Wander in Malaysia: Highlights of Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia
Step into the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia, Asia’s largest treasure trove of Islamic art, where opulent jewels, gilded manuscripts, and centuries of artistry from across the Islamic world await curious wanderers.
Sense of Wander: ★★★★★
The entrance to the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia is beautifully framed by a tiled pistaq (portral) featuring calligraphy and arabesque designs.
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — I first came to Kuala Lumpurin 2019 on a business trip. Looking back, I hardly had the chance to see the city beyond the event I attended at the Ritz-Carlton and a taste of Musang King durian at Petaling Street Market — its bitterness still lingers on my tongue today.
This time, I return to Kuala Lumpur with a very different purpose. You might be surprised to know that what draws me back is my enduring fascination with Islamic art.
I had long wanted to visit the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia (IAMM), especially since last year, when A Journey Through Islamic Art opened in celebration of the museum’s 25th anniversary. Though I couldn’t make the trip then, I knew I must not miss it again when I learned of the special exhibition Oceans That Speak: Islam and the Emergence of the Malay World — an experience I’ve already written about on my blog.
Together with the museum’s permanent Malay World Gallery, the exhibition offered rare insights into how Islam shaped the material culture of Southeast Asia — a region often seen as peripheral, yet profoundly significant to the larger discourse of Islamic art. This was a perspective absent from my postgraduate studies in Islamic art history, and one that the IAMM uniquely brings forward. Its extensive collection of Malay world artefacts, entrusted by Jabatan Kemajuan Islam Malaysia (JAKIM), makes the museum distinctive.
Since its opening in 1998, the IAMM has assembled a collection that stretches across vast geographies, from Spain to China, and across centuries — from the 8th century to the present. Its holdings span the intimate scale of coins and jewellery to ceramics, textiles, and architectural models. With more than 15,000 works of art, it stands as the largest repository of Islamic art in Southeast Asia.
Set against the greenery of the Perdana Botanical Garden, the museum itself feels like a place of contemplation. The tiled pishtaq framing its entrance greets visitors with a verse from Surah Al-Ankabut:
“Journey upon the earth and observe how He originated creation. Then God shall bring the next genesis into being. Truly God is Powerful over all things.” (Quran 29:20)
Inscribed in elegant Thuluth script, the calligraphy invites visitors to wander, reflect, and ponder the vastness of creation through art.
The museum’s dozen permanent galleries unfold like chapters, each devoted to a theme, a region, or a medium. Among them, I spent the longest time in:
Quran and Manuscript Gallery: Writing the Word of God
The Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia is home to a rich collection of Islamic manuscripts from around the world.
At the heart of Islamic culture lies the Quran, the Word of God. Revealed in Arabic to the Prophet (SWT) through angel Gabriel, its language is regarded as exalted — sacred in sound, meaning, and form. It’s no wonder that the art of writing — calligraphy — has long been revered as the highest expression of Islamic art.
As a student of Arabic calligraphy, walking into the Quran and Manuscript Gallery at the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia feels almost like a pilgrimage. Here, manuscripts spanning from the earliest centuries of Islam to more recent periods unfold like a living chronicle of the written word. For those familiar with the history of Arabic scripts, the collection is astonishing in both its breadth and depth.
Among the treasures are folios dating to the 7th century, written in Hijazi script, the precursor to Kufic. My heart leaps when I come across a folio of the famed Blue Quran, produced in the 9th or 10th century and now scattered across major collections, from the Metropolitan Museum of Art to the Aga Khan Museum. Its pages — gold Kufic letters set against indigo-dyed parchment — still shimmer, with gold’s antioxidant quality holding time at bay.
The richness of its production suggests royal patronage, perhaps under the Fatimid caliphs of North Africa. To me, the Blue Quran is not only one of the most significant manuscripts in Islamic art history, but also a personal source of inspiration that once sparked a jewellery collection I designed.
Nearby, a folio of the Pink Quran offers a gentler contrast. Written in the Maghribi style, with its rounded curves and softened forms, the script flows across pages dyed in a tender shade of rose.
A folio of the Blue Quran stands out amidst an ocean of Quranic manuscripts on display.
A calligraphic album written in Thuluth script, dated around 1800.
Dated 1783/4, this folio from an alphabetical syllabus, Alif Ba Mufredat, includes individual Arabic alphabet characters.
