Whether it’s a ceramic vase, a silver cigarette case, or an inlaid copper bowl, Persian decorative objects are famous for their botanical and geometric patterns and richly ornamental calligraphy. Often these elements are intricately entwined, producing arabesques that appear to repeat endlessly, suggesting both the human form bent in prayer and the infiniteness of the universe—and, by extension, God. Though the word “Persia” is often used...Continue Reading