Epic Iran at the V&A
Picture essay and review: A panoply of heritage and culture which spans five millenia. © Nima Ghadiri
This is an odyssey through numerous eras of Iran’s history, covering art and architecture, places and people in a flowing narrative from 3,200 BC to the present day.
From a reconstruction of the ancient wonder of Persepolis to the architectural splendour of Isfahan, Epic Iran distills a pride in this country’s cultural heritage, putting its darker last few decades into the context of five millenia of fantastic history. Fascinating, at times bewildering, this is not only an exploration of one country but of humanity, and a reminder not to take history for granted.
“It’s a mind-expanding experience” Rachel Campbell-Johnston, The Times
The exhibition is housed in the V&A Museum, the world’s largest museum of applied and decorative arts, and design. This museum has a fascinating relationship with Persian cultural heritage, housing the oldest dated carpet in the world, and is therefore the ideal home for such a showcasing. Many of the artefacts are housed in various collections of the V&A and British Museums, others from the Fitzwilliam in Cambridge and Ashmolean in Oxford, together with the private Sarikhani collection. Due to sanctions, there are no pieces loaned from Iranian museums.
“We started collecting Persian art since the nineteenth century, especially the 1870s. It’s one of the world’s great collections of Persian art” Tim Stanley, lead curator
There are eight sections, starting with a chronological voyage, and subsequently taking detours into poetry, architecture, ancient and modern art.
Early History
At a time when Western Europe was somewhere halfway through the Stone Age, we see an amazing level of detail in art in Iran. Some of the most stunning early pieces include an elfish figure of a man from 3,200 BC and a silver antelope from 3,000 BC, alongside a beautiful bronze axe head with wrestlers from 2,250 BC.
In the choice of artefacts to be exhibited, there is a focus on nature: including a bird-shaped boardgame from 2,500 BC, a bowl adorned with gazelles from around 2,200–2500 BC, a bull from 1200–800 BC and all manner of flora and fauna. These progressively become more embellished between the 6th and 5th centuries BC with lavish decorations signalling the beginning of the Achaemeneid dynasty, the Oxus treasure armlet (below) being a particularly striking example.
Elsewhere, there are other symbols from the Elamite periods, including three terracotta figurines of naked women with their hands cupped underneath their breasts, found by the British archeologist William Loftus in the ancient city of Susa. These are likely to be symbols of fertility:
Empire and Antiquity
Persian dynasties are given their own set pieces, including a recreation of Persepolis — the capital of the Achaemeneid era (550–330 BC). The palaces and centuries of art and religious writings were infamously burned down by Alexander of Macedonia. Here, a combination of reliefs of Persepolis (borrowed from the Fitzwilliam Museum) and a colourful recreation alongside real-life friezes bring the ancient palace complex to life.
The era of expansion and wealth between 500–330 BC brings with it a number of extravagant artistic highlights. These include Rhytons (luxurious drinking vessels of gold or silver which were often given as gifts in courts). Traditions of inlaying gold jewellery with semi-precious stones started in this period.
The exhibition traverses the early dynasties at breakneck speed, moving from the Achaemeneid to the Parthian to the Sassanian dynasties, with a focus remaining on art. The Sassanians (224–637 AD) were known for their silverware and this was the period in which Zoroastrianism became the state religion, with large reformations taking place in government, economy and the military.
Once again, nature was crucial in art, and birds were a particularly important motif in Sassanian art. They likely had a religious significance as well, with the dish on the left below showing one with a halo around its head:
A World History
Some of the artefacts here are of global importance. The Cyrus Cylinder (539–538 BC), loaned from the British museum, is a proclamation of religious and human rights in the Persian empire. Cyrus the Great himself is revered in Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Indeed he is the only non-Jewish figure in the Hebrew Bible referred to as a messiah (or anointed one, Isiaiah 45:1), having defeated Nebuchadnezzar and championed religious freedom allowing all inhabitants of the city “to walk peaceably”, shrines to be restored and for the Jewish people to return to Jerusalem from exile.
Cyrus the Great historically straddles a line between a King and a figure of religious or mythical status. Elsewhere, other Gods and mythial figures are featured, a particularly interesting example is a relief of a God which has been syncretized as both the Hercules/Heracles and the Zoroastrian God Verethragna, representing strength and power.
