
What Makes the Great Mongol Shahnama Great?
Join Professor Robert Hillenbrand (University of Edinburgh) on this vivid exploration
Sunday, April 23, 2022
Nanji Family Foundation Auditorium
What makes the Great Mongol Shahnama great? Join Professor Robert Hillenbrand (University of Edinburgh) on this vivid exploration of one of the most renowned illustrated copies of Firdawsi’s epic “Book of Kings” ever produced.
This lavishly illustrated lecture will introduce the historical and artistic context from which this manuscript sprang before turning to the unprecedented innovations of its illustrations: the development of pictorial space, a hugely expanded range of emotional expression, exciting experiments in composition and format, a radical approach to colour, and above all, and unmatched fascination with the actual appearance of things. Professor Hillenbrand will explain impact of these dramatic changes in approach.
This lecture will be followed by a reception and book signing of Professor Hillenbrand’s latest publication, The Great Mongol Shahnama (Ginko, 2023). Limited copies will be available at the Aga Khan Museum Shop.
Professor
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Robert Hillenbrand
About the Islamic Art and Material Culture Collaborative
The Islamic Art and Material Culture Collaborative (IAMCC) is a research network based in Toronto that brings together the capacities and resources of the University of Toronto (UofT), the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM), and the Aga Khan Museum (AKM).
The IAMCC recognizes that the City of Toronto offers a rare opportunity to create a North American centre of study on Islamic art and material culture that can also reflect back on the field the unique political, social, and cultural history of the city’s diverse and multicultural landscape. The IAMCC will create an inclusive space for researchers, curators, and students to combine knowledge production and outreach facilities to create innovative cultural outputs.