Art Informant: Recent Episodes
Isabelle Imbert
A space for lovers, actors and welcomers to Islamic and Indian arts, to explore the actuality of the art market, exhibition and research.Every episode, join Isabelle Imbert as the Art Informant in conversations with specialists of the Islamic and Indian art history and art market.
Isabelle Imbert welcomes Dr Richard McClary, Senior lecturer in Islamic art history at the University of York. Throughout his career, Richard has published extensively on artistic and architectural productions across the Islamic world. In July 2024, his latest monograph was published at Edinburgh university press, titled “Mina’i Ware: A Reassessment and Comprehensive Study of Iranian Polychrome Overglaze Wares through Sherds”. The episode dives into this production of ceramic, limited to Iran between 1180 and 1220, its technique, classification, use, and the problems of fakes and forgeries tied to the art market at the end of the 19th century.
If you've liked this episode and want to support the Podcast, buy me a coffee! Mentioned in the Episode and Further Links
- Follow the Art Informant on Instagram and X
- Follow Richard McClary on Academia and on LinkedIn
- Mina’i Ware: A Reassessment and Comprehensive Study of Iranian Polychrome Overglaze Wares through Sherds, Edinburgh University Press, 2024
- Oliver Watson, Persian Lustre Ware, Faber & Faber, 1985 (open access)
- Abu'l Qasim Kashani,historian of the reign of the Il-khan Olǰāytū (r. 703-16/1304-16) (Encyclopaedia Iranica)
- Click here for more episodes of the ART Informant.
Click here to see the reproductions of artefacts discussed in the episode.
Isabelle Imbert welcomes Fuchsia Hart, Sarikhani Curator for the Iranian Collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Fuchsia is an art historian specialised in the artistic productions of 19th century Iran, ruled by the Qajar dynasty between 1789 and 1925, and particularly on the reign of Fath 'Ali Shah Qajar, who reigned from 1797 till 1834. His patronage is known to us today through his numerous portraits and courtly arts, but also his important architectural patronage of Shia shrines, which is the topic of Fuchsia's ongoing doctoral research. In the episode, she talks about the arts, kingship and diplomacy of Fath 'Ali Shah, as well as her work in the V&A.
If you've liked this episode and want to support the Podcast, buy me a coffee! Mentioned in the Episode and Further Links
- Follow the Art Informant on Instagram and X
- Follow Fuchsia Hart on Instagram, X and on her website
- Fuchsia Hart: "Contagion or Cure? A History of Healing and Pandemic in Qom", Ajam, 5 Dec 2020
- Fath Ali Shah Qajar and Qajar Iran
- Fuchsia Hart, "The Tomb of Fath-ʿAli Shah Qajar" (recording), Youtube Video, "Private Video" Channel, April 2023
- Moya Carey, Persian Art: Collecting the Arts of Iran in the 19th Century, London: V&A, 2018 (available on Amazon)
- Markus Ritter, Moscheen und Madrasabauten in Iran 1785-1848: Architektur zwischen Rückgriff und Neuerung [The Architecture of Mosque and Madrasa in Early Qajar Iran: between re-adaptation and innovation], Leiden and Boston: Brill 2006 (partially available on Academia)
- Keelan Overton, Kimia Maleki, "The Emamzadeh Yahya at Varamin: A Present History of a Living Shrine, 2018–20", Journal of Material Cultures in the Muslim World, vol. 1, 1-2 (2021) (open source)
- Assef Ashraf, Making and Remaking Empire in Early Qajar Iran, Cambridge Uni Press: 2024
- Information and pictures of the Masjid-e Shah in Tehran, built by Fath 'Ali Shah (Archnet.org)
- A set of six Coalport plates made for Nasir al-Din Shah Qajar, England, dated 1290 AH/ 1873-74, Sotheby's London 24 April 2024, lot 50
- A large Canton bowl and dishes made for Nasir al-Din Shah Qajar, Persia, dated 1294 AH/ 1877, Sotheby's London 24 April 2024, lot 87
In this episode, Isabelle Imbert welcomes Nur Sobers-Khan, doctor in Islamic studies and curator of Islamic arts. Nur started working in curation immediately after getting her Ph.D. in 2012, and has since worked in several collections, looking at Islamic manuscripts, but also objects and archival material. Her various experiences constitute a great opportunity to learn more about the different layers of a curator role and the skills learned along the way. In the episode, she talks about the different institutions she has worked in, as well as her ongoing research on South-Asian manuscripts and the so-called Delhi collection of manuscripts in the British Library.
If you've liked this episode and want to support the Podcast, buy me a coffee! Mentioned in the Episode and Further Links
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- Follow Nur Sobers-Khan on Academia, X, Instagram and LinkedIn
- Exhibitions:
- Marvellous Creatures : Animal Fables in Islamic Art, exhibition catalogue from the Museum of Islamic Art, Doha, 2015
- 'Building Our Collection: Mughal and Safavid Albums' Museum of Islamic Art, Doha, 2015
- Qajar Women: Images of Women in 19th-century Iran (Milan: Silvana Editoriale, 2016)
- Doctoral research:
- Slaves Without Shackles: Forced Labour and Manumission in the Galata Court Registers, 1560–1572 (Berlin: Klaus Schwarz Verlag, 2014)
- The "Delhi library" in the British Library:
- “Muslim Scribal Culture in India Around 1800: Towards a Disentangling of the Mughal Library and Delhi Collection” in Scribal Practice and the Global Cultures of Colophons, 1400-1800 New Transculturalisms, ed. C.D. Bahl and S. Hanß (Switzerland, 2022)
- Exhibitions:
- More information on the "Delhi Library":
- Dr Saqib Baburi, "Sufism and Persian Manuscripts from the Delhi Collection, British Library", talk given at the British Library in 2018 (audio)
- "Learning Lessons from the Cyber-Attack", British Library cyber incident review,
In today’s episode, Isabelle Imbert welcomes Dr Suzanne Compagnon, post-doctoral fellow at the university of Utrecht. Suzanne recently got her Ph.D. from the University of Vienna with a thesis focused on Turkish Ottoman painting, and more specifically on the single-page figures produced by the painters Levni and Bukhari in the first quarter of the 18th century. Ottoman painting in general has not been studied as much as its Persian and Indian counterparts, and Suzanne dived into the topic with passion. In the episode, they talk about the career and work of these two painters, their sources of inspiration, powdered wigs, bonnets, and much more.
