Published: Friday 10 February 2023
His Majesty The King visited Leighton House for the first time since 2010 on Thursday 9 February 2023. The viewing included seven new pieces of furniture crafted by displaced artisans from Syria, now based in Jordan.
The items, a main welcome reception desk, display units for the shop and a counter for the new De Morgan café, were specially commissioned through the Turquoise Mountain Foundation and are inspired by a 17th -19th century Syrian chest acquired by Leighton. As a founding patron of the Foundation, The King met with the artisans and collaborators and toured Leighton House with the museum’s senior curator Daniel Robbins.
The museum underwent a redevelopment to take it from hidden gem to national treasure in 2022 and the new collection provides a contemporary twist on historic pieces of the museum, once collected by Lord Leighton.
During the visit The King met Mayor David Lindsay, Leader Cllr Elizabeth Campbell, Lead member for Culture Cllr Emma Will and Chief Executive Maxine Holdsworth.
Cllr Emma Will, Lead Member for Culture, Leisure and Community Safety, said:
"Having completed a major renovation last year, it was a proud moment to celebrate the new spaces with His Majesty and so many artisans from around world. Lord Leighton had a great interest in the Middle East, and the beautiful pieces commissioned through Turquoise Mountain for the 2022 reopening recognise our continued commitment to the arts and crafts of the region in the future life of the museum.”
Leighton House was the studio home of leading Victoria artist and president of the Royal Academy, Lord Frederic Leighton. Leighton House completed a major redevelopment restoring parts of historic house and addressing an unsympathetic wing added in the 1920s.
The transformed wing houses a new, vibrant reception space connected to an open-plan café overlooking to the garden. Located in the basement, a new exhibition gallery is free to visit and a new learning centre, home to the museum’s educational programme. Full step-free access was added to all public spaces in the museum and a spectacular staircase, showcasing the contemporary artwork on permanent display, a hand painted mural by Iranian artist Shahrzad Ghaffar called Oneness.
Daniel Robbins, Senior Curator, said:
"It is an honour to welcome His Majesty back to Leighton House, 13 years on from his previous visit, and celebrate this special collaboration with Turquoise Mountain. Rooted in the history of the museum and our collections, the artisanal pieces add a contemporary twist, bringing identity, individuality and impact to the museum’s new spaces."
Thalia Kennedy, Creative Director at Turquoise Mountain, said:
“This project has been an exceptional collaboration between Syrian and Jordanian master artisans, designers and the team at Leighton House, and we’re immensely proud to be able to showcase museum-quality work in an exceptional venue in London.”
Salma Al Qatawneh, Head of Design and Production at Turquoise Mountain Jordan
“Our specially commissioned suite of furniture was created in Jordan by master artisans, Maher Darwish and Abdelrahman Shaaban, specialists in carpentry and wood-mosaic. Made from walnut with featured inlays in olive, cherry, eucalyptus, dyed walnut, maple and rosewood, the pieces include marquetry derived from inlaid motifs on a Syrian chest that Lord Leighton acquired on his travels and converted into a seat within the historic house.”