Organized in collaboration with the Guimet National Museum of Asian Arts in Paris, the exhibition features approximately 240 artworks and historical objects. These include archaeological finds, jewelry, religious artifacts, and items recovered from shipwrecks, illustrating the flow of goods such as spices, precious stones, and textiles.
The exhibition emphasizes the central role of the Arabian Gulf in these historical networks, presenting the region's story from its perspective. It explores how commerce and spiritual exchange fostered relationships, citing the Arabian Gulf's pearl industry as a key example, with pearls traveling to India and beyond.
Visitors can explore navigational instruments like the kamal and astrolabe, alongside six detailed models of historic vessels representing various maritime traditions. These models, built over a year based on extensive research, are accompanied by artifacts from shipwrecks, providing tangible evidence of the cargo carried across these ancient routes.
"Spices and Wonders" also examines the cultural and religious exchanges that occurred along these trade routes, showcasing how beliefs and artistic traditions spread between civilizations. The exhibition deliberately concludes its historical narrative in the 17th century, before the significant expansion of European influence, to highlight the multicultural foundations of Indian Ocean commerce.