- Harvard Art Museums
Division of Asian and Mediterranean Art
32 Quincy Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
- The Art Institute of Chicago, Asian Art, Department MemberThe Metropolitan Museum of Art, Arms and Armor, Post-DocUniversity of Cambridge, History of Art, Alumnusadd
- History of Art, History, Art History, Islamic Art, Mughal History, History of the Mughal Book, and 28 moreIslam and Sufism in South Asia, Ottoman, Safavid, and Mughal History, Persian Art, History of the Islamic World, Art, Iconography and Religion (Hindu and Buddhist)., Hindu Mythology, Islamic Mysticism, Divination, Art and Science, History of Science, Deccan Sultanates, Indo-Persian painting, islamic art of the book, Islamic codicology, Persian Manuscript Painting, Arabic/Persian Manuscripts, codicology, Islamic philosophy, early Islamic history and thoughts, History of Indian Painting, Persian and Indian Miniature Painting, Philosophy of Science, South Asian Art History, South Asian History, South Asian Art, South Asian Religions, Arms and Armour, Arms and Armor Studies, Amulets in Islam, Talismans and Amulets in Iranian Tradition, Mughal painting, Jainism, and Hinduismedit
- I am currently the Calderwood Curatorial Fellow of South Asian Art at Harvard Art Museums, researching and cataloguin... moreI am currently the Calderwood Curatorial Fellow of South Asian Art at Harvard Art Museums, researching and cataloguing the collection of 16th to 19th century South Asian paintings and drawings.
I am also a Catalogue Specialist for the Wallace Collection in London, assisting with a major cataloguing project concerning their collection of Ottoman, Middle Eastern, and Asian (Central, South, East) arms and armor. I am specifically working on the South Asian and Iranian material.
Prior to joining Harvard Art Museums, I was an Andrew W. Mellon Postdoctoral Curatorial and Collections Specialist Fellow (2014-2016) with the Department of Arms and Armor at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. My responsibility was the research and catalogue the Department of Arms and Armor's Indian and Southeast Asian collection. From 2013 to 2014, I was a research associate for the Department of Asian Art at the Art Institute of Chicago. I was charged with documenting and researching the historic and commercial provenance of the Indian, Himalayan, and Southeast Asian collection.
I received my PhD in the History of Art in 2014 from the University of Cambridge, under the supervision of Professor Jean Michel Massing. I specialized in Indian, Persian, and Indo-Islamic paintings and manuscript illustrations. My dissertation, 'Persian Pomp, Indian Circumstance: The Khalili Falnama', focused on a seventeenth century Deccan Indian copy of a sixteenth century Persian manuscript called the Falnama ('Book of Omens'). I was a member of Magdalene College and a Cambridge Trust and Leslie Wilson scholar. My research was supported by numerous bursaries, grants, and funds.
I received my MPhil with Distinction in 2010 in the History of Art from the University of Cambridge, under the supervision of Professor Jean Michel Massing. My dissertation, ' 'West and East: Arcimboldo and Indo-Persian Composites', examined a group of composite paintings created in India and Iran that were contemporaneous to Giuseppe Arcimboldo's famous composite portraits. It was my aim to determine if these works influenced each other, or if they were created out of chronological coincidence. I was a member of Magdalene College and my research was supported by numerous bursaries and grants.edit - Jean Michel Massing edit
Research Interests: Southeast Asian Studies, Divination, South Asian Studies, Astrology, Magic, and 15 moreSouth Asian History, Islamic Art, South Asian Art, Magic and the Occult (Anthropology Of Religion), Talismanic Art, India, Magic and Divination in the Ancient World, Arabic and Islamic Art History, Islamic art and architecture, Indo-Persian Cultural History, Persian Art, Deccan Sultanates, Islamic Talismans, Islamic Amulets and Talismans, and Islamic Arts of the Book
This essay investigates the role of talismans in the construction and function of arms and armor throughout the Islamic world from the sixteenth through nineteenth century. It particularly focuses on material from Turkey, Iran, India, and... more
This essay investigates the role of talismans in the construction and function of arms and armor throughout the Islamic world from the sixteenth through nineteenth century. It particularly focuses on material from Turkey, Iran, India, and Southeast Asia.
