. These are historical milestones that arose as a result of Oman’s gift to the world – frankincense.

Raymond said the Museum of Fine Arts will display a selection of selected pieces from the valuable collections in the National Museum in the Governorate of Muscat all of which tell a fragrant history on the path of perfumes. She added that the collections are displayed in two contexts of the museum display, reflecting the cultural diversity and artistic richness that the Museum of Fine Arts in Lyon abounds in, starting from Pharaonic Egypt, to the Roman Empire, in a historical process that extends over the course of 3,000 years in Mediterranean civilisations. The second section highlights 14 centuries of history of the exquisite decorative arts,from the sixth century to the 21st century AH, including some works in the spirit of Islamic art.

H E Rispoli said the depth of Omani-French relations dates back to the 17th century, when French merchant ships were anchored in the ports of Tyre and Muscat at the crossroads of the maritime trade routes leading to the Indian Ocean.

He added that the joint exhibition comes as a prelude to a series of long-term cooperation between the two sides, since the two municipalities are distinguished by a set of common artistic denominators, in all fields.

He also pointed out that this cooperation will extend in two phases. During the first phase, the 23 selected pieces of art have been loaned from the Lyon Museum of Fine Arts to be displayed in Beit Geriza.