If you've liked this episode and want to support the Podcast, buy me a coffee! Mentioned in the Episode and Further Links
- Follow the Art Informant on Instagram and X
- Follow Suzanne on Academia
- Read Suzanne's Ph.D. dissertation online (open access)
- Esin Atil, Levni and the Surname: the Story of an Eighteenth-Century Ottoman Festival, University of Washington Press, 2000.
- Review of the book and reproductions of paintings on Istanbul traveloguewebsite (2014)
- Gwendolyn Collaço, "‘Word-Seizing’ Albums: Imported Paintings from ʿAcem and Hindūstān on an Eclectic Ottoman Market", Ars Orientalis, 51 (2021), pp. 133-187 (open access on Academia)
- Album Arabe 6076, Bibliotheque nationale de France (digitised)
- Album Arabe 6077, Bibliotheque nationale de France (digitised)
- Click here for more episodes of the ART Informant.
Click here to see the reproductions of artefacts discussed in the episode.
Isabelle Imbert welcomes Pr Stephane Pradines, Professor of Islamic Art, Architecture and Archaeology at the Aga Khan University in London. Stephanes is an archaeologist with a particular expertise on Sub-Saharan Africa, a large region that is being discussed for the first time on this podcast, and for today the Swahili coast in the East. In the episode, they talk about Stephane’s past and ongoing archaeological projects, before diving into the architecture of the Swahili coast, artistic exchanges in the Indian ocean, as well as the practice of archaeology in different terrains and climates.
If you've liked this episode and want to support the Podcast, buy me a coffee! Mentioned in the Episode and Further Links
- Follow the Art Informant on Instagram and X
- Follow Stephane Pradines on Academia
- Stephane's profile and list of publications on the Aga Khan University website
- Stephane's publications mentioned in the episode:
- "Early Swahili Mosques: The Role of Ibadi and Ismaili Communities, Ninth to Twelfth Centuries", Muslim Cultures of the Indian Ocean, Edinburgh Uni Press: 2023
- Historic Mosques in Sub-Saharan Africa, from Timbuktu to Zanzibar, Brill: 2022
- "Islamic Archaeology in the Comoros: The Swahili and the Rock Crystal Trade with the Abbasid and Fatimid Caliphates", Journal of Islamic Archaeology, vol 6-1 (2019)
- "Madagascar, the Source of the Abbasid and Fatimid Rock Crystals: New Evidence from Archaeological Investigations in East Africa", Seeking Transparency: Rock Crystals across the Medieval Mediterranean, A. Shalem, C. Hahn (eds), Gebr. Mann Verlag: 2020
- More information:
- Pradines, S., Blanchard, P., "From Zanzibar to Kilwa : Eighteenth and Nineteenth Century Omani Forts in East Africa", Fort, 47 (2019)
- Pradines, S., "Sufi in War: Persian influence on African weaponry in the 19th century Mahdist Sudan", JAAS, XXII (2018)
- Pardines, S., "Swahili Archaeology New edition", Encyclopedia of Global Archaeology, Springer International Publishing 2018
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Click here to see the reproductions of architectures and objects discussed in the episode.
For the 2 years anniversary of the ART Informant podcast, I welcome... myself. A very special host comes in to ask me questions about my newly released children's book, La Tortue et les Deux Canards, et autres fables de La Fontaine de source arabe, published at Versant Sud Jeunesse. We also talk about the podcast, of course, how and why it started, how it is going, and where I hope to take it in 2024. I hope you'll enjoy this very special episode!
If you've liked this episode and want to support the Podcast, buy me a coffee! Mentioned in the Episode and Further Links
- Follow the Art Informant on Instagram and X
- Follow Isabelle Imbert on Instagram, LinkedIn and Academia
- La Tortue et les Deux Canards et autres fables de la Fontaine d'origine arabe, Versant Sud Jeunesse, 2023.
- Kalila wa Dimna in Islamic Arts and Literature with Annie Vernay-Nouri and Aida El Khiari, ART Informant Podcast, 2022.
- Shahnama made for the Mughal emperor Jahangir in 1021H/ 1612. Millon, 3 May 2018, lot 227
- A Page of the Royal Padshahnama, From the St Petersbourg Muraqqa’, Millon & Associés, 3 Dec. 2019, lot 366
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Click here to see the reproductions of artefacts discussed in the episode.
In today’s episode, we take a step aside from Islamic & Indian art history to welcome Alexander Herman, director of the Institute of Art & Law in London. Alexander is specialised in the complex legislation of art and cultural heritage, and has recently published The Parthenon Marble dispute: Heritage, Law, Politics (Bloomsbury). In the episode, he offers the most valuable introduction to cultural heritage and provenance laws. He talks about his investigation in the dispute surrounding the Parthenon marbles, as well as several high profile cases involving art pieces, protection of cultural heritage and how to make sure the art you buy is legal and protected.
If you've liked this episode and want to support the Podcast, buy me a coffee!
Mentioned in the Episode and Further Links
- Follow the Art Informant on Instagram and X
- Follow Alexander Herman on X and LinkedIn
- The Institute of Art and Law
- Alexander Herman, The Parthenon Marbles Dispute: Heritage, Law, Politics, Bloomsbury, 2023 (Bloomsbury)
- The 1970 UNESCO convention
- The 1954 Hague Convention
- United Nations Security Council Resolution 2347 for protection of cultural heritage in Iraq and Syria
- The 1995 UNIDROIT convention
- Anne-Marie O'Connor, The Lady in Gold: The Extraordinary Tale of Gustav Klimt's Masterpiece, Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer, Knopf Doubleday: 2015 (Amazon)
- Peter Watson, The Medici Conspiracy: The Illicit Journey of Looted Antiquities. From Italy's Tomb Raiders to the World's Greatest Museums, PublicAffairs, 2007 (Amazon)
- Art Law Podcast: "Turkey’s Quest for the Stargazer", part 1, 2 Dec. 2021
- Art Law Podcast: "Turkey’s Quest for the Stargazer", part 2, 2 Mar 2022
- The Art Loss Register
- The Lost Art Database
- The ICOM Red Lists
- Alexander Herman, "Methods of Securing Returns: Tough Stance of New York District Attorney Over Ancient Persian Artefact", Art, Antiquity and Law, Vol 23, Issue 4, 2018 (get in touch for a free copy)
Click here to see the reproductions of artifacts discussed in the episode.
