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British Museum to Open Shah 'Abbas: The Remaking of Iran

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  • British Museum to Open Shah 'Abbas: The Remaking of Iran

    Art Daily
    Jan 6 2009


    British Museum to Open Shah 'Abbas: The Remaking of Iran



    LONDON.- In February 2009, the British Museum will open the first
    major exhibition to explore the rule and legacy of Shah 'Abbas, one of
    the formative figures in the creation of modern Iran. Shah of Iran
    from 1587 ` 1629 AD, he is remembered as one of the country's most
    influential kings and a great military leader, ruling Iran at a time
    of political renewal, when it succeeded in positioning itself as a
    world power with a sharply defined national identity.

    Shah 'Abbas came to the throne in 1587, the fifth ruler of the Safavid
    Dynasty. Through trade, patronage and diplomacy Shah 'Abbas fostered
    good relations with Europe and ushered in a golden period in the arts,
    commissioning beautiful works of art and grand architecture. He was a
    great builder and restorer of major monuments across the country and
    this architectural legacy will provide the context in which to explore
    the themes of his reign. The exhibition will feature luxurious
    gold-ground carpets, exquisite Chinese porcelains, illustrated
    manuscripts, watercolour paintings, metalwork and beautiful silks,
    objects similar to those Shah 'Abbas gave to important religious sites
    across Iran. The famous calligrapher Ali Riza 'Abbasi was a key figure
    throughout Shah 'Abbas's reign and examples of his work will feature
    prominently in the exhibition.

    Shah 'Abbas was a man with a strong sense of personal piety; though
    Shi'ism was declared the state religion of Iran in 1501, it was Shah
    'Abbas who consolidated its preeminence through the rule of law and
    the suppression of heterodox Shi'i sects and extremist dervish
    orders. The clerics in the circle of Shah 'Abbas established the
    parameters of Shi'i orthodoxy and in so doing strengthened the role of
    the religious elite throughout Iran.

    In association with The Iran Heritage Foundation, the exhibition will
    feature extraordinary loans, never before seen outside of Iran,
    alongside loans from Europe and the US. The exhibition is the third in
    a series examining empire and power in different parts of the globe
    and follows exhibitions on the First Emperor of China and the Roman
    emperor Hadrian.

    "Shah 'Abbas was restless, decisive, ruthless and intelligent. This
    exhibition will provide a rare opportunity to learn about this
    important ruler. Shah 'Abbas was a critical figure in the development
    of Iran and his legacy is still with us today." Sheila Canby, curator
    of the exhibition

    The exhibition will focus on four key sites which Shah `Abbas
    transformed or embellished as public statements of royal power.

    Isfahan: the new capital
    Shah 'Abbas made Isfahan his new capital in 1598 and it became his
    main administrative city and the seat of his power. He completed an
    ambitious building programme, including the construction of a royal
    palace and his personal mosque (named after his father-in-law and
    spiritual advisor Shaykh Lutf Allah) as well as new quarters for the
    Safavid elite and the Armenian merchant class which drove Iran's
    international silk trade. It was also the site of the royal artists'
    workshop, led by the famous calligrapher Ali Riza 'Abbasi.

    Ardabil: the ancestral shrine
    Ardabil contains the tomb of Shaykh Safi, a fourteenth-century sufi
    mystic and ancestor of Shah 'Abbas. The site contained a lodge for
    dervishes who followed the Shaykh's teaching and was the dynastic
    shrine of the Shah's family. Under Shah 'Abbas the role of this
    complex as a symbol of the Safavid Dynasty grew. He renovated the
    shrine, gifting magnificent decorative objects, including precious
    Chinese porcelains, mosque lamps and important manuscripts, examples
    of which can been seen in the exhibition.

    Mashhad: the tomb of the martyred Imam
    Mashhad is a holy shrine of huge significance. It is the burial site
    of Imam Riza, the only Shi'i imam, or infallible spiritual guide, who
    is buried in Iran. The Shah himself walked in pilgrimage to the shrine
    from Isfahan, a distance of 600 miles. It houses the Shah's collection
    of Qur'ans and Arabic scientific manuscripts and other elegant
    furnishings for the many chambers of the shrine. Objects similar to
    those given by the Shah to Mashhad will be on display.

    Qum: studying the faith
    Qum is the shrine of Fatimeh Ma'sumeh, the sister of Imam Riza and a
    focus of Safavid female piety and spirituality. By the seventeenth
    century many religious colleges were associated with the shrine, a
    situation that continues to this day. At the very end of his reign
    Shah 'Abbas took a particular interest in this shrine and after his
    death his successors donated exquisite silk brocades, calligraphy and
    manuscripts.

    Research, undertaken by the British Museum's Dr Sheila Canby and
    Professor Robert Gleave from Exeter University, investigating the
    importance of Shah 'Abbas in renovating these key religious spaces
    have contributed to a better/greater understanding of their
    importance. Funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)
    this research has been key in the preparation of the exhibition.

    http://www.artdaily.com/index.asp?int _sec=2&int_new=28236
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