Exposition Le chant du monde l'art de l'Iran Safavide (en)

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As guardians of the ancient artistic traditions of Iran rather than innovators in their own right, the Safavids facilitated the emergence of a refined, sumptuous, courtly art in which poetry and literature flourished. However, their avowed openness to the rest of the world and readiness to absorb the influences of other cultures – Turkmen, Chinese, Ottoman and Western – gave vital impetus to the development of the arts in various forms. Urban design reached new peaks of perfection in religious structures and palace architecture, while the illumination and calligraphy found in books were the inspiration for other arts such as ceramics, metalworking and weaving. Under royal patronage, the art of the Safavid period won considerable admiration from Iran’s neighbors, from Istanbul to Delhi

-  Total funds the Louvre exhibition -

This exhibition offers visitors the chance to explore the art of a culture that is still little known, giving it its rightful place in the history of Islamic civilization. With Total as one of its sponsors, the exhibition offers a foretaste of the richness and beauty of the collections to be put on permanent show in 2010 with the opening of the Louvre’s Islamic Arts section.