Drawing on research for a projected follow-up to his book The Persian Carpet: The Forgotten Years, 1722-1872, Hadi Maktabi will present a detailed overview of the urban workshop tradition in Persia from the Timurid era to the 20th-century revival. This virtual lecture will cover all major weaving centers and explore the distinct characteristics of workshop structure and organization in each. You will encounter the names of the more illustrious and influential master weavers of these provenances, with a focus on the 19th and early 20th centuries. You will also learn more about the popular or dominant artistic themes of these periods and regions.

About Hadi Maktabi

After finishing a Ph.D. in carpet studies at Oxford, Hadi Maktabi has operated a dynamic gallery of antique rugs and textiles. He is a regular contributor to Hali publications and academic journals, and author of the book The Persian Carpet: The Forgotten Years, 1722-1872. Dr. Maktabi also taught art history at the American University of Beirut and has advised museums including the Victoria & Albert Museum, the Carpet Museum of Iran and the Imam Reza Shrine Museum of Mashhad. In 2018 he curated the carpet section of the landmark exhibition of Qajar arts at the Louvre, L’Empire Des Roses, and loaned four royal Qajar carpets from his collection.

How to Participate

This program will take place on Zoom. To participate, please register online, and we will email you a link and instructions for joining. Simply follow that link at the time the program starts (11 a.m. EDT / 8 a.m. PDT). When you register, you can also request to receive a reminder email one day before the program with the link included.

About Rug and Textile Appreciation Mornings

Collectors and experts discuss textile topics and display examples from their personal holdings. This series is named in honor of late Textile Museum trustee emeritus, Harold M. Keshishian. Browse upcoming programs