“The Glory of Ancient Persia” - Exhibition of Iranian Cultural Relics (5) Art of Faith

In the 7th century AD, Arabs gradually entered the Iranian plateau, bringing with them the Islamic faith. Against this backdrop, the artistic traditions on the Iranian plateau underwent a transformation due to religious reasons. In fact, this transformation can also be seen as the resilient traditions and independence of Iranian culture further developing Islamic art. Early Islamic art continuously drew nourishment from Sassanian aesthetics. By the time of the Ilkhanate period of the Mongols, Eastern influences began to be incorporated. Islamic faith does not accept idolatry, so the figurative art of humans or gods gradually diminished, replaced by various geometric or patterned decorations, and even various forms of Arabic calligraphy became important decorative themes in temples. This section will showcase exhibits such as a Persian inscribed silver bowl from the Bayingolin Mongol Autonomous Prefecture Museum (Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region), as well as a Fergana bottle, a figurative glazed pottery plate, and an underglaze blue and white porcelain plate from the National Museum of Iran. Fergana Bottle (Fig. 1) 11th-12th century AD (Seljuk Dynasty) Height: 11.3 cm, Mouth diameter: 2.3 cm Reza Khorasan Province, Nishapur Figurative Glazed Pottery Plate (Fig. 2) 13th-14th century AD (Ilkhanate) Height: 6.3 cm, Diameter: 33.2 cm Golestan Province, Gorgan Underglaze Blue and White Porcelain Plate (Fig. 3) 14th century AD (Yuan Dynasty) Height: 9.0 cm, Diameter: 57.5 cm Ardabil Province, Sheikh Safi al-Din Ardabili Mausoleum