Textiles Studies
Date of this Version
2002
Document Type
Article
Citation
Doris Duke's Shangri La by Sharon Littlefield. With an Introduction by Carol Bier. Honolulu Academy of Arts & Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art (2002), xii-xix.
Abstract
SHANGRI LA, the most intimate of Doris Duke's residences, is the one that today offers the best view into the private domain of a public celebrity. What it reveals about Doris Duke presents a strong contrast to her well-publicized persona as a tobacco heiress, born to wealth, who liked to frolic. Observe the house, spilling down terraces of Ka'alawai toward the sea; contemplate its well-considered vistas and its polished black lava, white marble, and coral limestone surfaces. Admire the architectural features shipped from abroad and installed on site; experience the gardens with their towering trees, sparkling water chutes, and placid walkways. It might seem that the public appearance is merely reinforced by such extravagant splendor. But look again at the collections of Islamic art glistening in the sun or peeking through mottled shade in the courtyards and columned porticos, and you may catch a glimpse of Doris Duke's passion for beauty that is pure form, whether in nature or in art.
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Comments
Copyright © 2002 Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art