For the 30th episode of the ART Informant, Isabelle Imbert travels to mediaeval Spain with Dr Mariam Rosser-Owen, curator of the Middle Eastern Section in the Victoria and Albert Museum. Al-Andalus, Muslim Spain and Portugal, is particularly recognised for its rich production of carved ivory objects and its architecture, which Mariam and Isabelle talk about at length in the episode. They also discuss Mariam's role as a curator in the Victoria and Albert museum in London, the ongoing changes in the museum, and Mariam fascinating collaborations with contemporary artists.
If you've liked this episode and want to support the Podcast, buy me a coffee! Mentioned in the Episode and Further Links
- Follow the Art Informant on Instagram and Twitter
- Follow Marian Rosser-Owen on Instagram and Academia
- Articulating the Ḥijāba: Cultural Patronage and Political Legitimacy in al-Andalus, Brill, 2021
- Mariam's publications on the V&A blog
- Mosque of Cordoba, information and pictures (Archnet)
- The Ardabil Carpet, Persia, 16th c. (V&A)
- Fatimid rock crystal ewer, Egypt, 10th-11th c. (V&A)
- Book of Gifts and Rarities: Selections Compiled in the Fifteenth Century from an Eleventh-Century Manuscript on Gifts and Treasures, trans. Ghada Hijjawi-Qaddumi, Harvard, 1997
- Ivory Act 2018
- Abbas Akbari
- Malek Gnaoui
- Shahpour Pouyan
- Sphero-Conical Vessels: Evidence from Baalbek (Lebanon), Valentina Vezzoli (Khamseen)
- Click here for more episodes of the ART Informant.
Click here to see the reproductions of artifacts discussed in the episode.
In this episode of the ART Informant, Isabelle Imbert welcomes Dr Amanda Phillips, Associate Professor of Islamic Art and Material Culture at the University of Virginia. Amanda specialises in the consumption and trade of textiles in Ottoman Türkiye. It is the topic of her latest book: Sea Change: Ottoman Textiles between the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean, published in 2021 (University of California Press). In the episode, they talk about the techniques and particularities of Ottoman silks, such as the so-called Studenica silk, and of course of crimson and gold-embroidered velvets made in Bursa, particularly well represented on the market, as well as academic career, book writing, and much more.
If you've liked this episode and want to support the Podcast, buy me a coffee! Mentioned in the Episode and Further Links
- Follow the Art Informant on Instagram and Twitter
- Follow Amanda Phillips on Instagram and Academia
- Amanda Phillips, Sea Change: Ottoman Textiles between the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean, University of California Press, 2021.
- Amanda Phillips, Everyday Luxury, Art and Objects in Ottoman Constantinople, 1600-1800, Verlag Kettler, 2018 (free access).
- Nurhan Atasoy, Walter B. Denny, IPEK. The Crescent & the Rose: Imperial Ottoman Silks and Velvets, Azimuth, 2001
- Work of Pr Suraiya N. Faroqhi on Academia
- Christie's, "Collecting guide: Ottoman silk velvet panels", 2019
- Nazanin Hedayat Munroe, "Silks from Ottoman Turkey", MET Museum blog, 2012
- Click here for more episodes of the ART Informant.
Click here to see the reproductions of artefacts discussed in the episode.
In the episode, Isabelle Imbert welcomes Bharti Lalwani, art critic and perfume maker, and Dr Nicolas Roth, visual librarian at Harvard University Library, gardener and historian of horticultural knowledge and practices in India. Bharti and Nicolas have collaborated on an online exhibition: Bagh-e Hind, the Garden of India, a unique project combining art history and perfume making to recreate smells of Rajput and Mughal paintings. In the episode, they talk about the creation of the exhibition, smells, shared visual cultures, the accessibility of art history to all, and more.
If you've liked this episode and want to support the Podcast, buy me a coffee! Mentioned in the Episode and Further Links
- Follow the Art Informant on Instagram and Twitter
- Follow Bharti on Instagram and check Lithrab Perfumery
- Follow Nicolas on Instagram and Academia
- Bagh-e Hind exhibition
- Ali, Daud, and Emma J. Flatt, eds. GardenandLandscapePracticesinPre-colonialIndia:HistoriesfromtheDeccan. New Delhi: Routledge India, 2012.
- Click here for more episodes of the ART Informant.
Click here to see the reproductions of artefacts discussed in the episode.
In today’s episode, Isabelle Imbert welcomes Hiba Abid, doctor in Islamic Arts History and curator for Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies in the New York Public Library. Isabelle and Hiba have known each other for a long time, so it was time to catch up on the topics that passionate Hiba, in particular the history of manuscripts production in the Muslim West, a region still often ignored. Hiba is now a newly appointed curator and gives the audience real insights into her role, as well as the particularities of the NY Public library Middle-Eastern collection and its significance.
If you've liked this episode and want to support, buy me a coffee! Mentioned in the Episode and Further Links
- Follow the Art Informant on Instagram and Twitter
- Follow Hiba on Twitter and Academia
- Material Images and Mental Ziyāra: Depicting the Prophet’s Grave in North African Devotional Books (Dalāʾil al-Khayrāt), Journal of Material Cultures in the Muslim World, 1 (2020), 331-354.
- New York Public Library
- Umberto Bongianino, The Manuscript Tradition of the Islamic West. Maghribi Round Scripts and the Andalusi Identity, Edinburgh University Press, 2022.
- Click here for more episodes of the ART Informant.
Isabelle Imbert welcomes Valentina Bruccoleri, doctor in Chinese art history and postdoctoral researcher of the Marco Polo Centre for Global Europe-Asia Connections at the university of Venice. Valentina is a specialist of Chinese ceramic, and more precisely, she specialises in the artistic interactions between the Persian dynasties of the Timurid (1370-1507) and Safavid (1501-1722), and the Chinese Yuan (1279–1368) and Ming (1368-1644) dynasties. In the episode, they talk about the production and trade of blue & white porcelains and celadons, of the circulation of ceramic forms and decorative motifs and of the reception of Chinese ceramics in the Persianate sphere, all from a Chinese perspective.
