Fuchsia has been the Sarikhani Curator for the Iranian Collections at the V&A since 2022. She holds a PhD in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies from the University of Oxford. Her thesis explored the shrine patronage of Fath 'Ali Shah Qajar (r.1797-1834) in Iran and Iraq. Currently, her other research and curatorial projects explore painting during the reign of Fath 'Ali Shah, embroidery traditions in Afghanistan and Uzbekistan, and the collecting of lustre-glazed tiles from Iran in the UK.
See more from: Free Activities Nowruz Festival
Overview
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Part of our Nowruz Festival, this free talk will explore the V&A’s rich and varied collection of objects from Iran – a collection which spans thousands of years in many different media and styles.
The V&A, the UK’s foremost museum of art and design, has been collecting art from Iran since the museum’s very beginnings in the 1850s.
Dr Fuchsia Hart, the museum’s Sarikhani Curator for the Iranian Collections, will introduce us to the Jameel Gallery for the Islamic Middle East, where the museum’s most significant objects from Iran can be seen on display.
Highlights include the remarkable 10-metre-long Ardabil Carpet which was woven c.1539, most likely as a royal commission, and mesmerising lustre-glazed tiles from the 14th century, representing the height of ceramic production in Iran. The collection is still growing today, and now includes important modern and contemporary pieces from Iran, such as the work of contemporary printmakers, which will also be presented in the talk.
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