In the Spotlight: Top Places to See Art and Antiquities from Iran
This month, PARSA Community Foundation focuses on major shows and exhibits of pre-modern and modern Persian art around the world. Given Iran's rich art heritage which includes architecture, stone masonry, reliefs, sculpture, rugs, tapestries, pottery, enamel work, calligraphy, painting, metalwork, and more, this list is only a bird's eye view of the vast Persian art landscape. The following descriptions are listed in no particular order. Please help us grow further awareness by letting us know about other Persian art and antiquity collections and exhibitions you are aware of. You can find our contact information at the bottom of this page.
1. The National Museum of Iran
The museum, designed by French architect Andre Godard in 1936, houses 300,000 objects dating back to the 4th century BC. The museum consists of two buildings, which split the collection into pre-Islamic and post-Islamic artifacts. The second building, not designed by Godard, houses post-Islamic artifacts and was opened in 1996.
The prehistoric collection includes 10,000 objects and includes works from the seventh to the first millennium B.C. These objects were primarily obtained from excavation. The oldest artifacts in the museum are from the Kashafrud, Darband, and Ganj Par sites dating back to the Lower Paleolithic period.
Don’t miss the objects from the Elamite, Achaemenid, and Parthian periods. In particular, visit the Sialk collection which comes from the Elamite civilization’s ziggurat (pyramidal temple) site near Kashan, in Central Iran.
The following image shows a Silver cup from Marvdasht, Fars, late 3rd Millennium BC from the museum collection. The museum routinely loans parts of its collection to other museums.
Where: Central Tehran, Iran
Must see: The Sialk ziggurat collection
Website: www.nationalmuseumofiran.ir
2. The British Museum
The British Museum houses its “Ancient Iran” collection in the Rahim Irvani Gallery (room 52), covering 3000 BC–AD 651. The collection displays a number of important artifacts, notably the Cyrus Cylinder (circa 539-530 BC), which describes in Babylonian cuneiform Persian king Cyrus’ conquest of Babylon in 539 BC and capture of Nabonidus, the last Babylonian king.
The collection also holds a number of ceremonial vessels and anthropomorphic shapes from the Amlash culture, early first millennium BC, from north-west Iran. Large plaster casts of sculptures from Persepolis are also displayed in Room 52 and on the museum’s East stairs.
Where: London, England
Must see: The Cyrus Cylinder (circa 539-530 BC), shown here
Website: www.britishmuseum.org/explore/...
Floor plan: www.britishmuseum.org/visiting/...
3. The Louvre
The Louvre, built in the late 12th century on Paris’ western edge, has a relatively large collection of Persian antiquities consisting of paintings, manuscripts, ceramics, jewelry, textiles, statues, metalwork, tablets, seals, reliefs, mosaics, and other architectural elements.
Of particular interest is the museum’s large collection of Safavid period (1501-1722) Persian miniature paintings. The museum also holds the only portrait of Shah Abbas I (1627) made during his lifetime, which was gained by the Louvre in 1975.
Also consider the museum’s thematic trail: Masterpieces of Islamic Art. The tour includes several extremely rare pieces including a gold and silver inlayed casket in the shape of a mausoleum. It is one of only two known 12-sided caskets in the shape of a domed mausoleum and reflects the influence of architecture on the metalwork of this period. The tour also includes a large, rare, and intricately designed carpet from the 16th century Safavid textile workshops. The carpet was first documented in the 19th century as a gift to the city from the duchess of Berry.
The following image shows Shah Abbas I and his Page, 1627 by Muhammad Qasim, from Isfahan. It's Ink, gouache, gold and silver on paper.
Where: Paris, France
Must see: Safavid period miniature paintings
Website: www.louvre.fr
4. Hermitage Museum
The Hermitage Persian collection is huge and legendary, covering much of Persian history from antiquity to the end of the Qajar dynasty (1785-1925). Much of the collection is housed in the former winter imperial palace.
