The American Cultural Centre – Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyah
The al-Sabah Collection, presented here, covers a chronology of some 6,000+ years. The original collection of art from the Islamic world contains more than 18,000 pieces – collected from every geographic area and dynastic period of the Islamic world through the 19th century CE. This collection also covers every media option – from ceramics to wood. The second, more recent, additions feature some 5,300 objects from the same geographic region but created in pre-Islamic periods. It includes pieces in all relevant media from the early Bronze Age through Late Antiquity. In addition, The al-Sabah Collection includes more than 12,000 numismatic objects and more than 15,000 rare and reference books.
Founders
The al-Sabah Collection is owned by the Nasser Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah family. Founded by Sheikh Nasser Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah and his wife Sheihka Hussa Sabah al-Salem al-Sabah, the collection has grown in size and influence since Sheikh Nasser bought the first object in 1975.
Nasser Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah (1948-2020) was the collector. His affinity for beauty and fascination with his cultural heritage drove him to search for, acquire and preserve objects that captured moments in history and traditions of the Islamic world. His natural curiousity led him to study the objects; their history, the techniques and technologies of their creation, and the influences that impacted their development and the influences that the objects had on the arts that followed.
In addition to being a collector and preservationist, Sheikh Nasser was a dedicated civil servant, reformer, and entrepreneur. His commitment to Kuwait and all the communities therein led to his involvement in cultural activities, humanitarian projects and development enterprises with the potential to benefit the residents of Kuwait – from the immigrant working to give his/her family a better life to Kuwaitis eager for opportunities to build a successful country. His work on the Silk Road Project and Kuwait Vision 2035, are just two of the efforts that benefitted from his active participation, as a civil servant and a private citizen, in the advancement of Kuwait.
Hussa Sabah al-Salem al-Sabah is the director general of Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah (DAI), a cultural organization, under the auspicies of the National Council for Culture, Arts, and Letters, which is inspired by the private collection of Islamic art created in 1975 and fostered by her husband Sheikh Nasser Sabah al-Ahmed al-Sabah and herself. Today, the al-Sabah Collection includes more than 30,000 objects of art created in countries from Spain to China, from the 4th millennium BCE- l9th century CE.
While the art remains the cornerstone of the DAI, under the guardianship of Sheikha Hussa, the organisation has grown into a dynamic entity promoting arts, culture and education. She is clearly driven by the ability of the art to open people’s minds as well as their eyes to the differences in cultures, allowing each to more fully appreciate the other.
In addition, Sheikha Hussa feels a very real sense of responsibility to reach communities in both the Islamic world and beyond. This she accomplishes through participation in archaeological excavations, international conferences, publications, lectures and a vibrant cultural programme at home in Kuwait..
With a special interest in the preservation of indigenous architecture, she is working to ensure that traditional buildings are protected and restored to the original design. At present, Sheikha Hussa is actively involved in projects in Damascus, Aleppo, Muharraq, and Cairo.
Finaly, she serves as an Honorary Trustee on the Boards of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, and The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (TX). In addition, she served as member of the ALIPH Foundation Board( non-governmental organization for the protection of heritage in areas of military conflicts), Geneva, and on the Corporation Visiting Committee for the Department of Architecture at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston, where she is now a member of the Dean’s Advisory Council, School of Architecture and Planning. Recently, she was named a Board Trustee for Egypt’s newly opened National Museum of Egyptian Civilization, Fustat.
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