It is housed in the historic Palazzo Mazzonis, a landmark 18th century town palace. Discerning and careful restoration has enhanced the building’s century-old structure and decorations, and created optimal display facilities for museum exhibits.
The objects in the MAO’s collection fall into this second category, which aroused particular interest among earlier. Human depictions in the MAO pieces include what appears to be a ruler banqueting, accompanied by musicians and courtiers. In another example, a warrior horseman, holding a shield and a long spear is surrounded by rosettes and stylized Arabic script, probably representing the word baraka, or “blessings”.
The animals represented in the MAO’s collection reveal birds, horses and a peacock. Peacocks figured commonly in Sasanian art; they were probably regarded as a Christian symbol of immortality. Another image is of a simurgh, a mythical bird in Iranian mythology, which indicates another link between the pre-Islamic and Islamic periods in Iran.
You can learn more about the topic in the book-album "The Cultural legacy of Uzbekistan in Italian Collections" (volume XXXII) in the series "Cultural Legacy of Uzbekistan in the World Collections".
The main sponsor of the project is the oilfield services company Eriell-Group.
Amazing images in the MAO’s collection
The Museum of Oriental Art (MAO) in Turin, inaugurated in December 2008, is one of the main institutions in Italy for the study, preservation and presentation of Asian art.