The art produced under the Fatimids, a Shi´a dynasty that ruled North Africa and Egypt between 909 A.D. and 1171 A.D., reflects one of the most prolific periods in the history of Islamic art. In addition to founding cities — among them al-Qahira, "the victorious one," today´s Cairo — and building majestic palaces, its rulers patronized exquisite objects in a wide range of media.

Francesca Leoni is the curator of the arts of the Islamic world at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. A reception to meet the speaker follows the lecture.