As part of its regular collection, the museum holds a number of fine works of art from the pre-Islamic and Islamic periods, including reliefs, ceramics, jewelry, enamel work, paintings, metalwork and textiles. Of interest in the pre-Islamic era are the 55 Elamite vessels (4th-3rd millennium BCE) and many antiquities from Luristan (13th-8th century BCE). The museum’s Islamic-era treasures include miniatures, easel drawings, Qajar oil paintings, and potentially, the oldest known Persian carpet. The museum is also known for its collection of important silver artifacts from the Sassanid period.
Don’t miss the 19th century portraits of the second Qajar king of Persia, Fatkh-Ali-Shah, painted by Mihr-Ali. Another notable 19th century piece is a huge battle scene painting from the 1812 defeat of the Russians in the Sultanabad battle. This relatively minor victory was painted as a major historical event. The painting was removed from Iran by the Russians as a war trophy and brought to the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg.
The museum’s The Islamic World from China to Europe exhibition tour concluded on September 9, 2009. The exhibition included more than 300 pieces from countries influenced by Islam and included works from the Persian Sassanid Empire. The collection has returned to the Hermitage.
The following image shows Fatkh-Ali-Shah Standing, 1809-1810 by Mihr Ali. Fatkh-Ali-Shah is the second Qajar King of Persia.
Where: St. Petersburg, Russia
Must see: Portraits of the second Qajar King of Persia, Fatkh-Ali-Shah
Website: www.hermitagemuseum.org
5. The Farjam Collection
The Farjam Collection is one of the finest privately-owned Islamic art collections in the world. Spanning nearly the entire history of Islam, it brings together items produced throughout the vast region between Andalusia and Mogul India.
Its treasures include early Korans, illustrated books on science, mathematics and poetry, as well as finely-decorated metalwork, lacquer, glasswork, tiles, glazed pottery, woodwork, textiles, coins, jewelry, carpets, and art through the 19th century.
The collection also includes works by masters such as Picasso, Chagall, Dali, Braque, Renoir, Matisse, Miro, Leger, and Giacometti, as well as modern and contemporary artists including Warhol, Basquiat, de Kooning, Calder, Moshiri, Ehsai, Tanavoli, Al Rais, and Moustafa.
The following image shows an illuminated Koran from Iran, dated 734, signed Horara Al-Abdol Mozanab Amir Haj Ibn Ahmad Alsaein.
Where: Dubai, UAE
Must see: The calligraphy and ornamentation of the Korans
Website: http://www.farjamcollection.com
Floor Plan: http://www.farjamcollection.com/print/Map.jpg
6. Art Dubai
Art Dubai is the largest annual art exhibition in the Middle East. Now in its fourth year, Art Dubai has become a defining platform for contemporary art practice across the Middle Eastern region.
This year, Art Dubai will showcase 60 of the world's most exciting emerging and established contemporary galleries from 30 different countries, including Galerie Chantal Crousel (Paris), Paradise Row (London), Carbon 12 (Dubai) and Galería ANIMAL (Santiago) to name a few.
In addition, Art Dubai has invited the not-for-profit arts organization Bidoun Projects to curate its program of special projects highlighting the importance of collaboration in the region. With the Bazaar as its theme, the 2010 guest curators are Aram Moshayedi, of LAXART, and the curatorial team of Sohrab Mohebbi and Ozge Orsoy.
Where: Dubai, UAE
When: March 17th - 20th
Must see: The Poetry of Time, watch collection by Van Cleef and Arpels
Website: http://www.artdubai.ae/
7. The Third Line
The Third Line exhibits contemporary Middle Eastern art quite possibly one of the best galleries of its kind in the region. Since 2005, The Third Line has showcased many solo or group exhibitions of the region's contemporary artists, especially those from Iran.