Books of Kings, Constellations, and Faith
The “Shahnameh” or Book of Kings was written at the beginning of the 11th century AD by Ferdosi. The epic written in the Persian languages Farsi, is filled with heroes and battles of the Sassanid era, combining real history with myths such as the warrior Rostam who single-handedly confronted armies of demons in battle. The stunning manuscripts are richly detailed in both word and image.
Elsewhere, there is a map of the Zodiac, ascribing heavenly qualities to the galaxy. The Book of constellations written by Sufi in 964 AD described the 48 constellations of classical astronomy, and was used to make celestial globes and star charts. These were then used to make calculations of astronomy and astrology, including the horoscope.
Religious books also feature strongly, from stunning Zoroastrian texts to early versions of the Quran. Iran’s old religion of Zoroastrianism was the state religion in the Sassanian period (224–637 AD), and it is still practised today with the main fire temple being in Yazd.
As the rise of Islam occurred in the 7th century AD, this had an impact on art and culture as the state faith changed from Zoroastrianism to Islam.
Poetry remains a cornerstone of culture in Iran, and there is an entire section devoted to its importance in Persian art, with commentary from Hafez, Rumi, Saadi, Omar Khayyam, Ferdowsi and many other legendary figures. There are aso recreations of divans, the bodies of verse collected by each poet.
Cycles of History
The historical expedition traverses centuries and influences from Greece, Mesopotamia, the Mongol Empire, China. The beautiful city of Isfahan became the capital of Iran in the early 16th century under the Safavid dynasty, and its beauty of art and architecture is unparalleled. The founders of the V&A in Victorian times commissioned full copies of Isfahan’s architecture, and these are combined with video images on a dome-shaped screen to give a taste of the era. This includes a mesmerising recreation of ceramic tiles to form the spandrels of an arch from a 17th century palace.
Architectural heritage features strongly here. My father, who was born in Isfahan, describes being given weekly assignments in school to recreate modelling, a heritage which has continued over centuries.
Examples of ceramics and textiles from the last few centuries include this panel which was acquired by R.M. Smith, a Scot living in Tehran, for the V&A and shows scenes from ancient literature:
Advances in textiles in the 13th and 14th century also feature, including the rich silk weaving which was borne out of the Silk Road. The clothes weaved in Iran were worn by members of the Catholic and Orthodox churches in the 16th and 17th centuries.
Iran’s turbulent 18th-20th centuries feature towards the end of the exhibition. There are unflattering descriptions of Qajar era kings who kept large harems, one king asked his concubines to raise their hemlines in order to emulate Western ballet dancers. One blink and Iran reaches the mid 20th century, in which upheaval and mistrust eventually lead to the 1979 revolution and a sad half-century of isolation for the country.
The Contemporary
The last section is devoted to contemporary art, with a large number of modernist pieces and the advent of Pop Art in Iran emerging from the Saqqa-Khanehs in the mid 20th century.
“Modernism wasn’t something that just happened in the West. These artists are testing questions of gender, religion and identity. It’s very exciting…This exhibition is to get to know Iran better and get to know yourself better. It restates something of what it means to be human. That’s what art is for.” Ina Sarikhani Sandmann, Curator
The cyclical nature of life features strongly in the art selected for this section. One of the standout pieces is a minimalist structure called Pupa which reflects moments of transformation:
It is possible that art reflecting transition and cycles is apt for this darker period in Iran’s existence. Photographic essays featuring some of the most turbulent parts of Iran’s recent history feature:
Shirin Neshat’s stunning audiovisual experience Turbulent juxtaposes a video of a man (Shoja Azari) singing a medieval love song by Rumi, surrounded by other men, whilst opposite him a woman (Sussan Deyhim, initially shrouded by the dark) responds with sounds of anguish.
Elsewhere, Miss Hybrid #3 gives a portrait of stifled 21st century urban youth, desperate for freedom.
There is a sad portrait of Iran’s 1951–1953 popular democratic leader Mossadegh, his frail posture seemingly accepting defeat after the US/UK coup d’état to remove him in 1953.
Nevertheless, the exhibition ends with hope, ending with a bronze thorn forming the words “this will also pass”, highlighting the simple fact that the world continues turning, and bad times will eventually be over….
Epic Iran is on at the V&A Museum, London until 12th September 2021. Click here to get tickets.
To read my article 52 sites of iranian culture and world heritage, click here
Or check out this ancient Iranian festival series:
Norouz — The festival of Spring, and rebirth
Yalda — The festival of Winter, and victory of Light over Dark
Mehregan — The festival of Autumn: nature, love, and friendship
Tirgan — Mid-Summer rain festival
