Selected Images

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  Star Tile, Iran, Kashan or Takht-i Sulayman, possibly AH 690/1291–1292 
  Star Tile, Iran, Kashan or Takht-i Sulayman, possibly AH 690/1291–1292 

  Star Tile, Iran, Kashan or Takht-i Sulayman, possibly AH 690/1291–1292
  Stonepaste; luster and cobalt painted on opaque white glaze

  Star tiles decorated with single animals adorned the walls of Takht-i-Sulayman, the summer palace of the Ilkhanid ruler Abaqa Khan (r. 1265–1282). The animal theme was suitable for the decoration of this palace because of its location in a wooded region in northwest Iran, an area ideal for hunting. A Persian quatrain shown along the border of the tile may suggest another layer of meaning: “Do you know, o my admired one, why / My two oppressed eyes are full of tears? / My eyes draw from the desire of your lips, / Water from the mouth of my pupils. . . .”
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  Jar, Iran, sixth century  
  Jar, Iran, sixth century  

  Jar, Iran, sixth century
  Silver-gilt; hammered, repoussé, chased, and mercury gilded

  This silver-gilt vessel, with its scrolling vines, leaves, grapes, birds, and bear, combines two of the most popular artistic motifs in the late antique period: a love of gardens and Dionysiac themes. The symbolism of the grapevine came to represent eternal life and abundance.

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  Mirror Case, Iran, probably Shiraz, mid-nineteenth century   
  Mirror Case, Iran, probably Shiraz, mid-nineteenth century   

  Mirror Case, Iran, probably Shiraz, mid-nineteenth century
  Watercolor, gold-colored pigments, metallic particles, and lacquer on pasteboard

  The front and back covers of this mirror case are adorned with roses and carefully studied nightingales. The rose and nightingale motif (gul u bulbul) is cherished in Persian literary and artistic traditions. The rose symbolizes the beloved, who has thorns and can be cruel, and the nightingale, the lover, who sings endlessly of his longing. This depiction of earthly devotion can be inferred to represent divine love and the soul’s search for a union with God. The gul u bulbul motif came to be associated with the city of Shiraz, a leading center of lacquer production in Qajar-era Iran.

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  Folio of Calligraphy, India, late sixteenth–early seventeenth century  
  Folio of Calligraphy, India, late sixteenth–early seventeenth century  

  Signed Muhammad Husayn al-Katib
  Indian, active sixteenth century
  Folio of Calligraphy, India, late sixteenth–early seventeenth century
  Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper

  The text includes a ghazal by Amir Shahi, in Persian:

  In the presence of your face, who would talk of jasmine?
  In the presence of the lane where you live, who would talk of the lawn of the garden?
  They all spoke of their pain in the presence of the beloved,
  Who am I, who would speak of me?
  Faced with your ruby lips the bud tightened its lips,
  In your presence who would speak of that mouth?
  If the breeze does not arrive from the beloved,
  Who will tell the secret to every gathering?

  Muhammad Husayn al-Katib, favored calligrapher of Mughal emperor Akbar (r. 1556–1605), penned in nasta‘liq script these lines, which include one of the Beautiful Names of God in Arabic and poetry verses in Persian by Amir Shahi (d. 1453), a poet of the Timurid period. Mughal emperors encouraged the naturalistic depiction of flora and fauna. Birds embellish the verses, and one bird (second from the top on the left) may be a golden pheasant. Indigenous to China and highly prized, it would have arrived in India through trade or as a diplomatic gift.

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  Bookbinding, Iran, third quarter of the sixteenth century
  Bookbinding, Iran, third quarter of the sixteenth century

  Attributed to Aqa Mirak
  Persian, active sixteenth century
  Bookbinding, Iran, third quarter of the sixteenth century
  Watercolor, gold-colored pigments, and lacquer on pasteboard

  Two essential elements of Persian kingship—feasting and hunting—are seen on these lacquer book covers attributed to the celebrated Safavid master painter Aqa Mirak. Seen here, a prince and his courtiers enjoy a banquet in a lush garden. This scene of princely pleasure is complemented by another depicting horsemen in pursuit of game. Hunting and warfare allowed princes and courtiers to display their equestrian and archery skills, and hunting often serves as a metaphor for military might and kingship in Persian literature and art.

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  Dervish, Iran, late sixteenth–mid seventeenth century
  Dervish, Iran, late sixteenth–mid seventeenth century

  Dervish, Iran, late sixteenth–mid seventeenth century
  Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper

  This dervish’s contemplative state is aided by the wine in his hand. In Sufi poetry, a drunken dervish is someone intoxicated with the love of God. The roses in the foreground are a metaphor for the divine beloved and a reminder of the dervish’s quest for union with God. Depictions of blue and white porcelains like the bowl in the bottom right corner appear in representations of dervishes after Shah ‘Abbas, who had donated Chinese porcelains to the shrine of Shaykh Safi, founder of the Sufi order of the Safavid dynasty in Ardabil in 1611.