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Mentioned in the Episode and Further Links
- Follow the Art Informant on Instagram and Twitter
- Follow Valentina Bruccoleri on Instagram and Academia
- "Éléments islamiques dans la porcelaine impériale chinoise du début de la dynastie Ming (1368-1435)", 2020
- Ruy González de Clavijo, ambassador of Henry III of Castile to the court of Timur (1403-1406)
- Historia del gran Tamorlan e itinerario y enarracion del viage, y relacion de la embaxada que Ruy Gonçalez de Clavijo le hizo, por mandado del muy poderoso señor rey Don Henrique el Tercero de Castilla, 1412 (Biblioteca virtual Miguel de Cervantes)
- Narrative of the Embassy of Ruy Gonzalez de Clavijo to the Court of Timour at Samarcand, A.D. 1403-6, translated Sir Clements Robert Markham, 1859 (Google book)
- Didier, Michel, Chen Cheng, 1365-1457: ambassadeur des premiers empereurs Ming, Paris- Louvain, Éditions Peeters, 2012 (Amazon.co.uk).
- Rossabi, Morris, « Two Ming Envoys to Inner Asia », T'oung Pao, 1976, vol. 62, p. 1-34. (jstor)
- A Soup for the Qan: Chinese Dietary Medicine of the Mongol Era As Seen in Hu Sihui's Yinshan Zhengyao, Brill, 2010.
- Click here for more episodes of the ART Informant.
Click here to see the reproductions of artefacts discussed in the episode.
Isabelle Imbert welcomes Dr Eleonore Cellard, researcher in early Qur'anic manuscripts and specialist in codicology and palaeography. She holds a Ph.D. from the Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes in Paris and have been working ever since on uncovering the secrets of the oldest Quranic manuscripts. In the episode, they talk about when and how the Qur’an was put into writings and the characteristics of early Quranic manuscripts, including the challenges to date and locate them. We also talk about an important project Eleonore is currently conducting on early Moroccan manuscripts, and the urgency of documenting them.
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Mentioned in the Episode and Further Links
- Follow the Art Informant on Instagram and Twitter
- Follow Eleonore Cellard on Twitter and Academia
- Eleonore's fundraiser (Go Fund Me)
- The Birmingham Qur'an in the University of Birmingham
- Leaves of the Monumental Qur'an attributed to Caliph 'Uthman (BNF Arabe 324)
- Click here for more episodes of the ART Informant.
Isabelle Imbert welcomes Daniel Newman, professor at Durham University, specialist of Arabic language and literature and passionate about Medieval Arabic cooking books and culinary tradition. For years, Daniel has been recreated Medieval recipes, especially from the "Garden flowers in elegant food" (Zahr al-ḥadīqa fi ‘l-aṭʿima al-anīqa), written by Shihāb al-Dīn Aḥmad Ibn Mubārak Shāh in Egypt in the first half of the 15th century. In the episode, he talks about his work as a translator, the link between food and medicine and his experimentation with Medieval cuisine.
If you've liked this episode and want to support, buy me a coffee!
Mentioned in the Episode and Further Links
- Follow the Art Informant on Instagram and Twitter
- Follow Daniel Newman on Instagram and on Academia
- Daniel Newman's profile on Durham University's website
- "Eat like a Sultan": Daniel Newman's website where he recreates Medieval recipes
- The Sultan's Feast : A Fifteenth-Century Egyptian Cookbook (Bilingual Edition), Saqi Books, 2020
- The Sultan's Sex Potions: Arab Aphrodisiacs in the Middle Ages, Saqi Books, 2014
- Click here for more episodes of the ART Informant.
Click here to see the reproductions of artefacts discussed in the episode.
In the first episode of 2023, Isabelle Imbert welcomes Dr Sterenn Le Maguer, archaeologist and specialist of the history of incense trade in the Islamic world before the 16th century. Sterenn is what we could call an archaeologist of smells, but she’s also the first archaeologist to come on the podcast, so in the episode, we talk about methodology and techniques of archaeology, but also of smell profiles and the importance of incense consumption in Islamic societies.
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Mentioned in the Episode and Additional Information
- Follow the Art Informant on Instagram and Twitter
- Follow Sterenn on LinkedIn and Academia
- Archaios: Archaeology, Culture & Heritage
- Anya H. King, Scent from the Garden of Paradise. Musk and the Medieval Islamic World, Brill, 2017.
- Axelle Rougeulle, Sharma: Un entrepôt de commerce medieval sur la côte du Ḥaḍramawt (Yémen, ca 980-1180), Archaeopress Archaeology, 2015
- SENSIS: The senses of Islam, research programme in the university of Utrecht
- "This Ancient Mud Skyscraper City is the 'Manhattan of the Desert'" National Geographic
- Click here for more episodes of the ART Informant.
Click here to see the reproductions of artefacts discussed in the episode
In the last episode of 2022, Isabelle Imbert welcomes Nilosree Biswas, Indian filmmaker and writer, author of Banaras: Of Gods, Humans and Stories and Alluring Kashmir: The Inner Spirit, as well as her latest book, Calcutta on your plate. Nilos grew up in Calcutta and has an intimate knowledge of its culinary cuisine, but through her book, she writes the history and tells the story of colonialism, communities, and particularly women. Through her knowledge and skills for storytelling, she paints the rich and complex cultural landscape of the city. This was a very enlightening conversation about an enlightening book.
If you've liked this episode and want to support, by me a coffee!
Mentioned in the Episode and Further Links
- Follow the Art Informant on Instagram and Twitter
- Follow Nilosree on Instagram and Twitter
- Get your copy of Calcutta on your plate
- Click here for more episodes of the ART Informant.
This episode is part 2 of the interview with Dr Rachel Parikh, doctor in Islamic and Indian art history and curator specialised in arms and armours. In Part 1, her and the host, Dr Isabelle Imbert talked about her career as an art historian, her research on the Falnama manuscript in the Khalili collection, and her shift to curating. In this episode, they continue their conversation and focus on arms and armours of the Islamic and South-Asian lands. This is a very large field of inquiry, with few specialists and many unknowns, so Rachel was the perfect guest to talk about it and share her passion.
