Persia

"Persia: Thirty Centuries of Art and Culture" is a striking survey of 3000 years of Persian art. Officially called Iran from 1935, this country has made a major contribution to the culture of many civilizations. Indigenous, Greek, Arab, Mongolian and Turkish dynasties have ruled Persia over the ages, and this survey of art and objects from the Hermitage Museum reveals the vivid and influential dialogue that craftsmen had with their rulers. These foreign civilizations were in turn profoundly affected by the art from this country. Accompanying an exhibition, this catalogue includes a range of essays that are timeless in their approach to the interface of Iranian art and other cultures. Persian merchants and embassies frequently visited Moscow and St Petersburg. Further exposure to foreign influence arose from conflict. Darius and Alexander the Great and the Emperor Valerian were just a few of the powers vying for control of Persia. We are introduced to objects from Antiquity such as the Scythian gold jewellery from Tsar Peter the Great's Siberian Collection. There are fine examples of the Sassinid's renowned silverware.
The great Islamic tradition of calligraphy and manuscript painting is well represented in the chapter on Persian painting. The Islamic period is the crux of the exhibition and, along with its miniatures, yields beautiful and skillfully crafted bronze objects. Later, in the nineteenth century, the Qajar period, artistic talent continued to thrive, and the show ends with the portrait painting so admired at the time. This book both engages and teaches the reader. It provides a rounded and important introduction to the art of Persia.