The Ilkhanid period in Persia (1256-1353) marks a particularly close connection of this historical, cultural and geographical area with the rest of Asia and Europe, due to the establishment of the largest domain the world has ever seen, the Mongol Empire. Persia’s interaction with its nominal rulers, the Yuan dynasty (1271-1368), was continuous and fecund along the Silk Road, resulting in a period of great mutual influence also in the cultural and artistic spheres.

The talk will illustrate how this resulted in a period of change and renaissance in Greater Persia especially in the production of illustrated manuscripts; it will also demonstrate how its influence continued well beyond the Ilkhanid period into the 15th and 16th centuries under the Timurids and the Safavids both in the portable arts and in architectural design and decoration.

About the Presenter:
Stefano Carboni is Director/CEO of the Art Gallery of Western Australia and Adjunct Professor of Islamic Art at UWA (School of Design). Prior to moving to Perth in 2008 he was curator and administrator in the Department of Islamic art at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (1992-2008) as well as Adjunct Professor at the Bard Graduate Center for the Decorative Arts. At The Met, he was responsible for many major exhibitions and catalogues, including The Legacy of Genghis Khan (2002) and Venice and the Islamic World, 828-1797 (2006-2007). His other books include Glass from Islamic Lands (2001) and the recent The Wonders of Creation and the Singularities of Painting (2015).

THINGS TO KNOW
This course will be held at The University Club of Western Australia. For more detailed information on location please visit the website. Tea and coffee will be served in the break.