Research Interests: Art History, Ottoman History, Art, Indian studies, Arms and Armor Studies, and 13 moreIranian Studies, Ottoman Studies, Islamic Art, Islamic Studies, History of Art, History of Ottoman Art and Architecture, Magic and the Occult (Anthropology Of Religion), Indian Art, Weapons, Talismans and Amulets in Iranian Tradition, Arms and Armour, Ancient Weapons and Warfare, and Persian Art
This article examines the sacred roles of weaponry in Hindu belief, particularly with regard to goddess worship.
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This digital catalogue accompanies the Metropolitan Museum of Art exhibition, "Power and Piety: Islamic Talismans on the Battlefield" (August 29, 2016-February 13, 2017)
Research Interests: Art History, Southeast Asian Studies, Ottoman History, History of India, Indian studies, and 28 moreSouth Asian Studies, Arms and Armor Studies, Iranian Studies, South Asia, History of Iran, Southeast Asia, Ottoman Studies, Islamic Art, Turkey, Islamic Studies, Islam in the Southeast Asia, History of Art, History of the Islamic World, Islam in Turkey, Islamic History, Iranian History, South Asian Art, Magic and the Occult (Anthropology Of Religion), India, Talismans and Amulets in Iranian Tradition, Arms and Armour, Islamic art and architecture, Islam and Sufism in South Asia, Southeast Asian Art History, Islamic Amulets and Talismans, Southeast Asian Islam, Iranian Arms and Armor, and Religious and Magical Practices
Research Interests: History, Cultural History, Art History, History of India, Divination, and 13 moreSouth Asian Studies, South Asia, Islamic Art, Islamic Studies, History of Art, Islamic History, Magic and the Occult (Anthropology Of Religion), Indian Art, Indian Archaeology and History of Art, Occult Sciences in Islam, Persian Art, Deccan Sultanates, and Indo-Persian painting, islamic art of the book, Islamic codicology
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Although yoga is now India’s greatest global commodity, it has been practiced on the subcontinent for over two thousand years. This paper looks at a small, yet significant moment in its long, fluid history. It examines how yoga developed... more
Although yoga is now India’s greatest global commodity, it has been practiced on the subcontinent for over two thousand years. This paper looks at a small, yet significant moment in its long, fluid history. It examines how yoga developed into a religious practice that then hardened into the customs and culture of Hindu ascetics (sadhus). When the Mughals, who comprised India’s greatest Islamic empire, came to power, yoga’s two main traditions, ancient and Tantric, began to evolve into the ascetic orders of the Daśanāmī Samnyāsīs, the Nāths, and eventually the Rāmānandīs. The Mughals, like their Islamic predecessors (who will also briefly be discussed in this paper), were fascinated by yoga and its proclaimed possibilities, from its ultimate goal of obtaining enlightenment to even more powerful abilities, such as gaining dominion of the highest gods. Emperors Akbar (r. 1556-1605), Jahangir (r. 1605-1627), and Shah Jahan (r. 1627-1658) not only called for Persian translations of Sanskrit works on yoga, but also verbal and visual documentation of their personal encounters with ascetics. Most importantly, they called for systematic studies of yoga exercises, so they, like Hindu holy men, can access its powers. For scholars, these works, particularly the paintings, continue to serve as learning devices, but in a different way. They shed light on the evolution of yoga, as well as bear witness to the subcontinent’s ever changing societal, political, and religious landscape and how yogis struck a balance between preserving their faith and adjusting to the political, societal, and religious changes around them.