Their current Ritual Imprints exhibition showcases the new works of Pouran Jinchi. Jinchi’s series of drawings pursues a specific artistic question: to imagine a form for prayer. Her drawings are maps of faith, propelled by questions on the place of religious ritual in a secular age. Ritual Imprints will be on display through February 25, 2010.
Shirin Aliabadi’s Eye Love You will be exhibited from March 15 to April 22, 2010. This is Aliabadi’s first international solo exhibition. She presents her new work in the form of a young girl’s visual diary, the drawings and sketches she composes in class while daydreaming about life, love, and her uncertain future.
The following image shows Dawn 3, 2009, by Pouran Jinchi, waxed charcoal and pencil on Chartham paper.
Where: Dubai, UAE
Must see: All of it
Website: http://www.thethirdline.com
United States
8. Metropolitan Museum of Art
Visitors to the Met will enjoy a rich and diverse collection of Persian artifacts, notably from the Safavid period – a period known for the prolific creation of illuminated manuscripts and the Arts of the Book.. There are approximately 12,000 objects in the Islamic Department’s collection, of which some 1200 will be on display at any given time.
On June 11, 2009, the Met announced the Sharmin and Bijan Mossavar-Rahmani Gallery, which will be dedicated to Safavid and later Persian art (1500-1900). The gallery is part of a suite of rooms included within the Galleries for the Arts of the Arab Lands, Turkey, Iran, Central Asia, and Later South Asia. The galleries will be open to the public in 2011.
The following image shows The Feast of Sadah, from Shahnama (The Book of Kings) of Shah Tahmasp, ca. 1525–30; Safavid period (1501–1722) by Abu'l Qasim Ferdosi. This work is from Tabriz, Iran, and is attributed to Qasim, son of 'Ali, supervised by Aqa Mirak.
Where: New York, New York
Must see: The Arts of the Book
Website: www.metmuseum.org
9. The Brooklyn Museum
The Brooklyn Museum, housed in a 560,000-square-foot Beaux-Arts building, is one of the largest and oldest art museums in the United States.
The museum’s Arts of the Islamic World collection includes about two thousand objects that span thirteen centuries and cultures from around the world. The Islamic art collection builds on an initial holding established by Brooklyn Museum curator Stewart Culin early in the twentieth century. It was most notably through the generosity of curator Charles K. Wilkinson (1897-1974) and of the Ernest Erickson Foundation. The collection ranks among the most important in the United States and, outside of collections in Iran, holds one of the largest and finest works of later Iranian art.
The collection is notable for its Iranian medieval ceramics and tile work (9th-15th centuries); the arts of the Safavid and Qajar dynasties, including miniatures, oil paintings, calligraphy, ceramics, lacquerwork, carpets, textiles, and costumes (16th-20th centuries), and a Mughal collection shared with the museum's Asian Art collection, which includes 9 exquisite folios of the Qissa-i Amir Hamza (Hamza-nama).
The museum's collection of Qajar art is considered one of the best outside of Iran.
The following image shows Prince Yahya by Muhammad Hasan, active 1808-1840. It's oil on canvas, ca. 1835-1836, 67 x 35 in. (170.2 x 88.9 cm), a gift of Mr. and Mrs. Charles K. Wilkinson located in the Arts of the Islamic World section, 2nd Floor.
Where: Brooklyn, New York
Must see: The Qajar Dynasty collection
Website: www.brooklynmuseum.org/opencollection/...
10. Smithsonian Museum: Freer and Sackler Galleries
The Freer Gallery of Art, established in 1923, and its sister museum, the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, which opened in 1987, are among the Smithsonian's sixteen museums. The galleries, connected by an underground exhibition space, are located behind the Smithsonian Castle on the National Mall. These two combined galleries comprise the US National Museum of Asian Art and house approximately 30,000 objects from Asia—including a rich variety of objects from Iran. The Freer and Sackler galleries have one of the finest collections of Islamic art in the United States, with a special focus on ceramics and illustrated manuscripts.
