If there is one thing you see on the internet today, it has got to be the ‘Who Wore It Better’ war between celebs and- get this- ancient books. This Looks vs Books comparison is happening between the American Independence-themed red carpet looks from the 2021 MET Gala and books from Aga Khan Museum‘s latest exhibit, Hidden Stories: Books Along the Silk Roads.

So, a Twitter account by the name OBSN (@oldbooksnewsci) has been tweeting pics of books from the exhibit channeling their inner celebs from the Met Gala red carpet. The account is associated with The Book and the Silk Roads project at the University of Toronto.

aga khan silk road
via Curiocity

Before we jump into this hilarious showdown, some context might be needed. The Aga Khan Museum celebrates 1,000 years of Islamic art and its connections to diverse cultures and traditions. It’s open to the public, and boasts incredible architecture in addition to amazing artifacts and exhibitions. The museum is currently showcasing the aforementioned exhibition, which is presented in collaboration with the University of Toronto. The exhibition isn’t just about a few old books obtained from the Silk Roads. It is actually an interesting mix of ancient books, scrolls, manuscript paintings and even textiles and ornamentation used to carry and cover the books and scrolls. 

aga khan silk road
via Curiocity

To give you an idea of the collection, there is a 1,000-year-old prayer sheet from northwest China, a richly coloured Jewish marriage contract from 19th century Greece and a five-metre long Iranian scroll of the Qur’an. Fascinating, right? We thought so too.

Living up to its name, the exhibition also goes on to reveal some ‘Hidden Stories’ by way of MicroCT images of select works that give an insight into the tools, techniques and artistry that went into the creation of these old books and scrolls. 

aga khan silk road
via Curiocity

Simply put, the exhibit truly brings human history’s most extensive and important trade route to life beautifully and imaginatively. There’s also a companion website that takes you through the whole exhibit, in case you can’t be there in person. While it is a great alternative and educational resource, it does not quite bring the old world to life the same way.

Oh, and in the spirit of supporting local, everything on display in this exhibit has either been taken out of the museum‘s permanent collection or borrowed from other Ontario museums.

The exhibition is open till Feb 27th, 2022, and you can reserve your spot here! But for now, take a look at the ridiculously fun tweets below. 

Kim Kardashian

Jennifer Lopez

Lili Reinhart

Jordon Roth

Lil Nas X

Iman

Megan Rapinoe

Quannah Chasinghorse

Lorde

You can check out the entire thread featuring even more celebs with their matching items from Aga Khan Museum’s latest exhibit here. And don’t forget- Silk Road Exhibit aside, there’s a ton more to see at Aga Khan, so we’ll see ya there. 

Curiocity Staff

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