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  Pear, Iran, nineteenth century 
  Pear, Iran, nineteenth century 

  Pear, Iran, nineteenth century
  Steel; inlaid with gold

  The Qur’an promises believers ripe fruits in its description of paradise: “This is the Paradise that you have been given . . . . Therein you have abundant fruits” (Qur’an 43:72–73). Depictions of ripe fruit came to represent the promise of paradise. During the Qajar period, steel fruits such as this pear became popular. These decorative objects allowed their owners to have perpetually perfect fruit, evoking a vision of paradise—a world like their own but intensified, idealized, and eternalized.

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  Embroidered Panel, Iran, seventeenth century   
  Embroidered Panel, Iran, seventeenth century   

  Embroidered Panel, Iran, seventeenth century
  Velvet, cotton, and metal-wrapped thread

  Large velvets sumptuously embroidered with silk and metal-wrapped threads were produced under the Safavids (1501–1722). The designs are very similar to classical Persian carpets, but the exact function of these textiles is uncertain. They may have served as a lighter floor covering for the hot summer months, or they may have hung on walls as lavish decorations. The high degree of symmetry in this design attests to the skill and precision of the embroiderers.

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  The “King Umberto II Polonaise” Carpet, Iran, probably Isfahan or Kashan, early seventeenth century 
  The “King Umberto II Polonaise” Carpet, Iran, probably Isfahan or Kashan, early seventeenth century 

  The “King Umberto II Polonaise” Carpet, Iran, probably Isfahan or Kashan, early seventeenth century
  Silk pile and gilt-silver, foil-wrapped silk thread on a foundation (warp and weft) of cotton and silk

  Lustrous silk pile and precious metal-wrapped threads make this carpet one of the most important examples woven by Safavid court weavers. Though they appear muted as a result of tarnish and fading, these carpets were once coveted in Europe for their brilliant sheen and bold colors. The moniker “Polonaise” was coined after examples woven with Polish coats of arms were shown at the nineteenth-century Paris Exposition Universelle. This carpet was owned by the Italian royal family and was among the possessions of the House of Savoy until the death of Umberto II in 1983, the last king of Italy.

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  Folio from a Shahnama of Firdausi, Iran, Shiraz, AH 741–742/1341
  Folio from a Shahnama of Firdausi, Iran, Shiraz, AH 741–742/1341

  “Kay Khusrau Flees from Turan to Iran and Crosses the River Jaihun with Giv and Farangis” 
  Folio from a Shahnama of Firdausi, Iran, Shiraz, AH 741–742/1341
  Opaque watercolor, ink, and gold on paper

  A recurrent theme in the Shahnama is familial conflict. The monarch Kay Khusrau and his wife Farangis hold a council of war with the paladin Giv and his military officers. The verses immediately preceding and next to the first painting come from Giv’s address to Kay Khusrau: “The river will give you passage, / You who has glory and stature and would adorn a throne.” Below, Kay Khusrau bravely breaks the torrent and leads his cavalry across the river.

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   Nasir al-Din Shah, Iran, Tehran, ca. 1848  
   Nasir al-Din Shah, Iran, Tehran, ca. 1848  

   Nasir al-Din Shah, Iran, Tehran, ca. 1848
  Opaque watercolor and graphite on paper

  Nasir al-Din Shah (r. 1848–1896), fourth ruler of the Qajar dynasty, projects a powerful presence. The shah, who acceded to the throne at age seventeen, wears a European-style military uniform. He is flanked by his first prime minister, Amir Kabir, and army representatives. One half of the king’s body is grounded in the physical world, while the other half is in a golden sky, affirming both earthly and divine authority. A keen painter, photographer, and art patron, Nasir al-Din Shah collaborated with court painters to craft his image. This portrait of the young ruler marks the beginning of a prolific, creative period of royal portraiture.

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  Inkwell, Pakistan, Sindh, eighteenth century
  Inkwell, Pakistan, Sindh, eighteenth century

  Inkwell, Pakistan, Sindh, eighteenth century
  Steel; overlaid with gold (koftgari)

  This inkwell is dedicated to Mir Fateh ‘Ali Sarkar-i Khan Talpur (r. 1783–1801/2), chief of the Talpurs, a tribe that conquered and ruled Sindh, in present-day Pakistan, from 1783 until 1843. The slit in the inkwell’s base, which makes it possible for a belt to pass through, suggests its portability and importance as part of courtly attire. The gold overlay, delicate decoration, and dedicatory inscription emphasize the power and prestige of the written word.