Of note is an important collection of ceramics from the 9th–13th century, representing a variety of shapes, techniques, and designs. In addition, a collection of prized 9th–19th-century Korans (complete volumes and detached folios) and a distinguished collection of illustrated and illuminated manuscripts from Iran are housed in the galleries.
The following image shows Woman with a Veil, attributed to Riza Abbasi (ca. 1565–1635), Iran, Isfahan. It's Opaque watercolor, ink, and gold on paper, 34.2 x 21.5 cm (13 1/2 x 8 1/2 in).
Where: Washington, DC
Must see: 9th–13th century ceramics
Website: http://www.asia.si.edu
11. Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)
The Los Angeles County Museum is unique among American arts institutions in that it regularly exhibits Iranian art from the fourth millennium B.C. up to the present. The museum will reopen its redesigned ancient Iranian galleries in late May, 2010.
The Los Angeles County Museum of Art houses an impressive collection of Islamic art, which includes Iranian art from the 7th century to present day. The museum began its concentration on Islamic art beginning in 1973, with the acquisition of the Nasli M. Heeramaneck Collection. The focus and scope of the collection has grown since then.
The museum holds approximately 1,700 works of Islamic art, with 150 examples on view at any one time. The collection includes ceramics, metalwork, glass, carved wood and stone, and manuscript illustration, and calligraphy. The museum is known for its collection of glazed pottery and tiles from Iran and its glass collection from the late seventh to the mid-thirteenth century; and Persian arts of the book. There are notable pieces from Isfahan, Herat, Kashan, Shiraz, Tabriz, and Qazvin.
From November 14, 2009 to January 18, 2010, the museum offered a special installation of its two great 16th–century Persian carpets: A Tale of Two Persian Carpets: The Ardabil and Coronation Carpets. Dating to the first half of the 16th century, LACMA’s two spectacular Persian carpets, both the gift of J. Paul Getty, have only rarely been exhibited due in part to their size and their sensitivity to light. For the first time, these large and sumptuous carpets were shown together, affording visitors the opportunity to see two of the world’s most renowned Persian carpets and to learn something of their fascinating history before and after they left Iran. This installation was sponsored in part by the Farhang Foundation.
The museum is currently exhibiting photographs by the contemporary artist Malekeh Nayini through February 21, 2010. Opening on February 27 and closing on July 4, 2010, LACMA will exhibit Houra Yaghoubi’s print series Who’s My Generation; it is the first showing of Yaghoubi’s work in the United States. Next will be an installation of six prints from Yassaman Ameri's series: Inheritance, also a first showing in the United States.
To celebrate the 1,000-year anniversary of the completion of Ferdosi’s great epic poem, Shahnama, LACMA will also exhibit four recently acquired and spectacular 16th century paintings from the Shahnama.
The following image shows Rustam Shoots Isfandiyar in the Eye, Iran, circa 1560, from Shahnama. It's opaque watercolor heightened with gold and silver on paper.
Where: Los Angeles, California
Must see: Houra Yaghoubi print series,Who’s My Generation
Website: www.lacma.org/islamic_art/lip.htm
12. San Francisco Asian Art Museum
The San Francisco Asian Art Museum holds a smaller collection of Persian artifacts but is certainly worth a visit. Its Persian World and West Asia gallery holds about 400 pieces from Iran, with 50 objects on permanent display. In fact, the largest part of the museum’s West Asian collection is comprised of objects from Iran.
The gallery holds an impressive collection of beautiful and rare ceramics from the Neolithic period to 19th century, Luristan and Islamic metalwork, miniature paintings, and illustrated manuscripts.
The superb ceramics collection is surveyed in a recent full-color book titled Persian Ceramics from the Collections of the Asian Art Museum.
The following image shows a bowl, circa 900-1000, earthenware with underglaze slip decoration from Northeastern Iran, Nishapur.
Where: San Francisco, California
Must see: The ceramic collection
Website: www.asianart.org
Sign up for the PARSA Email Newsletter