Trigger warning: this episode contains mentions to killing and certain details regarding executions.
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Mentioned in the Episode and Further Links
- Follow the Art Informant on Instagram and Twitter
- Follow Rachel Parikh on Instagram
- Rachel Parikh, The Khalili Falnama, London: Khalili Foundation, 2022
- Exhibition "Power and Piety: Islamic Talismans on the Battlefield", curated by Rachel Parikh
- Click here for more episodes of the ART Informant.
Click here to see the reproductions of artefacts discussed in the episode.
In this episode, Isabelle Imbert welcomes Dr Rachel Parikh, doctor in Islamic and Indian art history and curator specialised in arms and armours. Rachel and Isabelle started talking and didn’t see the time go by, ending up with a very long episode. After a vote on Instagram, it was decided that the episode would be divided in two, Part 1 focusing on Rachel’s career, her research on the Falnama manuscript in the Khalili collection, and her shift to curating, while Part 2 will be dedicated solely to arms and armours.
If you've liked this episode and want to support, buy me a coffee!
Mentioned in the Episode and Further Links
- Follow the Art Informant on Instagram and Twitter
- Follow Rachel Parikh on Instagram
- Rachel Parikh, The Khalili Falnama, London: Khalili Foundation, 2022
- Exhibition "Power and Piety: Islamic Talismans on the Battlefield", curated by Rachel Parikh
- Click here for more episodes of the ART Informant.
Click here to see the reproductions of artefacts discussed in the episode.
In this episode, Isabelle Imbert welcomes Dr Esra Alhamal, doctor in design and visual artist specialised in Islamic illumination. Esra has been researching and creating biomorphic patterns for many years, as well as teaching the art of illumination in London and creating her own paint with natural pigment from a Medieval recipe. In the episode, we talk about her artistic practice, as well as her research on Safavid biomorphic pattern in architectural ceramic. She is also a fellow host of the Art Illuminated podcast, in which she interviews artists and makers working with traditional techniques.
If you've liked this episode and want to support, by me a coffee!
Mentioned in the Episode and Further Links
- Follow the Art Informant on Instagram and Twitter
- Follow Esra on Instagram and LinkedIn
- Read Esra's doctoral dissertation from the University of East London (open access)
- Follow the Art Illuminated podcast on Instagram
- Website of Art Illuminated, home of the podcast and illumination courses
- Bristle and Brush, natural paint shop
- Website of Farkhondeh Ahmadzadeh, Esra's teacher
- Follow Ayten Tiryaki, calligraphy and illumination master, on Instagram
- Click here for more episodes of the ART Informant.
Click here to see the reproductions of artefacts discussed in the episode.
In today’s episode, Isabelle Imbert welcomes Dr Firuza Melville, director of research of Cambridge Shahnama centre for Persian Studies and eminent specialist of the Persian poet Firdausi (c. 933-1020) and his Shahnama, the book of kings telling the epic history of Iran before Islam. The text was illustrated many times, including under the reign of Safavid ruler Shah Tahmasp (r. 1524-76). His manuscript was finished around 1535 and is considered by most as the pinnacle of Persian painting. Pages of the manuscript sometimes appear on the market, and one page will be sold at Sotheby's on the 26th October, so it is a perfect time to invite a great specialist to talk about the text, the manuscript and its history.
Firuza’s computer made some impromptu interventions at different points of the recording, which I couldn’t remove. I apologize for the inconvenience and hope it won’t be too distracting.
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Mentioned in the Episode and Further Links
- Follow the Art Informant on Instagram and Twitter
- Follow Firuza on Instagram and Academia
- The Cambridge Shahnama Centre for Persian Studies
- Database of the Shahnama project in Cambridge Digital Library
- Florentine Shahnama, oldest surviving manuscript of the Shahnama, dated 614 H./ 1217
- Sotheby's catalogue: Rustam recovers Rakhsh from Afrasiyab's herd, Shahnameh of Shah Tahmasp, attributed to Mirza 'Ali, Persia, Tabriz, Royal Atelier, circa 1525-35
- Pages of Shah Tahmasp's Shahnama in the Metropolitan Museum
- Click here for more episodes of the ART Informant.
Click here to see the reproductions of artefacts discussed in the episode.
Isabelle Imbert welcomes Dr Melanie Gibson, Art Historian specialised in Islamic ceramics, editor of the art history series at Ginkgo library, and board member and scientific advisor of the Leighton House in London. Melanie has been involved in teaching, research and edition for many years and has a wealth of experience to share. She has also participated in the restoration of the Arab hall in the London house of 19th century British artist Frederick Leighton, which will reopen to the public on the 15th October. Melanie gives us a tour of the house and explain in great details the intricacies of its breathtaking decors and the constitution of Leighton's collection.
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Mentioned in the Episode and Further Links
- Follow the Art Informant on Instagram and Twitter
- Follow Melanie Gibson on Instagram and Academia
- Melanie Gibson, "'An Oriental Kiosk': The Building of the 'Arab Hall' at Leighton House in London", Orientations, 2020 (on academia.edu)
- Gingko Library's website
- Essays in Honour of Carol and Robert Hillenbrand, 2022
- Barbara Brend, Treasures of Herat, Two Manuscripts of the Khamsah of Nizami in the British Library, 2022
- Leighton House, London (official website)
- Shahrzad Ghaffari's website (artist responsible for the new mural in Leighton House)
- Owen Jones, The Grammar of Ornament, 1856 (on archive.org)
- Click here for more episodes of the ART Informant.
Click here to see the reproductions of artefacts discussed in the episode.
For the first episode of Season 2, Dr Isabelle Imbert welcomes Dr Mehreen Chida-Razvi, in-house editor and deputy curator in the Khalili collection of Islamic Arts, and specialist of Mughal architecture. The Mughal empire reigns between 1526 and 1857 on a territory that encompass, at its peak, modern India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, parts of Afghanistan, parts of Tibet, so talking about Mughal architecture is no small feat. Through the tombs, palaces and mosques, Mehreen gives some insights in what we call today Mughal architecture, its patronage, stylistic evolution, and the inherent challenges of its preservation.
