Detail of Shah 'Abbas as depicted on the wall of Chihil Sutun Palace, Isfahan, c.AD 1647 © The Trustees of the British Museum
Exhibition Review – Shah ‘Abbas: The Remaking of Iran, The British Museum, London, February 19 - June 14 2009.
It is the end of the 16th century and Iran is in trouble. The fourth ruler of the Safavid Dynasty’s grip on power is weakening and he is slowly going blind. His people are beginning to squabble among themselves while the neighbouring Ottoman Empire and Uzbek tribes push aggressively into Iranian territory.
30 years later, in 1618, the scene is very different. Potential civil war has been quelled, the Uzbeks in the east are defeated, and a peace treaty has been signed with the Ottoman Empire.
The Iranian capital has moved to the city of Isfahan, now a bustling cultural hub attracting traders and travellers from as far afield as England and India who gape in wonder at the recently constructed ornate architecture.
Who was responsible for this transformation? Step forward one Shah ‘Abbas, a man with ambitions even larger than his sizeable moustache and a considerable knack for wielding the reigns of power.
To his people he was a great and pious man, dedicated to the prosperity of Iran and its unification under Shi’i Islam. He forged a sense of national identity through religion while remaining tolerant of foreigners and those of other faiths. He patronised the arts and regenerated cities, so much so that seeing Isfahan was likened by its inhabitants to seeing "half of the world".
Interior of the dome of the Mosque of Shaykh Lutfallah, Isfahan. Pic © The Trustees of the British Museum
But what was less widely known at the time about this new ruler of the Safavid dynasty was his cold and calculating ruthlessness. To ascend to power he had seized control from his ailing father in 1588, locking him in prison.
In 1589 he would order the assassination of his guardian, the man who helped him take command. Later he would confine his family to their palaces and have his eldest son killed for fear of being usurped by him as he had once deposed his father.
This exhibition explores how this complex, driven ruler turned Iran into a dominant cultural centre and laid the foundations for its passage into modernity, paying particular attention to showcasing artefacts from the artistic Golden Age he fostered with his inner circle of artists, thinkers and clerics
In accordance with Islamic convention, Shah ‘Abbas had no portraits or sculptures of himself made for public consumption. Instead, he expressed himself to his subjects through his actions.
Like political leaders today he understood the power of a unified message, and developed a particular style of art that would be associated with his reign alone. The ornate patterned carpets on display in the exhibition (carpet-making is an essential expression of Iranian art and culture) are an example of this. They reveal a distinct cross motif made up of small and large patterned blobs of colour.
Entrance corridor of the Mosque of Shaykh Lutfallah, Isfahan. Pic © The Trustees of the British Museum
While not easily discernable to an untrained Western eye hypnotized by the intricate and swirling patterns of Islamic art, this tweaking of the established style would have stamped Shah ‘Abbas’ political and religious authority on the minds of the populace who engaged with these works throughout their daily lives.
In the centre of the exhibition there is the chance to have a sit down and take in some of the breathtaking architecture and decorations of the religious buildings he had constructed. They are still regarded today as some of Iran’s most beautiful monuments.
Projected onto four huge screens, slowly-morphing photographs display the incredible craftsmanship that went into these holy places, where designers were banned from depicting the human form and instead strove to represent the divine through pattern and mathematics. The undulating honeycomb vaulting inside the Mosque of Shaykh Lutfallah is particularly mind-boggling.
Shah ‘Abbas also made his benevolence and piety known by gifting highly valuable collections of artefacts to shrines and mosques, as well as authorising these spaces’ renovation. On show in a long glass case is an example of one such donation - a selection of large 14th century Chinese plates, blue and white with flower patterns on the outside and curling animals on the inside.
Such pottery was highly valued in Iran. Craftsmen had tried to replicate the Chinese techniques but were not able to reach their high level of craftsmanship due to unsuitable materials and firing techniques.
Large bulbous porcelain flask with three-clawed dragon among waves, China, Ming dynasty, circa 1403-35. Pic © The Trustees of the British Museum
A few examples of their attempts are on display, including a blue and white plate that is unusual for having the figure of an Iranian dandy in its centre. The dandy, with his characteristic large sideburns and wine cup, has tiny hands due to the artist misjudging his size and attempting to cram him all in anyway.
Despite the relatively few available images of Shah ‘Abbas, the exhibition successfully manages to put across the man’s character. The arts he encouraged bring it alive, examples ranging from calligraphy to embroidery, text books to ornate brass lamps inscribed with mystic love poetry.
One rare surviving painting depicts the ruler cavorting with a young pageboy as a bottle of wine sits in the background – two things not viewed kindly by the religious law he helped impose upon the land. Yet this was also the man who walked 965km barefoot on a pilgrimage to the shrine of Imam Riza, staying for four months of menial tasks.
Like many rulers it seems the rules only applied to this man of contradictions when they suited him. When he died in 1629 and word of his mistreatment of his family and political and religious enemies emerged, his popularity in Iran waned. But in the end it seems he got what he wanted - the legacy of Shah ‘Abbas lives on to this day.
Admission £12/£10. Call 020 7323 8299.
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