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Arabian Nights A Sheikha, Saris and Beyond Boundaries at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston's Glorious Biennial Arts of the Islamic World Gala Diane Lokey Farb CATHERINE D. ANSPON MINGLES WITH THE INTERNATIONALS. PHOTOGRAPHY JENNY ANTILL, WILSON PARISH. Performing the traditional "Fire of the Phoenix" Celebrating the al-Sabah Collection E very two years, we greatly anticipate the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston's Arts of the Islamic World, a glittering international gala that beckons benefactors extraordinaire, mirroring Houston's diversity and the MFAH's commitment to a new collecting initiative. So they came, the global and the glamorous, beginning with the hard-working, well-connected hometown host committee of 11: Franci Crane, Rania Daniel, Zeina Fares, Frank Hevrdejs (in absentia), Vahid Kooros, Sima Ladjevardian, Sultana Mangalji, Cenk Ozdogan, Sabiha Rehmatulla, Aliyya Stude, and Monsour Taghdisi. Meanwhile, the night's honoree came in from distant lands: Her Excellency Sheikha Hussah Sabah al-Salem al-Sabah arrived from Kuwait to inaugurate the collection she co-founded with her husband, Sheikh Nasser Sabah al-Ahmed al-Sabah, which opened to the public the next day on long-term loan to the MFAH (through January 26, 2014). However, the patrons of this party received a first peek at 60 al-Sabah treasures culled from one of the world's greatest troves of Islamic art, in a new gallery dedicated to the artistic riches and heritage of that part of the world — from exquisitely calligraphed manuscripts to intricate metalwork, scientific instruments and even jaw-dropping jewels such as a gold 17thcentury turban ornament from India bearing diamonds and emeralds. Franci Crane Y. Ping Sun Cynthia Petrello Omar Rehmatulla Sabiha Rehmatulla Sima Ladjevardian Middle-Eastern Motifs Vahid Kooros Cathy Kooros Jamal Daniel Jaleh Sallee Bruce Sallee Lila Sharifian Tania Kooros Rania Rania Daniel Daniel Elyse Lanier Global Notables Stepping up as the biggest-ticket underwriters, Jaleh and Bruce Sallee were joined by underwriters including, besides the host committee, Neelofur and Sami Ahmad, Lily and Hamid Kooros, John and Becca Cason Thrash, Diane Lokey Farb, Shaista and Shahzad Bashir, Kara Howes, Nicole and Evan Katz, and Fatima and Amin Mawji, as well as General Electric, Nabors Industries and Aramco Services, the later sponsoring the installation Martha of Arts of the Islamic World Long permanent collection. Posh personages: MFAH director Gary Tinterow and Christopher Gardner, Charles Duncan, Cornelia and Meredith Long with daughter Martha Long, Dilsat and Dogan Baysal, Serap and Volkan Guzel, and FotoFest founders Wendy Watriss and Fred Baldwin, preparing for their next biennial, which features an Arab World theme. Gracie Cavnar Sue Smith Lester Smith Diana Untermeyer Nidhika Mehta Susie Criner And what important party props were in evidence, starting with mirrored mosaic sculptures by Persianborn, internationally collected 89-year-old Monir Farmanfarmaian, represented by her dealer, Cheryl Haines, in from San Francisco. The Farmanfarmaian sculptures emitted an important contemporary statement on the walls of Cullinan Hall. Flower man Johnathan Andrew Sage devised the centerpieces composed of lush, ripe pomegranates interspersed with red carnations. And Islamic motifs were projected upon the wall, turning the Mies van der Rohedesigned Law Building into a magic carpet ride of ornamentation and geometric beauty. Cocktail hour Amy saw guests clinking signature Purvis Courtney pomegranate quaffs, segueing into Sarofim a Middle-Eastern-inspired threecourse dinner crafted by City Kitchen: saffron-poached pear salad and a surfand-turf entree — braised sea bass with tamarind, coriander couscous shrimp, and grilled lamb chop glazed with marmalade — finished by ice bombes layered with pistachio, pomegranate and date gelatos. Gary Petersen Elizabeth Petersen Aliyya Stude Meredith Long Gary Tinterow Cornelia Long H. E. H. E. Sheikha Sheikha Hussah Hussah al-Sabah al-Sabah Henry Richardson Monsour Taghdisi A Five-Figure, 17th-Century Ceramic Plus the Bottom Line C apping off the night of Arabian, Indian and Persian splendor was an artwork worthy of Aladdin: an impressively ornate bottle depicting a hunting scene. This 17th-century Safavid ceramic from Iran, valued at $89,000, was acquired for the museum by Franci and Jim Crane and Zeina and Nijad Fares. In addition, terrific ticket and table sales added another $447,960 to the MFAH's future Islamic coffers. Bobby Tudor Sultana Sultana Mangalji Mangalji Phoebe Tudor Kent Nouri Zeina Fares Yasmin Kooros Lorena Karpen Karoen Catherine Ozdogan Cenk Ozdogan