I’ve been visiting the Pergamon in Berlin. And this week I wanted to show you a few of their outstanding carpets.
The Pergamon has got lots less on display than the Met. It’s less Iran-centred too. Though I did think it was going a bit far when a case of Safavid ceramics is labelled for the Timurids and Mughals!
Anyway, here’s another of the Safavid carpets for you to drool over. And there’s plenty more where that came from.
With apologies from me for the image quality – they are (understandably) on low lighting.
From Caroline:
I was going to show you some pictures from the Pergamon (in Berlin) – to praise their carpets, and sniffily note that their case of Safavid ceramics is under a heading talking about Timurids and Mughals. But I’ve just seen the documentary that won the 2012 Historical Documentary award, and I knew I had to share that with you: http://www.historytoday.com/blog/2012/11/winner-2012-grierson-historical-documentary-award
This is a film about the saving of a library of Islamic manuscripts. Although the library is in Bosnia, not Iran – the manuscripts are truly multicultural, going back 900 years.
All the staff risked their lives for the manuscripts. But when the library cleaner says that the books are as important as the people; and the nightwatchman (originally from Congo) speaks – after repeatedly dodging snipers – of how it would be better to die with the books than live without them; then I think you can have some idea of how important both the manuscripts and the people are.
To watch the film (59 minutes, but please make time) click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=7aKiyF47yQk
Can’t see details of Safavid case!
Thanks for the remarkable Bosnian film!
Have you seen the Louvre display?