Shah 'Abbas: The Remaking of Iran at the British Museum

Shah 'Abbas: The Remaking of Iran at the British Museum

23 March, 2009
by: Dominick

Through half a dozen rooms at the British Museum are displayed a series of pictures, sculptures and artefects illustrating the taste and culture of Persia, hooking itself around the life of Shah 'Abas, who ruled Iran from 1587 to 1629. This period of incomparable activity, artistry and inspiration almost exactly matched a similar creative zenith in Elizabethan England.

From the carpets under foot to pictures on the walls, and magnificent gold and bronze objects – many of them vase-like stands for stately oil lamps – the collection conjures up the opulence and taste of the Shah's quarters.

This is not a grand, or grandiloquent, collection; but more an opportunity to see how the Shah filled his palaces with pictures, carpets and objects both useful and decorative. To some extent the exhibition is dominated by the images of domed temples and tombs, along with a celebration of Isfahan, Persia's most beautiful city, less grand, but much more striking than modern Tehran.

This collection, and its appearance at the British Museum, could not be better timed. The display is a welcome celebration of Iranian art, and has a highly topical focus on the practice of Shi'a Islam, a religious discipline established by Sha 'Abbas in  seventeenth century Iran, and persisting to this day. The show provides a fascinating insight into the cultural origins of one of the major sects, which was intended to rebuild faith rather than sow division.

In all, this relatively small collection is well worth a visit, garnished us usual with illustrations and catalogues available to buy at the British Museum shop.


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Dominick