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Shah 'Abbas

This event has now finished Until Jun 14 2009 British Museum, 44 Great Russell St, London, WC1B 3DG Full details & map

Art: Art museums & institutions

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Portrait of Shah 'Abbas, watercolour of the Shah attributed to Bishn Das, Mughal India, c.1618 Portrait of Shah 'Abbas, watercolour of the Shah attributed to Bishn Das, Mughal India, c.1618 - © The Trustees of the British Museum

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Shah 'Abbas, the Safavid ruler who unified a fragmented, fractious Iran at the turn of the sixteenth century, understood that a renovation of culture was essential for his political aims. He reinvented the ancient city of Isfahan as the new capital of his rule and rolled out a massive programme of cultural works, represented here by items quite as remarkable, delicate and sophisticated as one might expect. Incredible carpets, interwoven with threads of silver, are complemented by exquisite calligraphy and metalwork; an openwork 'alam (a religious standard brought out on holy days) is a particular treat, as are several beautifully painted scenes of dervishes and pilgrims. (FG)

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British Museum, 44 Great Russell St, London WC1B 3DG

British Museum

One of the world's oldest museums, the British Museum is vast and its collections, only a fraction of which can be on public display at any time,...

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Transport Holborn/Russell Square 

Telephone

020 7323 8181

http://www.britishmuseum.org

10am-5.30pm daily, 10am-8.30pm (selected galleries only) Fri

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