Mentioned in the Episode and Further Links
Click here to see the reproductions of artefacts discussed in the episode.
In the last episode of the first season of the ART Informant, Isabelle Imbert welcomes Patricia Blessing, Assistant Professor of Islamic Art and Architecture. Patricia specialises in the history of architecture in medieval Turkey. She published her first book in 2014, titled Rebuilding Anatolia after the Mongol Conquest: Islamic Architecture in the Lands of Rūm, 1240–1330, and is presenting today her second book, forthcoming in July 2022, Architecture and Material Politics in the Fifteenth-century Ottoman Empire (Cambridge University Press). Through the book, Isabelle and Patricia discuss multisensory architecture, artistic networks, the evolution of Turkish Ottoman architecture and the process of publishing a scientific book.
If you've liked this episode and want to support, please consider donating. Mentioned in the Episode and Further Links
- Follow the Art Informant on Instagram and Twitter
- Follow Patricia Blessing on Twitter and Academia
- Patricia Blessing, Architecture and Material Politics in the Fifteenth-century Ottoman Empire, Cambridge University Press, Forthcoming July 2022.
- Patricia Blessing, Rebuilding Anatolia after the Mongol Conquest: Islamic Architecture in the Lands of Rūm, 1240–1330, Ashgate, 2014.
- Olga Bush, Reframing the Alhambra, Architecture, Poetry, Textiles and Court Ceremonial, Edinburgh University Press, 2018.
- Sensory Reflections, Traces of Experience in Medieval Artifacts, in Sense, Matter, and Medium, vol. 1, Fiona Griffiths, Kathryn Starkey (eds.), De Gruyter, 2019.
- Deborah Howard and Laura Moretti, Sound and Space in Renaissance Venice: Architecture, Music, Acoustics, New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 2009 (unavailable on the publisher's website but can be purchased second hand on other specialised websites).
- Bissera V. Pentcheva, Hagia Sophia: Sound, Space, and Spirit in Byzantium, University Park, Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania State University Press, 2017.
- Michael Meinecke, Patterns of Stylistic Changes in Islamic Architecture, Local Traditions Versus Migrating Artists, New York University Press, 1996.
- Sara Nur Yıldız, “From Cairo to Ayasuluk: Hacı Paşa and the Transmission of Islamic Learning to Western Anatolia in the Late Fourteenth Century,” Journal of Islamic Studies 25, no. 3 (2014): 263–97.
- Gülru Necipoğlu, The Age of Sinan: Architectural Culture in the Ottoman Empire. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2005 (unavailable on the publisher's website but can be purchased second hand on other specialised websites).
- Gülru Necipoğlu, Architecture, Ceremonial, and Power – The Topkapi Palace in the Fifteenth and Sixteenth Centuries. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1991. <
In today’s episode, Isabelle Imbert takes a small step aside from what is generally considered as Islamic art to welcome Davinder Toor, published art collector specialised in the artistic productions of the Sikh, a religion born in the hills of Punjab in India in the 16th century, and practised today around the world. Davinder first took an interest in Sikh art when he was 17 years old, and started actively collecting a few years later. In the episode, they talk about the conception of his extensive collection and how he approaches acquisitions and deaccessions, but also about the growing market of Sikh art, the inherent risks for new collectors, and storytelling through art for the current and the next generations of Sikhs.
If you've liked this episode and want to support, please consider donating. Mentioned in the Episode and Further Links
- Follow the Art Informant on Instagram and Twitter
- Follow Davinder on Instagram
- Davinder Toor's personal website and Toor Collection's website
- In the Pursuit of Empire, Treasures from the Toor collection of Sikh Art, Kashi House, 2018
- Punjab Heritage Association
- A History of the world in 100 objects, Neil McGregor, BBC
- Sikh artists mentioned by Davinder:
- Jatinder Singh Durhailay (London)
- Keerat Kaur (Canada)
- Suman Kaur (UK)
- Click here for more episodes of the ART Informant.
Click here to see the reproductions of objects discussed in the episode.
In this episode of the ART Informant, Isabelle Imbert welcomes Rim Mezghani, expert in Islamic and Indian art and founder of the newly created Parisian auction house, Rim Encheres. Rim has worked for the most prestigious galleries and auction houses, but also has an unconventional background that has helped her become a unique brand on the art market. Since November 2021, she holds thematic auctions, the next one scheduled for the 17th May. This inspirational interview was also the opportunity to discuss the importance of Drouot, the Parisian market place, and the difficulty to define Islamic arts.
If you've liked this episode and want to support, please consider donating.
Mentioned in the Episode and Further Links
- Follow the Art Informant on Instagram and Twitter
- Follow Rim Mezghani on Instagram, LinkedIn and Youtube and visit her website
- Follow Rim Encheres on Instagram and visit the website
- Rim Encheres 17th May 2022 auction catalogue
- Website of Drouot, Paris
- Click here for more episodes of the ART Informant.
Click here to see the reproductions of artefacts discussed in the episode.
In the 12th episode of the ART Informant, Isabelle Imbert welcomes Nicoletta Fazio, Curator of Iranian Lands in the Museum of Islamic Art of Doha, Qatar. Since she joined the museum in 2018, she and the team have been working on the relaunch of the galleries, scheduled for the end of this year. Before moving to Doha, Nicoletta spent several years working in the Museum fur Islamische Kunst in Berlin, so it was interesting talking about the transition between Germany and Qatar, as well as the differences in curatorial practices, especially around religious themes. Through this conversation, Nicoletta opened a window into the mind of a curator!
If you've liked this episode and want to support, please consider donating. Mentioned in the Episode and Further Links
- Follow the Art Informant on Instagram and Twitter
- Follow Nicoletta Fazio on Instagram and Academia
- Website of the Museum of Islamic Arts, Doha
- YouTube interview with Julia Gonnella on the reopening of the Museum of Islamic Arts of Doha
- Thalia Kennedy, Jo Hargreaves, Aisha al Khater, "A study of visitor behaviour at the Museum of Islamic Art, Doha", in Karen Exell, Sarina Wakefield, Museums of Arabia, Transnational Practices and Regional Processes, London: Routledge, 2016
- YouTube: Museum Series - The Curation and Influence of Islamic Art in Museums Today
- Click here for more episodes of the ART Informant.
