One of the most significant cultural events of the year took place at the British Museum last week: the glitzy new Albukhary Foundation Gallery of the Islamic World was formally opened. The gallery is huge both in size and in terms of the message it sends about the growing Islamic influence in the London art world.
The gallery rehouses the British Museum’s existing Islamic art collection in far grander premises. The collection is no longer located in a corner near the entrance where coaches offload school groups. It is now next to the star attraction of the Sutton Hoo treasure.