Research Interests: South Asian Studies, Yoga, South Asian History, Mughal History, History of Art, and 7 moreSouth Asian Art, Indian Art, Mughal painting, Art, Iconography and Religion (Hindu and Buddhist)., Religion and Art, Sanskrit Studies, Sanskrit Aesthetics, Indian Philosophy, Indian Music, Dance and Arts, Mughal and Ilkhanid/Timurid Art & Architecture, and Hindu art
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Research Interests: History, Art History, Literature, South Asian Studies, South Asian History, and 11 moreMughal History, South Asian Diaspora Literature, History of Art, South Asian Literature, South Asian Art, Indian Art, Mughal Architecture, Mughal painting, Indian Archaeology and History of Art, History of Rajputs, and Rajput painting
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Pedram Khosronejad, ed. The Art and Material Culture of Iranian Shi‘ism: Iconography and Religious Devotion in Shi‘i Islam. London: I.B. Tauris, 2012. 304 pages, foreword, acknowledgments, notes on contributors and transliteration, figures, plates, notes, references, index. Cloth US$96.00 ISBN 97...more
regretfully, does not. The second editorial choice consists in privileging the antiand postcolonial periods. Though the anthology includes texts translated from the Greek and Latin and discusses the Phoenician, Jewish, Roman, Vandal, and... more
regretfully, does not. The second editorial choice consists in privileging the antiand postcolonial periods. Though the anthology includes texts translated from the Greek and Latin and discusses the Phoenician, Jewish, Roman, Vandal, and Ottoman aspects of Maghrebi culture, more than half of the anthology is devoted to the modern era, featuring texts translated from Arabic, French, and Tamazight (Berber). Given the divran's goal of making the Maghreb more proximate for a Western audience, this was no doubt a wise decision. The University of California Book of North African Literature admirably begins to redress the underrepresentation of Maghrebi literature in the already miniscule market of translations into English, and one can only hope that more translations of this rich and vast corpus will follow. ^
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Pedram Khosronejad, ed. The Art and Material Culture of Iranian Shi‘ism: Iconography and Religious Devotion in Shi‘i Islam. London: I.B. Tauris, 2012. 304 pages, foreword, acknowledgments, notes on contributors and transliteration, figures, plates, notes, references, index. Cloth US$96.00 ISBN 97...more
regretfully, does not. The second editorial choice consists in privileging the antiand postcolonial periods. Though the anthology includes texts translated from the Greek and Latin and discusses the Phoenician, Jewish, Roman, Vandal, and... more
regretfully, does not. The second editorial choice consists in privileging the antiand postcolonial periods. Though the anthology includes texts translated from the Greek and Latin and discusses the Phoenician, Jewish, Roman, Vandal, and Ottoman aspects of Maghrebi culture, more than half of the anthology is devoted to the modern era, featuring texts translated from Arabic, French, and Tamazight (Berber). Given the divran's goal of making the Maghreb more proximate for a Western audience, this was no doubt a wise decision. The University of California Book of North African Literature admirably begins to redress the underrepresentation of Maghrebi literature in the already miniscule market of translations into English, and one can only hope that more translations of this rich and vast corpus will follow. ^
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The present paper explores the process of how the memory of a historic personality is constructed and how the process of remembering is supported through images. In short it illustrates how an icon comes into being. This process of... more
The present paper explores the process of how the memory of a historic personality is constructed and how the process of remembering is supported through images. In short it illustrates how an icon comes into being. This process of iconization is particularly interesting because it concerns not a cricket star like Sachin Tendulkar, an actor like Shah Rukh Khan or a saint like Sai Baba, whose counterfeits are almost omnipresent in India. This icon is a subaltern hero, who stands for the uplift of the downtrodden. In other words the imagery discussed in this paper illustrates a struggle for emancipation, equal rights and for the recognition of socio-cultural difference.
