S IS FOR SHAH ABBAS
A forthcoming show at the British Museum celebrates the beauty of Isfahan. By Kamin Mohammadi
Its turquoise domes, arched bridges, splendid palaces and vast covered bazaars make Isfahan Iran’s most magical city. The Iranian saying “Isfahan is half the world” was echoed by the 19th-century British traveller Robert Byron, who ranked Isfahan “among those rarer places like Athens or Rome, which are the common refreshment of humanity”. Its huge central square is now a UNESCO world heritage site.
From next month, visitors to London can experience something of Isfahan’s treasures at the British Museum, thanks to an exhibition mounted in association with the Iran Heritage Foundation. Shah Abbas: The Remaking of Iran examines the legacy of one of the country’s most influential kings, the fifth shah of the Safavid dynasty, who reigned from 1587 to 1629 and made Isfahan his capital. In his time, Shah Abbas was responsible for re-establishing Iran as a world power, fostering good relations with Europe, and encouraging the arts and crafts to bloom.
“Shah Abbas inherited an unstable, economically depressed realm in 1587,” says British Museum curator Sheila Canby. “In order to restore Iran to peace and prosperity he needed to stabilise the economy by finding new markets and expanding the silk trade, and to reaffirm the rule of law and secure his borders. In fact, the borders of modern Iran today are more or less those established by Shah Abbas.”
The exhibition, which coincides with the 30th anniversary of the Iranian Revolution, will include at least 50 objects lent by the National Museum of Iran, such as porcelain and jade objects. It is another example of the good relationship between the British Museum and National Museum of Iran, following on from the successful Forgotten Empire: The World of Ancient Persia in 2005.
Shah Abbas: The Remaking Of Iran is at the British Museum from 19 February to 14 June, www.britishmuseum.com
5 MORE GREAT EXHIBITIONS TO SEE IN LONDON IN 2009
Van Dyck And Britain
18 February-16 May
Some of the 17th-century Dutch painter’s most sumptuous work goes on show at Tate Britain. www.tate.org.uk
Picasso: Challenging The Past
25 February-7 June
Revisit the National Gallery’s Old Masters through the work of this 20th-century great. www.nationalgallery.org.uk
Dressed To Kill
From April
On the 500th anniversary of King Henry VIII’s accession to the throne, see his youthful portraits at the Tower of London, alongside his armour. www.hrp.org.uk
Garden And Cosmos
28 May-23 August
A rare chance to see the “royal paintings of Jodhpur” at the British Museum. www.britishmuseum.org
Sold Out
1 October 2009-17 January 2010
Andy Warhol, Jeff Koons, Takashi Murakami, Richard Prince and Damien Hirst are among the artists whose work is included in this reappraisal of the Pop Art movement and its legacy, at Tate Modern. www.tate.org.uk |