Click here to see the reproductions of objects discussed in the episode.
In the 11th episode of the ART Informant, Isabelle Imbert welcomes Beatrice Campi, Head of Islamic and Indian art at Chiswick auction, London. Isabelle was quite ill with the flu but was able to host an insightful exchange on many important topics, such as the impact of Brexit on London’s art market and what NFTs could mean for our field. We also discussed in length some of her and my favourite items from her upcoming auctions on the 29th April.
If you've liked this episode and want to support, please consider donating. Mentioned in the Episode and Further Links
- Follow the Art Informant on Instagram and Twitter
- Follow Beatrice Campi on Instagram
- Follow Ghislaine Howard, Department Coordinator, on Instagram
- Catalogue Islamic Art - Property of a European Collector Part III, 29th April, 11:00
- Catalogue Islamic and Indian Art, 29th April, 13:00
- Joko Susilo research on Indonesian shadow puppet theatre
- Click here for more episodes of the ART Informant.
Click here to see the reproductions of artworks discussed in the episode
In the 10th episode of the ART Informant, Isabelle Imbert welcomes Annie Vernay-Nouri, previously curator of Arabic manuscripts in the Bibliotheque nationale de France, and Aida El Khiari, doctoral student in the Sorbonne University, under supervision of Pr Eloise Brac de la Perriere, who unfortunately could not be present. Since 2012, they have been working on a major research project focused on illustrated Arabic copies of Kalila wa Dimna, a literary text born in India which had a huge impact from Asia to Europe. The project just concluded with a book, titled The Journeys of Kalila and Dimna: Fables in the Literature and Arts of the Islamic World. Together, they talked about the book, the definition of Arab painting, physical analysis, and the unpleasant experience of harmonising bibliographies.
Mentioned in the Episode and Further Links
- Follow the Art Informant on Instagram and Twitter
- Les périples de Kalila et Dimna: Quand les fables voyagent dans la littérature et les arts du monde islamique - Brill, 2022
- Follow Aida El Khiari on Academia
- Blog Kalila wa Dimna (2012-2016)
- Oldest illustrated copy of Kalila wa Dimna, 13th c. (BNF, Arabe 3465)
- Maqamat of al-Hariri, dated 1222-23 (BNF, Arabe 6094)
- Kalila wa Dimna, 18th c. (MET Museum, 1981.373)
- Exhibition "L'Art du livre arabe", BNF, 2001
- Exhibition "Enluminures en terre d'Islam", BNF, 2011
- Click here for more episodes of the ART Informant.
Click here to see the reproductions of artworks discussed in the episode.
In the 9th episode of the ART Informant, Isabelle Imbert welcomes Alice Bailey, Head of the Islamic and Indian Arts department, at Rosebery’s auction.
Together, they discuss London Islamic week, to which Alice has been actively contributing for more than a decade. This year, Rosebery’s will close the event on the 1st April with a large catalogue full of treasures and great investment opportunities for new and seasoned collectors. Through this auction and Alice’s fruitful experience of the market, they talk about provenance, legislation and the future of Islamic art expert roles.
Mentioned in the Episode and Further Links
- Follow the Art Informant on Instagram and Twitter
- Follow Alice Bailey on Instagram
- Follow Rosebery's Auction on Instagram
- Check Rosebery's auction catalogue for Spring 2022 Islamic week (1st April)
- Click here for more episodes of the ART Informant.
Click here to see the reproductions of artworks discussed in the episode.
In the 8th episode of the ART Informant, Isabelle Imbert welcomes Nuria Garcia Masip, professional calligrapher specialised in classical Ottoman Turkish scripts, in particular thuluth and naskh. Nuria has been trained by the greatest living calligraphers in Washington and Istanbul, and has been sharing her art and incredible artistry since she got her icajet, (ijaza) the official calligrapher diploma, in 2007. In the episode, she discusses her learning journey, her current work and what it is to be a calligrapher today.
If you've liked this episode and want to support, please consider donating. Mentioned in the Episode and Further Links
- Follow the Art Informant on Instagram and Twitter
- Follow Nuria Garcia Masip on Instagram and visit her website
- Visit Muhammad Zakarya's website to learn more about his work (Nuria's first teacher in Washington)
- More information on Davut Bektaş and his work (Nuria's second teacher in Istanbul)
- More information on Hasan Çelebi and his work (Nuria's third teacher in Istanbul)
- Follow Hamidi Bel'aid on Instagram (Nuria's teacher of maghribi script)
- Follow Pablo Khalid Casado on Instagram and visit his website (Nuria gave him the icazet)
- Follow Bahman Panahi on Instagram and visit his website (Iranian calligrapher and Nuria's husband)
- Click here for more episodes of the ART Informant.
Click here to see the reproductions of artworks discussed in the episode.
The Museum of Islamische Kunst in Berlin is getting ready to undergo its biggest transformation since its foundation, with a brand-new permanent exhibition due to open in 2026. In this episode of the ART Informant, Isabelle Imbert welcomes Dr Deniz Erduman-Çalış, curator of Islamic arts, to talk about the new permanent exhibition of Islamic arts, the inherent challenges in designing new rooms, but also the opportunities to tell new stories and retell old ones. A lot to be excited for!
If you've liked this episode and want to support, please consider donating.
- Follow the Art Informant on Instagram and Twitter
- Follow Deniz Erduman-Çalış on Academia and LinkedIn
- Museum fur Islamische Kunst website
- Surah al-Nur (24)
- Takht-e Suleiman, summer royal palace of the Ilkhanid ruler Abaqa (r. 1265–82)
- Short description on the Metropolitan Museum website
- Archnet, photographic archive
- History of Takht-e Suleiman, Encyclopaedia Iranica
Click here for more episodes of the ART Informant.
In this episode of the ART Informant, Isabelle Imbert welcomes Dorina Michaelis, art historian and long time associate of the Museum of Islamic Art in Berlin. They discuss Dorina's background and current research on Pakistani ceramics, especially architectural decors produced in Multan. From their making to their arrival in European collections, this little-known production has a lot to reveal.
If you've liked this episode and want to support, please consider donating.