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This exhibition examines the role that talismans played in the construction and function of arms and armor from the Islamic world. http://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/listings/2016/power-and-piety
Research Interests: Art History, Southeast Asian Studies, Ottoman History, Arms and Armor Studies, Islamic Art, and 12 moreMughal History, Islamic Studies, Islam in the Southeast Asia, History of Art, Islam in Turkey, History of Ottoman Art and Architecture, Islam in India, Islam in Indonesia, Arms and Armour, Ottoman, Safavid, and Mughal History, Islamic art and architecture, and Persian Art
Research Interests: Art History, Ottoman History, Persian Literature, Divination, Magic, and 14 moreOttoman Studies, Islamic Art, Islamic Studies, Ottoman Empire, History of Art, Islamic History, History of Ottoman Art and Architecture, Magic and the Occult (Anthropology Of Religion), Magic and Divination in the Ancient World, Persian and Indian Miniature Painting, History of Art and Architecture, Islamic art and architecture, Islamic Book Arts, and Religious and Magical Practices
This paper looked at the challenges of cataloguing Indian and Islamic arms and armor and the approaches and methodologies to cataloguing these materials.
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This talk will look at how small details found on Islamic arms and armor reveal significant information on the construction, function, and symbolism of these works, as well as how they can provide insight into material, culture,... more
This talk will look at how small details found on Islamic arms and armor reveal significant information on the construction, function, and symbolism of these works, as well as how they can provide insight into material, culture, geography, and date. It will focus on a helmet from Nasrid Spain, a saber from Ottoman Turkey, and a mail shirt from Mughal India.
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This short gallery talk discussed a painting in the exhibition, "Divine Pleasures: Paintings from India's Rajput Courts - The Kronos Collections" at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
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A conversation between a scholar and a poet (Purvi Shah) on the role of the garden in Islamic art and poetry
Research Interests: Art History, Persian Literature, Poetry, Islamic Art, Islamic Studies, and 10 moreHistory of Art, Garden History, Mughal Architecture, Mughal painting, Islamic art and architecture, Persian Art, Modern Indian English Poetry, Islamic Garden and Persian Gardens, The Gardens of Mughal India, and Mughal Literary Culture
Research Interests: Hinduism, History, Art History, Divination, South Asian Studies, and 10 moreArms and Armor Studies, Magic, South Asia, History of Art, South Asian Art, Magic and the Occult (Anthropology Of Religion), Religious Studies, Hindu Mythology, Arms and Armour, and Art, Iconography and Religion (Hindu and Buddhist).
This 30 minute talk will discuss an Islamic mail shirt in the Department of Arms and Armor, which was supposedly owned by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan (r. 1627-1658). It will particularly focus on the talismanic decorative program of the... more
This 30 minute talk will discuss an Islamic mail shirt in the Department of Arms and Armor, which was supposedly owned by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan (r. 1627-1658). It will particularly focus on the talismanic decorative program of the shirt, as well as the role of talismans in Islamic culture and society. http://www.metmuseum.org/collection/the-collection-online/search/35633
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Through large and small details, this talk will look at what miniature paintings reveal about court life and culture in the Islamic world, from leisure and duty, to customs and costume.
Research Interests: Art History, Islamic Art, Mughal History, History of Art, Islamic History, and 9 moreSouth Asian Art, Visual Arts, Persian Culture, Mughal painting, Persian and Indian Miniature Painting, Islamic art and architecture, Persian Art, History of Persian art and architecture, and Mughal Miniature Painting
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This blog post discusses highlights from the Metropolitan Museum of Art exhibition, "Power and Piety: Islamic Talismans on the Battlefield" (August 29, 2016 - February 13, 2017)
Research Interests: Art History, Southeast Asian Studies, Ottoman History, South Asian Studies, Arms and Armor Studies, and 21 moreIranian Studies, Magic, Southeast Asia, Ottoman Studies, Turkey, Mughal History, Islam in the Southeast Asia, History of Art, Islam in Turkey, History of Ottoman Art and Architecture, South Asian Art, Talismanic Art, India, Mughal India, Arms and Armour, Persian and Indian Miniature Painting, Small Arms and light weapons, Persian Art, History of Persian art and architecture, Mughal Art, and Islamic Amulets and Talismans
In conjunction with the exhibition, 'The Royal Hunt: Courtly Pursuits in Indian Art'.
http://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/listings/2015/royal-hunt
http://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/listings/2015/royal-hunt
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Exhibition Review for ‘Nilima Sheikh: Each Night Put Kashmir in Your Dreams’, The Art Institute of Chicago.