Among the manuscripts on display, I find myself drawn to a case filled with calligraphic albums. One, the Alif Ba Mufradat, presents individual Arabic letters as a teaching aid for learners. Its pages begin with the bismillah, followed by a table of 29 letters framed in delicate floral illumination. Other albums in Thuluth script seem to function as model books, demonstrating how letters connect, while an ijazah — a certificate granted from master calligrapher to apprentice — reminds us of the living chain of transmission behind this art.
For those new to calligraphy, the gallery offers a simple guide — a wall display introduces the different scripts and renders the same phrase in multiple styles, allowing visitors to compare them at a glance.
A selection of pen boxes from Ottoman Turkey and Seljuk Persia.
Calligraphy are not only found on parchment and paper, but also textile. One example is a fragment from the Prophet’s tomb covering, embroidered with calligraphic inscriptions. Even more imposing is a piece of the kiswah — the black curtain that drapes the Kaaba in Mecca — its golden inscriptions interlaced with arabesques and roundels. For a closer look at at the kiswah, see my earlier article A Sacred Journey to the Islamic Arts Biennale.
The Quran and Manuscript Gallery is one of the first spaces visitors encounter. By training your eyes here, you begin to notice calligraphy everywhere else in the museum, gracing the surfaces of ceramics, glass, metalwork, and wood. It appears on objects of daily use as well as monumental architecture, such as the 14th-century Mamluk mosque door on display in the Wood Gallery. Wherever it appears, the Quranic text both sanctifies and beautifies, blurring the line between writing and ornament.
The phrase “Allah Rabb” (الله رب) embroidered on the kiswa, the sacred curtain draped over the Kaaba.
Ceramic tiles showcasing the art of writing in various calligraphy styles.
A 14th-century Mamluk wooden door carved with geometric designs and knotted Kufic script.
Turkish wooden cabinet inlaid with mother-of-pearl, featuring calligraphy and decorative elements.
A casket inlaid with calligraphy and ultra-intricate geometric designs.
A pair of cups adorned with calligraphy in plique-à-jour enamel.
Jewellery Gallery: Where Islamic Heritage Shines
Nothing showcases the beauty and opulence of Islamic art quite like the jewellery of the Islamic world. At the IAMM, the Jewellery Gallery presents a rich and varied collection, with pieces spanning regions from the Indian subcontinent and Iran to North Africa.
It’s impossible to speak of Islamic jewellery without mentioning the Mughals — descendants of Timur and Genghis Khan, who founded a powerful empire in 1526 that last until 1857, ruling large parts of the Indian subcontinent at its peak. The word “Mughal” comes from the Persian for “Mongol,” a nod to their lineage.
Beyond their grand architectural achievements (see Wander in India: In the Footsteps of the Mughals), the Mughal court was renowned for its exquisite jewellery, adorning shahs and their wives from head to toe, as depicted in miniature paintings of the period.
Spinels were among the most prized gemstones in the Mughal court, celebrated for their deep rose-red hue, known as “Bala rubies.” These natural gems, sourced from Badakhshan in Afghanistan, were valued for their clarity and ease of engraving. On display in the gallery, a remarkable necklace features spinels inscribed with the titles of Mughal emperors in Persian, reflecting the artistry of Mughal jewellers.
A stunning collection of Mughal jewellery is displayed against an enlarged reproduction of a Mughal miniature painting, which allows us to imagine how these pieces were once worn.
The rare and highly-prized “Bala rubies” were fittingly carved with the royal title of Shah Ahmad [son of] Durduran.
Mughal jewellery is also distinguished by its kundan setting, in which pure 24-carat gold is shaped to trace the contours of each gemstone, which is then set directly into the cavity between the stone and the bezel.
The gallery does not stop with the Mughals. Jewellery from the Qajar Dynasty (1794–1925) in Iran demonstrates a mastery of enamel work, while the influx of European influences in the late 19th century introduced techniques and designs from France and Austria.
Beyond imperial jewellery, the museum highlights ethnic and tribal adornments, often overlooked in mainstream narratives. A dedicated case features Turkmen jewellery, crafted by Turkic tribes of Central Asia. These silver pieces, set with agates, carnelians, or red glass, speak to a rich nomadic tradition of personal adornment stretching from North Africa to Western China.
The diversity of the IAMM’s collection allows visitors to appreciate Islamic jewellery in its fullest breadth — from the opulence of imperial workshops to the intimate beauty of tribal artistry. It tells a story of creativity and heritage that spans cultures, geographies, and centuries. For those wishing to explore further, see the forthcoming Spotlight on Jewellery: The Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia.
