[rand]

Hey Gene,

Am in total agreement with you about culture flowing across countries. As example of use to help identify 15th-16th century Persian designs the comparison to Chinese art, especially cloud designs is on aspect of helping to date an object. Follow that up with dating the Chinese design by the known date progression of Chinese Ceramics and textiles and you have a valid way to conclude a date.

So in a sense there is never a study of one culture, but an accumulation of many as they interact.

This khanjar above, besides being an example of Persian art, tells a story of Persia's history by the influences of other cultures in its art. Even when you get to the design drawings based on mathematics this holds true. In this dagger you may be seeing the greatness of Persia's past coupled with its desire to be an equal of Europe. There certainly was great transitions from the Islamic towards the European style at this point in Persia.

The Zand dynasty known for cruelty when they blinded 20,000 men, then in later Qajar rule came Faht Ali Shah. During Faht Ali Shahs rule there was a great diplomatic increase as they were dealing with the aggression of Russia and updating the training and weapons of their army. Later there were diplomatic rivalries from European countries seeking control of Persia. There was also a splurge of art, maybe a natural phenomona for a society under pressure. There seems to be some comparison to the quality if Persian art during Faht Ali Shah and Shah Abbas, cannot explain this yet, but the detail and quality of lines in art is high during both periods in its metalwork.

rand