Heroes and Kings

Heroes and Kings of the Shahnama, the beautiful exhibition celebrating the 1000th anniversary of Firdawsi's epic poem the Book of Kings, will close at the Chester Beatty Library, Dublin on Sunday 3rd April.

The exhibition opened in November 2010 and tells the story of the characters of the Shahnama, from Kayumars, the first man to be King, through the age of heroes such as Rostam and on into the historical age, ending with the Arab conquest and the arrival of Islam. 
The exhibition also features four cases devoted to the conservation concerns of this material, including the pigments, treatment of the single folios, and bound manuscript conservation. These cases were designed by myself and my colleagues Rachel Sawicki and Gaia Petrella, along with the curator of the exhibition, Dr. Elaine Wright.

So, if you haven't already been awed by the exquisite beauty and drama of Chester Beatty's Shahnama paintings, why not head there before it closes.  

Listen to an interview with Dr. Elaine Wright, Curator of the Islamic Collections at the Chester Beatty Library, here.

'some of the most exquisite in the world' http://www.independent.ie/