Safavid Art and Architecture

The era of Safavid rule (1501-1722) was a time of dynamic religious and political development in Iran, when all the arts attained new heights of brilliance and opulence and architecture flourished with the growth of cities. This volume publishes 19 papers given at a conference at The British Museum in 1998. Representing the most recent work of the foremost scholars in the field, they deal with aspects of Safavid painting and the conservation of works on paper, architecture, archaeology, metalwork, textiles and ceramics, and demonstrate the revival of the study of later Iranian art after the Revolution and the war with Iraq. The broad range of subjects covered signals a lively area of research that has benefited from the increased interchange between scholars from Europe, the USA and Iran and a more open view in Iran towards foreign travellers, and the book will provide a deeper insight into one of the most compelling periods of modern history.