Bestowing Beauty: Masterpieces from Persian Lands November 19, 2017–February 11, 2018
Pear, Iran, 19th century, steel, inlaid with gold, the Hossein Afshar Collection.
Embroidered Panel, Iran, late 16th–early 17th century, velvet, cotton, and metal-wrapped thread, the Hossein Afshar Collection.
Iran, Mirror Case, mid-19th century, watercolor, gold-colored pigments, metallic particles, and lacquer on pasteboard, the Hossein Afshar Collection at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.
Star Tile, Iran, Kashan or Takht-i Sulayman, late 13th century, stonepaste; luster and cobalt painted on opaque white glaze, the Hossein Afshar Collection at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.
Mahmud Muzahhib, Tyranny of a Teacher Is Better than the Love of a Father, folio from a Gulistan of Saʿdi, Uzbekistan, Bukhara, c. 1560, opaque watercolor, gold, and ink on paper, the Hossein Afshar Collection.
Dervish, Afghanistan, Herat, late 16th century, ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper, the Hossein Afshar Collection.
Bowl with Fish, Iran, probably Kashan, late 13th–mid-14th century, stonepaste; black decoration under transparent turquoise glaze, the Hossein Afshar Collection.
Attributed to Agha Mirak, Book Binding, Iran, late 16th century, watercolor, gold-colored pigments, and lacquer on pasteboard, the Hossein Afshar Collection.
Bestowing Beauty: Masterpieces from Persian Lands features more than 100 works of art from the 6th to the 19th century, on view to the public for the first time. The exhibition highlights the rich artistic and cultural heritage of Iranian civilization.
Drawn from the Hossein Afshar Collection—one of the most significant collections of Persian art held in private hands—these objects are rarely displayed publicly. The works span a range of media, including carpets, textiles, manuscripts, paintings, ceramics, lacquer, metalwork, scientific instruments, and jeweled objects.
Among the extraordinary selection are exquisite miniature paintings from the Shahnama, the Iranian national epic; a range of historically significant ceramics; precious inlaid metal wares; finely woven silk fabrics; and a monumental silk carpet from the apex of Safavid dynasty carpet production.
Related Publications
The Legacy of Persian Art: Masterpieces from the Hossein Afshar Collection and Bestowing Beauty: Masterpieces from Persian Lands—Selections from the Hossein Afshar Collection are available through the MFA Shop (713.639.7360) and the Museum’s Hirsch Library (713.639.7325).
This exhibition is organized by the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.