This North African gold tiara, adorned with gemstones and enamel, beautifully reflects the fusion of Islamic and local Amazigh traditions.
This display case dedicated to Turkmen adornments adds breadth and richness to the museum’s Islamic jewellery collection.
China Gallery: Birth of a Unique Aesthetic
One of the most impressive galleries at the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia is the China Gallery, showcasing material culture from regions of China where Islam has left a mark.
Though not often discussed, the influence of Islam in Chinese art is unmistakable. I still recall visiting mosques in Beijing and Xi’an, where the fusion of Islamic and Chinese architectural designs gave birth to a visual language unlike anything I had seen before.
Islam first arrived in China during the Tang Dynasty (618–907), brought by merchants, diplomats, and missionaries from Central Asia and the Arabian Peninsula. Over centuries, Muslim communities, including the Hui and Uighur, flourished in western China. A detailed timeline on the gallery wall guides visitors through the periods when Islam shaped Chinese history.
The gallery impresses with the sheer number of objects on display. Among them, bronze vessels stand out — some inscribed with Arabic calligraphy, others adorned with intricate cloisonné work in turquoise blue. These range from small boxes to vases and incense burners, and while I had seen similar objects before, I had never encountered them displayed together in such abundance.
A collection of bronze vessels adorned with Islamic influences and calligraphy.
A cloisonné box with a lid beautifully adorned in Islamic calligraphy.
Ceramics influenced by Islamic art are also featured — plates, bowls, and vases that combine Chinese decorative motifs with Arabic inscriptions.
What I personally find intriguing is the “Magic Square Porcelain” wares from 18th-century China. These cups, saucers, bowls, dishes, and teapots were not merely utilitarian; they were believed to hold talismanic power, their surfaces inscribed with a magic diagram of 16 Arabic numerals and the Throne Verse from the Quran.
A 19th to 20th-century Cantonese sweet dish, adorned with Islamic calligraphy.
Dishes like this, featuring a “magic square” and Quranic inscriptions, are believed to hold talismanic power.
A blue-and-white porcelain jar from the reign of Ming Emperor Zhengde (1506–1521) incorporates Arabic calligraphy into the traditional repertoire of Chinese design.
Islamic calligraphy in China occupies a central role in this material culture. In fact, the museum’s very first acquisition is a 30-volume Quran manuscript compiled during the Qing Dynasty (1644–1912).
As in other regions of the Islamic world, calligraphy in China developed a distinctive style. Al-Sini, meaning “Chinese style,” emerged from the union of Islamic calligraphy and traditional Chinese brush techniques. Written with a qalam (pen) wrapped in fabric, Al-Sini falls somewhere between the firm strokes of classical Arabic calligraphy and the flowing elegance of Chinese brushwork.
Among the Al-Sini works on display is a piece by Haji Noor Deen, a Chinese Muslim calligrapher from whom I have been learning this style. Seeing his work exhibited alongside other accomplished Al-Sini masters is a delightful surprise.
Chinese Muslims have developed a unique calligraphy style known as Al-Sini (الصيني), blending Islamic and Chinese traditions.
The IAMM’s permanent galleries display up to 2,000 objects, and wandering through them reveals that Islamic art is far from singular — it is a constellation of traditions, beliefs, and expressions spanning time and geography. Adding to the objects on display, visitors can admire the museum’s ceilings, adorned with ornate stucco work by craftsmen from Uzbekistan and Iran.
And before leaving the museum, I take a final look at its dome. Clad in Persian haft-rang (seven-colour) tilework, it features hibiscus blossoms — locally called bunga raya, Malaysia’s national flower — amid a lush garden of arabesque designs. At its waist, a Quranic inscription of verse 35 from Surah Al-Nur invites contemplation on divine beauty, reminding us that these objects, like all acts of creation, are generously bestowed by God.
This beautiful dome placed on the rooftop of the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia has become a defining feature of Kuala Lumpur’s skyline.
Wanderer’s tips — For Islamic art enthusiasts, even a full day at the museum won’t be enough to see everything. If you’re new to Islamic art, I recommend setting aside at least two hours for a proper wander.
Before you leave, make sure to stop by the museum shop. It offers a wide range of unique souvenirs and an impressive selection of publications, including catalogues from past exhibitions. I couldn’t resist and ended up walking away with at least ten books — maybe more.
Reference:
Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia. (2020). Mirrors of Beauty: Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia Guide. Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia