Past Exhibition Ran from 29 May 2021 to 12 September 2021

Epic Iran

★★★★★ Explores five jaw-dropping millennia of cultural history.

The Guardian

This exhibition is now closed at V&A South Kensington

Exploring 5,000 years of art, design and culture, Epic Iran shined a light on one of the greatest historic civilisations, its journey into the 21st century and its monumental artistic achievements, which remain unknown to many.

Exhibition Trailer

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Epic Iran is organised by the V&A with the Iran Heritage Foundation in association with The Sarikhani Collection

Exhibition Highlights

Statue of a man and a woman
Group of two figures, about 1500 – 1100 BC. © The Sarikhani Collection
Golden armlet with winged griffins at either end
Armlet, from the Oxus Treasure, 500 – 330 BC, Tajikistan. Museum no. 442-1884. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Bust of a bearded man wearing a crown and jewellery
Royal bust, about 439 – 457 AD. © The Sarikhani Collection
Folio from the Shahnameh of Shah Tahmasp
Qaran Unhorses Barman, a folio from the Shahnameh of Shah Tahmasp, Tabriz, about 1523 – 35. The Sarikhani Collection, I.MS.4025. © The Sarikhani Collection
Blue and gold image of a wheel split into 12, showing horoscopes
Horoscope of Iskandar Sultan, 1411. © Wellcome Collection
Brown and white decorative bottle and bowl with poetry in Persian
Bottle and bowl with poetry in Persian, 1180 – 1220, Iran. Museum nos. C.37-1978 & C.46-1978. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Blue and off-white pattern
Aba, male robe, before 1877, Kashan, Iran. Museum no. 883-1877. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Woman's sky blue silk blouse, jacket, and coral coloured silk skirt
Woman’s jacket, blouse and skirt, 1800 – 50, Iran. Museum no. T.57&A-1979. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Red and blue robot figure made out of shapes. Smaller orange and blue robot figure next to it
The Poet and the Beloved of the King, by Parviz Tanavoli, 1964 – 66 . © Tate, London. 2017
Abstract painting. Shapes in red, green, blue, yellow, beige
Veiled Woman, by Sirak Melkonian, 1957. © Sirak Melkonian
Eshgh (Love)
Eshgh (Love), by Farhad Moshiri, 2007. © Farhad Moshiri
Woman wearing a blue and white striped headscarf with a plaster over the bridge of her nose, blowing a pink bubble
Miss Hybrid #3, by Shirin Aliabadi, 2008. © Estate of Shirin Aliabadi
Cyrus Cylinder
Cyrus Cylinder, 539 – 538 BC. © The Trustees of the British Museum

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Epic Iran

With thanks to: The Godwin Family, Darioush Winery, Cockayne – Grants for the Arts, a donor-advised fund of The London Community Foundation, The Ruddock Foundation for the Arts, The Soudavar Memorial Foundation, The Arah Foundation, Dr Amir Ali Farman-Farma and The Altajir Trust.

Background image: Detached folio from an illuminated manuscript of the Shahnameh for Shah Tahmasp, 1525 – 35, Tabriz. The Sarikhani Collection, I.MS.4025.