ROM acquires nearly 600 Arab textiles and artefacts from Widad Kawar
The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) in Toronto has obtained the Widad Kawar Collection, which comprises nearly 600 items of Arab dress and heritage arts from 14 countries, including Palestine, Jordan, and Egypt. This collection was gathered by Widad Kamel Kawar, a textile historian based in Amman, and is supported by the Louise Hawley Stone Charitable Trust along with contributions from Amin Kawar and the estate of Kamel Kawar. In 2014, she established Tiraz: Widad Kawar Home for Arab Dress. Fahmida Suleman, ROM's senior curator, emphasizes the collection's importance in light of ongoing regional conflicts. A bridal dress from Bethlehem, dating between 1910 and 1930, will be showcased starting June 16, with plans for a larger exhibition in the future.
Key facts
- Royal Ontario Museum acquires Widad Kawar Collection of Arab Dress and Heritage Arts
- Collection includes almost 600 objects from 14 Arab countries
- Supported by Louise Hawley Stone Charitable Trust and partial gift from Amin Kawar and estate of Kamel Kawar
- Widad Kamel Kawar is a textile historian based in Amman, Jordan
- She opened Tiraz: Widad Kawar Home for Arab Dress in Amman in 2014
- Fahmida Suleman is ROM's senior curator of Islamic world collections
- Bridal dress from Bethlehem (1910-1930) on display from June 16 for at least six months
- Larger exhibition planned in the next few years featuring modern fashions and contemporary art
Entities
Artists
- Widad Kamel Kawar
- Fahmida Suleman
- Charles T. Currelly
- William Holman Hunt
Institutions
- Royal Ontario Museum
- Louise Hawley Stone Charitable Trust
- Tiraz: Widad Kawar Home for Arab Dress
- British Museum
- The Art Newspaper
Locations
- Toronto
- Canada
- Amman
- Jordan
- Bethlehem
- Ramallah
- Palestine
- Syria
- Lebanon
- Egypt
- Iraq
- Libya
- Morocco
- Oman
- Saudi Arabia
- Sudan
- United Arab Emirates
- Yemen
- Currelly Gallery