This talk examines the many ways in which Persian tilework has been packaged and interpreted between the field, museum, and photograph. At stake is a balancing act between prevailing narratives of world heritage and local and national histories, as well as the reconciliation of museum “objects” and their original architectural homes. Through this lecture, Dr. Overton highlights the circumstances that have informed the transformation and reception of Persian tiles over the last two centuries, including their documentation, plunder, preservation, exhibition, commodification, and most importantly, perception by the audience. Dr. Overton ultimately seeks to unglaze the study of Persian tilework by moving beyond pristine surfaces and illuminating contested, conditional, and at times even ugly histories.
Keelan Overton earned her Ph.D. from UCLA in 2021. She is an Independent Scholar and art historian specializing in the eastern Islamic world from Iran to India. Her recent book is the edited volume Iran and the Deccan: Persianate Art, Culture, and Talent in Circulation, 1400-1700 (Indiana University Press, 2020). In fall 2021, she was a Getty Scholar at the Getty Research Institute, where she worked on her book in progress titled Iran Unglazed: Local, National, and Global Histories of Persian Tilework. She is currently teaching seminars on Persian architecture and preparing a virtual exhibition/website on the Emamzadeh Yahya at Varamin.
Sponsor(s): Center for Near Eastern Studies, Iranian Studies, Art History, and with the major support of Jahangir and Elanor Amuzegar Chair in Iranian and Musa Sabi Term Chair of Iranian Studies