Uploaded January 2022 | Updated September 2026, 9 hours ago
Look for messages hidden within eye-catching patterns in the latest Peer Perspective video for the #MuseumWithoutWalls.
In this instalment, Dr. Christiane Gruber, a professor of Islamic art at the University of Michigan, helps decode a 19th-century Iranian “talismanic chart” in the Aga Khan Museum’s Collection. Viewed from a middle distance, this piece’s colourful and richly detailed geometric patterns dazzle the eye.
Studied more closely, the work’s deeply spiritual messages, and its intended purpose as a shield against evil and bad luck, edge into focus — making the 68.5-by-53.5 cm masterpiece of ink on gazelle skin appear even more impressive.
To learn more about this object in the Museum’s Collection (accession number AKM536): agakhanmuseum.org/collection/artifact/talismanic-chart-akm536
The Museum’s Peer Perspective series features fascinating commentary and little-known facts from globally recognized scholars who have helped us open new windows on the masterworks in our Collection.
Bringing online Museum experiences to you is part of our mission to connect cultures and promote understanding between peoples. To learn more about how you can support the Museum by making a donation or becoming a Friend or Patron, please visit: agakhanmuseum.org/support
Look for messages hidden within eye-catching patterns in the latest Peer Perspective video for the #MuseumWithoutWalls.
In this instalment, Dr. Christiane Gruber, a professor of Islamic art at the University of Michigan, helps decode a 19th-century Iranian “talismanic chart” in the Aga Khan Museum’s Collection. Viewed from a middle distance, this piece’s colourful and richly detailed geometric patterns dazzle the eye.
Studied more closely, the work’s deeply spiritual messages, and its intended purpose as a shield against evil and bad luck, edge into focus — making the 68.5-by-53.5 cm masterpiece of ink on gazelle skin appear even more impressive.
To learn more about this object in the Museum’s Collection (accession number AKM536): agakhanmuseum.org/collection/artifact/talismanic-chart-akm536
The Museum’s Peer Perspective series features fascinating commentary and little-known facts from globally recognized scholars who have helped us open new windows on the masterworks in our Collection.
Bringing online Museum experiences to you is part of our mission to connect cultures and promote understanding between peoples. To learn more about how you can support the Museum by making a donation or becoming a Friend or Patron, please visit: agakhanmuseum.org/support
