I've had an intense fascination with alphabets and scripts since I was a kid. My parents were especially encouraging of my interest in languages and often allowed me to experiment (via paintbrush) with Hindi, Burmese, Ukrainian, and Chinese on the walls of our house and refrigerator (it helps that my mom is an artist!). As a visual learner, I can say that studying a new writing system is one of the most exciting aspects of a language course and today, our class reviewed the 33 letters of the Persian Alef-Ba. I find Persia's linguistic history --especially it's varied scripts which are thousands of years old--to be a fun way to connect with Persia's vast history. One of my favorite websites is: AncientScripts.com. Here are a few images of Persia's many writing systems: Proto-Elamite 3300 BCE to 500 BCE Elamite Old Persian 550 BCE to 400 BCE Pahlavi (Middle Persian) 3rd century BCE to 9th century CE New Persian 1,000+ years old
Falnama is a book of omens used by fortune tellers in Iran and Turkey during the 16th and 17th centuries as the approach of the Islamic millennium (year 1000) inspired concern about the future. Individuals seeking insight into the future would engage in a series of purification rituals, turn to a random page in the Falnama, and interpret the text and drawings thereon for good or ill. Falnamas were not only common objects used by fortune tellers, but also appended to copies of the Koran commissioned by rulers and wealthy individuals. Despite its apparent popularity in the ancient world, only four copies of the large "folio" Falnamas are known to remain in existence. Thames & Hudson published a gorgeous book about Falnamas in 2010. Here is the link: http://www.thamesandhudson.com/Falnama/9780500515112 I first encountered Falnamas in an art history course about images of the Prophet Muhammad and was totally captivated by their use of color and provocative imagery-- reminding me of tarot cards. As a new academic year begins, I wonder what the future looks like. Let's hope it doesn't look like inferno!
Falnama is a book of omens used by fortune tellers in Iran and Turkey during the 16th and 17th centuries as the approach of the Islamic millennium (year 1000) inspired concern about the future. Individuals seeking insight into the future would engage in a series of purification rituals, turn to a random page in the Falnama, and interpret the text and drawings thereon for good or ill. Falnamas were not only common objects used by fortune tellers, but also appended to copies of the Koran commissioned by rulers and wealthy individuals. Despite its apparent popularity in the ancient world, only four copies of the large "folio" Falnamas are known to remain in existence. Thames & Hudson published a gorgeous book about Falnamas in 2010. Here is the link: http://www.thamesandhudson.com/Falnama/9780500515112 I first encountered Falnamas in an art history course about images of the Prophet Muhammad and was totally captivated by their use of color and provocative imagery-- reminding me of tarot cards. As a new academic year begins, I wonder what the future looks like. Let's hope it doesn't look like inferno!
Mohammad Reza Domiri Ganji has an affinity for capturing the breathtaking nature of Iran's grand architecture. His series of photographs showcase the
As a final presentation for my Persian language course, I recently made a PowerPoint about Iran's diverse geography and landscape. I used several images from one of my favorite photography books-- Paradise Lost: Persia from Above by Georg Gerster. Between 1976 and 1978 (right before the Islamic revolution) Gerster was granted rare permission from Queen Farah Pahlavi to record the landscapes and cities of Persia through aerial photography. My favorite photos are those of old citadels and oases irrigated through qanats (see the last image). The title suggests that 'paradise' is lost because since 1979 no one has been able to document Iran's geography this thoroughly-- in fact, the only aerial imagery we see today from Iran are poor-quality photos of nuclear facilities. Several of Gerster's images also document many places that have been destroyed by earthquakes since the 70s-- making Gerster's project even more valuable. Highly recommended for anyone interested in Iranian history, agriculture, and art. The word 'paradise' is derived from the the ancient Iranian word--'paridayda' in Old Persian (rendered 'parádeisos' in Ancient Greek) which was meant to describe an oasis or cultivated area. The ability to channel water into the deserts was indeed one of the most transformative engineering feats of ancient Iranians and was deemed sacred. The ancient gardens of Cyrus the Great were therefore called 'paridayda'.
Falnama is a book of omens used by fortune tellers in Iran and Turkey during the 16th and 17th centuries as the approach of the Islamic millennium (year 1000) inspired concern about the future. Individuals seeking insight into the future would engage in a series of purification rituals, turn to a random page in the Falnama, and interpret the text and drawings thereon for good or ill. Falnamas were not only common objects used by fortune tellers, but also appended to copies of the Koran commissioned by rulers and wealthy individuals. Despite its apparent popularity in the ancient world, only four copies of the large "folio" Falnamas are known to remain in existence. Thames & Hudson published a gorgeous book about Falnamas in 2010. Here is the link: http://www.thamesandhudson.com/Falnama/9780500515112 I first encountered Falnamas in an art history course about images of the Prophet Muhammad and was totally captivated by their use of color and provocative imagery-- reminding me of tarot cards. As a new academic year begins, I wonder what the future looks like. Let's hope it doesn't look like inferno!
