Wednesday, February 19, 2025 - 12:00pm to 1:00pm
202 Frick Fine Arts
Hossein Nakhaei
This presentation examines a composite tile panel in a local museum in Iran, made of 279 fragments of 13th- and 14th-century Persian luster tiles that were cut and repurposed around the early 20th century. By tracing these fragments and situating them within the broader history of the collection and displacement of Persian luster tiles, I explore how the panel reveals layers of violence inherent in their removal, fragmentation, and dispersal—processes often obscured by museum displays. This case study challenges the ways museums and academia have historically presented these tiles, calling for a more critical approach to understanding displaced material culture.