World culture: The exhibition “Culture and art of Iran of the VIII – early XX centuries” opened in the Hermitage

September 8, 2015 on the third floor of the Winter Palace (the State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg) opened the exhibition "Art and Culture of Iran of the VIII - early XX centuries", timed to take place in the State Hermitage of the VIII European Conference of Iranian Studies.

The collection of the State Hermitage Museum is one of the world's largest collections of Iranian art. It has tens of thousands of exhibits and covers all the major periods of the history of Iran. By the nature of the material these sites are very diverse: works of applied art (textiles, metalwork, ceramics, glass, stone), manuscripts, monuments, fine arts, numismatics.

At the exhibition in the halls of the Winter Palace are presented masterpieces of Iranian art, from the world-famous collection of silverware Iranian Sassanid epoch of (III - the middle of the VII century). The public is presented with the collection of pearls: dishes and vessels depicting royal hunting with religious and mythological scenes.  

The collection of Iranian metal objects of the VIII - XX centuries of the State Hermitage Museum is one of the largest among the world's museums. The exhibition shows the silver, bronze (brass) and steel products made by Iranian masters.

A special pride of the museum - a collection of articles of the XV-XVII centuries, which has no equal, is exhibited in the 388 hall. In addition to earthenware products the exhibition presents art glass samples of the XVIII-XIX centuries.

A separate room is dedicated to exposing of the unique panoramic watercolor by P. Y. Piasecki representing sketches of difficult and picturesque way of the Russian embassy in Tehran. In the same hall there are masterpieces from the collection of Persian miniatures of the XVI-XIX centuries. The last room of the exhibition is devoted to the Iranian court painting of the XIX century. Pearls of the hall are portraits of Fath Ali Shah by Mihr-Ali.

Since the beginning of the XX century the Hermitage has become one of the main centers for the study of Iranian culture and art in our country. The current generation of researchers continues the work of its great teachers.