The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) in Toronto has acquired the Widad Kawar Collection of Arab Dress and Heritage Arts, comprising nearly 600 handcrafted textiles, garments, and cultural objects from across the Arab world, including Jordan, Palestine, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Iraq, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, the UAE, and Yemen. The acquisition was supported by the Louise Hawley Stone Charitable Trust and a partial gift from Amin Kawar and the estate of Kamel Kawar. Widad Kamel Kawar, a textile historian based in Amman, spent decades collecting these items, focusing on women's embroidered clothing, jewelry, and everyday accessories, and documenting the stories of individual artisans.
This acquisition matters because it makes the ROM one of the most important repositories of Arab textiles and heritage arts globally, at a time when regional conflicts threaten both tangible and intangible cultural heritage. The collection's emphasis on handmade traditions and oral histories adds vital context to objects often passed down through generations. The ROM plans to display a bridal dress and accessories starting June 16, with a larger exhibition featuring contemporary art inspired by traditional patterns planned in the coming years, offering Arab Canadian communities a meaningful connection to their cultural roots.