Mentioned in the Episodes and Further Links
- Follow the Art Informant on Instagram and Twitter
- Reproductions of artworks discussed during the episode
How to show the interdiction of depicting the creation, known as iconoclasm? In this episode of the ART Informant, Isabelle Imbert welcomes Axel Langer, curator of Eastern art at the Museum Rietberg in Zürich. His upcoming exhibition, titled In the Name of the Image: Imagery between Cult and Prohibition in Islam and Christianity, tackles the different stances of Islam and Christianity toward image throughout history, but also the cultural interactions between East and West, and many more fascinating topics.
If you've liked this episode and want to support, please consider donating.
Mentioned in the Episodes and Further Links
- Follow the Art Informant on Instagram and Twitter
- Follow Axel Langer on Academia
- Presentation of the exhibition In the name of the Image: Imagery between Cult and Prohibition in Islam and Christianity
- Exhibition Catalogue: The Fascination with Persia, The Persian-European Dialogue in Seventeenth-Century Art and Contemporary Art of Teheran, Rietberg Museum, 2014
- Images mentioned during the episode
From learning to share to decade long friendship, this is the story of the 4th episode of the ART Informant, in which Isabelle Imbert welcomes Negar Habibi, lecturer in Iranian art history at the University of Geneva. During the episode, Dr Habibi discusses her journey from Tehran, to Aix-en-Provence, to the Museum of Art History of Geneva, where she currently works on cataloguing the collection of the French collector Jean Pozzi.
If you've liked this episode and want to support, please consider donating.
Mentioned in the Episodes and Further Links
- Follow the Art Informant on Instagram and Twitter
- Follow Negar Habibi on Instagram and Academia
- Negar Habibi,ʿAli Qoli Jebādār et l'Occidentalisme Safavide, Brill, 2018. Book published from Negar's doctoral thesis.
- Museum of Art and History, Geneva (The Pozzi's collection has been digitised and is available via the online catalogue, however key words search with "Pozzi" doesn't return any result. Instead, filter by "dessin" in the left bar, and look under "Iran, Perse" and other relevant words.)
- Soudavar Memorial Foundation
- Quentin Arnoux M.A thesis: Illustrate the Shâhnâmeh in Esfahan in the mid 17th century : Mo’in Mosavver and a manuscript stored in Geneva
- Manazir: Swiss platform for the study of visual arts, architecture and heritage in the MENA region
- A. Ivanov, The St Petersburg Muraqqa, 1996 (vol. I), digitised on the Institute of Oriental Manuscripts' website.
Images mentioned in the episode.
Cow's urine, glitter and nanogels. In this episode, Isabelle Imbert welcomes Amelie Couvrat-Desvergnes, independent conservator of Islamic and Indian manuscripts and paintings, to discuss the progress of paper preservation techniques, the most difficult types of paper to conserve, and the do and don't of at-home conservation.
Mentioned in the Episode and Further LinksFollow the Art Informant on Instagram
Follow Amelie Couvrat-Desvergnes on Instagram and check her website, amelieconservation.com
Amelie latest paper: "Cut-Out Calligraphy from the Fifteenth and Sixteenth Centuries: Discussion of Its Origins and Significance and Observations on the Techniques and Tools Used", Journal of Material Cultures in the Muslim World
Association of Conservators (non-exhaustive):
- UK: https://www.icon.org.uk/
- USA: https://www.culturalheritage.org/
- France: https://www.ffcr.fr/la-ffcr
- Germany: https://iada-home.org/
Suppliers of conservation material:
- UK: https://www.cxdinternational.com/; https://www.preservationequipment.com/
- USA: https://www.talasonline.com/
- France: http://www.atlantis-france.com/fr/
To learn further about Nanogels, check the project Nanorestart below:
- http://www.nanorestart.eu/
- http://www.nanorestart.eu/images/download/NRA_booklet.pdf
- http://antoniomirabile.com/images/competence/596f7436c49575.30352702-141publicationPSTremovalcompressed.pdf
- Rita Udina gave a summary of the concept on her website: https://ritaudina.com/en/2018/06/20/gels-microemulsions-nano-systems-paper-co
What does the career of an Islamic and Indian arts expert look like? How do we get to it? Also, what should you buy in the upcoming auction of Millon et Associés? In the second episode of the Art Informant, Isabelle Imbert sits with Anne-Sophie Joncoux-Pilorget, head of the Oriental Art and Orientalism department of the Parisian auction house Millon & Associés to answer all these questions.
Mentioned in the Episode and Further Links
Millon & Associés 8th December auction catalogue
- Ibn Kammuna, Refinement and Commentary on Suhrawardi's Intimations, €30.000-50.000
- Qur'an, Safavid Iran, 16th c., €20.000-30.000
- Two birds on a rose, signed Abdullah Bukhari, Ottoman Turkey, 18th c., €5.000-6.000
- Talismanic shirt, Ottoman Turkey, 18th c., €8.000-12.000
- Portrait of a ruler, India, c. 1800, €600-800
A page from the royal Padshanama, sold December 2019, €702.000
The painting Anne-Sophie would love to acquire
Follow the Art Informant on Instagram
Follow Anne-Sophie Joncoux-Pilorget on Instagram
Follow Millon & Associés on Instagram
This is it, the first episode of the Art Informant! Isabelle Imbert sits with Camille Célier, Islamic and Indian arts expert at Ader Nordman, and Romain Pingannaud, founder of Pingannaud-David expertise, to discuss the passing of Marie-Christine David, her legacy and the upcoming auction of her collection. Also, what do experts do with fakes? And why is documenting object provenance so important? These difficult questions are answered!
If you've liked this episode and want to support, please consider donating.
Mentioned in the episode and Further Links
- Check Ader Nordman next auction catalogue
- The Islamic piece Camille would add to her collection
- The Islamic piece Romain would add to his collection
- Follow Camille Célier and Pingannaud-David on Instagram
- Follow the Art Informant on Instagram
- Follow Isabelle Imbert on Instagram and LinkedIn
Click here to see the reproductions of artworks discussed in the episode.
A space for lovers, actors and welcomers to Islamic and Indian arts, to explore the actuality of the art market, exhibition and research.
Every episode, join Isabelle Imbert as the Art Informant in conversations with specialists of the Islamic and Indian art history and art market.