A new exhibition that opened today in Toronto is offering visitors a chance to explore how games connected cultures across the medieval world and beyond. Game On! at the Aga Khan Museum brings together more than 100 objects, including rare medieval artefacts, to show how play shaped social life, storytelling, and cultural exchange.
The exhibition traces the movement of games across regions and centuries, highlighting their role as both entertainment and cultural bridges. While the display spans a wide chronological range, its medieval material stands out for revealing how deeply embedded games were in daily life across Islamic and neighbouring societies.
Photo by Medievalists.net
“Games have long brought people together across cultures and centuries, creating shared experiences that connect us beyond borders, languages, and differences,” said Bita Pourvash, Curator at the Aga Khan Museum. “Whether played on boards, performed through physical skill, explored via the spoken or written word, or navigated in digital worlds, games carry educational, symbolic, and social roles that shape how we learn, connect, and make meaning through play.”
Medieval Games Across Cultures
Photo by Medievalists.net
At the heart of the exhibition are objects that illuminate the medieval world’s fascination with strategy, competition, and skill. Among the highlights is a 12th-century chess set from Iran, one of the earliest surviving examples of the game. Chess, which spread from India through the Islamic world and into Europe during the Middle Ages, became one of the most important intellectual pastimes of the period.
Also featured is a 16th-century illustrated folio from the Shahnama (Book of Kings), depicting a royal polo match. Polo, widely played in the medieval Islamic world and Persia, was not only a sport but also a demonstration of elite training and political prestige. The image captures Prince Siyavush displaying his skill before a ruler, reflecting how athletic ability could serve as a marker of authority and refinement.
These artefacts reveal that medieval games were rarely just leisure activities, but were tied to education, diplomacy, and expressions of power.
A Global Story of Play
Photo by Medievalists.net
The exhibition is organised into three sections—“The Board,” “The Quest,” and “The Arena”—each exploring a different aspect of play. Together, they show how games travelled across regions, adapted to new cultural contexts, and helped shape traditions worldwide.
For medieval history lovers, this approach highlights how interconnected the Middle Ages were. Games like chess and polo moved along trade routes and through political networks, linking courts and communities from Europe to North Africa and Asia.
From Medieval Boards to Modern Play
Photo by Medievalists.net
While medieval objects form a key part of the exhibition, Game On! also connects them to later developments and contemporary interpretations. There is even a digital experience—Damask Rose by Jawa El Khash—that allows users to explore a labyrinth in order to find historical artefacts.
“Play is a universal language that everyone understands, and the exhibition is the starting point fornus to dive into how games and sports have been one of humanity’s great connectors,” said Dr. Sascha Priewe, Director, Collections and Public Programs at the Aga Khan Museum. “From talks, workshops, and festivals to family activities, performances and the public viewing of soccer games, we invite visitors to experiment with strategy, storytelling, and creativity, offering immersive ways to experience the cultural stories and artistic traditions behind games from around the world.”
A Timely Exhibition
Photo by Medievalists.net
The exhibition coincides with Toronto preparing to host major international soccer matches as part of the World Cup, adding a contemporary dimension to its exploration of sport and play. Yet its medieval material reminds visitors that the global nature of games is far from new.
Running until September 7, 2026, Game On! offers a rare opportunity to see how pastimes from the Middle Ages continue to resonate today—revealing a world where play was already connecting cultures across vast distances.
A new exhibition that opened today in Toronto is offering visitors a chance to explore how games connected cultures across the medieval world and beyond. Game On! at the Aga Khan Museum brings together more than 100 objects, including rare medieval artefacts, to show how play shaped social life, storytelling, and cultural exchange.
The exhibition traces the movement of games across regions and centuries, highlighting their role as both entertainment and cultural bridges. While the display spans a wide chronological range, its medieval material stands out for revealing how deeply embedded games were in daily life across Islamic and neighbouring societies.
“Games have long brought people together across cultures and centuries, creating shared experiences that connect us beyond borders, languages, and differences,” said Bita Pourvash, Curator at the Aga Khan Museum. “Whether played on boards, performed through physical skill, explored via the spoken or written word, or navigated in digital worlds, games carry educational, symbolic, and social roles that shape how we learn, connect, and make meaning through play.”
Medieval Games Across Cultures
At the heart of the exhibition are objects that illuminate the medieval world’s fascination with strategy, competition, and skill. Among the highlights is a 12th-century chess set from Iran, one of the earliest surviving examples of the game. Chess, which spread from India through the Islamic world and into Europe during the Middle Ages, became one of the most important intellectual pastimes of the period.
Also featured is a 16th-century illustrated folio from the Shahnama (Book of Kings), depicting a royal polo match. Polo, widely played in the medieval Islamic world and Persia, was not only a sport but also a demonstration of elite training and political prestige. The image captures Prince Siyavush displaying his skill before a ruler, reflecting how athletic ability could serve as a marker of authority and refinement.
These artefacts reveal that medieval games were rarely just leisure activities, but were tied to education, diplomacy, and expressions of power.
A Global Story of Play
The exhibition is organised into three sections—“The Board,” “The Quest,” and “The Arena”—each exploring a different aspect of play. Together, they show how games travelled across regions, adapted to new cultural contexts, and helped shape traditions worldwide.
For medieval history lovers, this approach highlights how interconnected the Middle Ages were. Games like chess and polo moved along trade routes and through political networks, linking courts and communities from Europe to North Africa and Asia.
From Medieval Boards to Modern Play
While medieval objects form a key part of the exhibition, Game On! also connects them to later developments and contemporary interpretations. There is even a digital experience—Damask Rose by Jawa El Khash—that allows users to explore a labyrinth in order to find historical artefacts.
“Play is a universal language that everyone understands, and the exhibition is the starting point fornus to dive into how games and sports have been one of humanity’s great connectors,” said Dr. Sascha Priewe, Director, Collections and Public Programs at the Aga Khan Museum. “From talks, workshops, and festivals to family activities, performances and the public viewing of soccer games, we invite visitors to experiment with strategy, storytelling, and creativity, offering immersive ways to experience the cultural stories and artistic traditions behind games from around the world.”
A Timely Exhibition
The exhibition coincides with Toronto preparing to host major international soccer matches as part of the World Cup, adding a contemporary dimension to its exploration of sport and play. Yet its medieval material reminds visitors that the global nature of games is far from new.
Running until September 7, 2026, Game On! offers a rare opportunity to see how pastimes from the Middle Ages continue to resonate today—revealing a world where play was already connecting cultures across vast distances.
To learn more, please visit the Aga Khan Museum website
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