Falnama is a book of omens used by fortune tellers in Iran and Turkey during the 16th and 17th centuries as the approach of the Islamic millennium (year 1000) inspired concern about the future. Individuals seeking insight into the future would engage in a series of purification rituals, turn to a random page in the Falnama, and interpret the text and drawings thereon for good or ill. Falnamas were not only common objects used by fortune tellers, but also appended to copies of the Koran commissioned by rulers and wealthy individuals. Despite its apparent popularity in the ancient world, only four copies of the large "folio" Falnamas are known to remain in existence. Thames & Hudson published a gorgeous book about Falnamas in 2010. Here is the link: http://www.thamesandhudson.com/Falnama/9780500515112 I first encountered Falnamas in an art history course about images of the Prophet Muhammad and was totally captivated by their use of color and provocative imagery-- reminding me of tarot cards. As a new academic year begins, I wonder what the future looks like. Let's hope it doesn't look like inferno!
اثر لاکی، اوایل سده ۱۹ A LACQUERWORK PAINTING, PERSIA, EARLY 19TH CENTURY, EARLY 19TH CENTURY of broad rectangular format, depicting a lady with a child on her lap, a maiden with a duck standing behind the chair, a landscape visible in the distance, and a vase of flowers in the foreground, borderd with scrolling naturalistic flowers within gold ground cartouches 29.6 by 23.6cm.
Persian is a beautifully lyrical and highly emotional language, one that adds a touch of poetry to everyday phrases. Discover these 18 poetic Persian phrases you'll wish English had.
Discover the most beautiful places in Iran, from the most breathtaking mosques to the most unique desert castles!
German ceramist Marianne Starck (b. 1931) was the art director for the Danish pottery company Michael Andersen & Son from 1955 until 1993 wh...
As a final presentation for my Persian language course, I recently made a PowerPoint about Iran's diverse geography and landscape. I used several images from one of my favorite photography books-- Paradise Lost: Persia from Above by Georg Gerster. Between 1976 and 1978 (right before the Islamic revolution) Gerster was granted rare permission from Queen Farah Pahlavi to record the landscapes and cities of Persia through aerial photography. My favorite photos are those of old citadels and oases irrigated through qanats (see the last image). The title suggests that 'paradise' is lost because since 1979 no one has been able to document Iran's geography this thoroughly-- in fact, the only aerial imagery we see today from Iran are poor-quality photos of nuclear facilities. Several of Gerster's images also document many places that have been destroyed by earthquakes since the 70s-- making Gerster's project even more valuable. Highly recommended for anyone interested in Iranian history, agriculture, and art. The word 'paradise' is derived from the the ancient Iranian word--'paridayda' in Old Persian (rendered 'parádeisos' in Ancient Greek) which was meant to describe an oasis or cultivated area. The ability to channel water into the deserts was indeed one of the most transformative engineering feats of ancient Iranians and was deemed sacred. The ancient gardens of Cyrus the Great were therefore called 'paridayda'.
As a final presentation for my Persian language course, I recently made a PowerPoint about Iran's diverse geography and landscape. I used several images from one of my favorite photography books-- Paradise Lost: Persia from Above by Georg Gerster. Between 1976 and 1978 (right before the Islamic revolution) Gerster was granted rare permission from Queen Farah Pahlavi to record the landscapes and cities of Persia through aerial photography. My favorite photos are those of old citadels and oases irrigated through qanats (see the last image). The title suggests that 'paradise' is lost because since 1979 no one has been able to document Iran's geography this thoroughly-- in fact, the only aerial imagery we see today from Iran are poor-quality photos of nuclear facilities. Several of Gerster's images also document many places that have been destroyed by earthquakes since the 70s-- making Gerster's project even more valuable. Highly recommended for anyone interested in Iranian history, agriculture, and art. The word 'paradise' is derived from the the ancient Iranian word--'paridayda' in Old Persian (rendered 'parádeisos' in Ancient Greek) which was meant to describe an oasis or cultivated area. The ability to channel water into the deserts was indeed one of the most transformative engineering feats of ancient Iranians and was deemed sacred. The ancient gardens of Cyrus the Great were therefore called 'paridayda'.
See Also A Very Beautiful Slide show about Iran (pps) ———– Uramunat- Kurdistan- North western Iran – armenian-church-Azerbaijan- North western Iran
METAL ART Turkic metal artwork dates back to the 3rd century BCE in Turkistan / Central Asia. A silver tray and a candle stick dated 1137 go back to the early Seljuk era in Anatolia. Both pieces are on display at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. Metal artwork reached its peak in the Ottoman Empire with the manufacture of objects such as military swords, helmets, armor, daggers and scimitars. The process started with copper and iron being heated and beaten with a hammer, and forged into convenient shapes called ingots for storage. Later a metal artist would transform these ingots into the object that the market required. By the 15th century, the Ottomans became a world power. After the conquest of Constantinople in 1453, and the Balkan countries, which were rich in gold and silver, the Ottomans established a new era in metalworking. The reputation of Mamluk Turkic metal artwork came from oil lamps found in mosques and imperial palaces. Countless examples of such lamps, decorated in openwork with Rumî and Hatayî motifs have survived from the late 15th century. Candlesticks also became important items among the metalwork of the time. This tradition survived up until the late 20th century. Most of the metal artwork pieces we present are from the late 18th century up to the end of the 19th century. We try here to best describe every item with regard to its history, condition and origin. All items are packed securely so that no damage will occur during shipping. It is always very satisfying and enjoyable to collect such unique artwork and live with it around us. We have built up our collection of metal artwork over many years. Now we want you to find a friend among these objects as we free them for new adventures. – TURKISH FOLK ART
