Upstairs, in Leighton’s less ostentatious bedroom, the curled, sweeping forms of William Morris’ elaborate “India” wallpaper recall the sinuous lines of the mosaic detailing and Persian inscriptions below. In the large, light studio Persian rugs jostle for wall space with plaster casts of the Elgin marbles and pre-Raphaelite tableaux - his own or gifts from friends – in which the heroines of classical mythology are cast as creamy Victorian beauties, doe-eyed and porcelain skinned. The whole house reads as a reflection on the pervasive Orientalism of the Aesthetic movement, a tendency undoubtedly linked to Britain’s contemporary Imperial context, and a testament to the enduring exotic appeal of non-Western decorative arts.
Capitalising on this East-meets-West aesthetic, Leighton House is preparing to host the Nour Festival of Arts over the next two months. The festival features contemporary art, film, music, literature, fashion and all things cultural from the Middle East and North Africa. There is an interesting programme of talks by journalists, artists and academics and you can even take a course to learn the techniques for decorating your own, Leighton collection-inspired Ottoman plate.
(Oct 31st- Nov 5th, free with museum entry) 8-channel sound instillation using material recorded at Sufi shrines, mosques and religious spaces in Morocco, Egypt and Lebanon.