Robes of Honour: Embroidered Diplomacy with Samantha Happé

The city of Isfahan in Iran is famous for its Perso–Islamic architecture: palaces, mosques, minarets and grand boulevards. During the Safavid empire (1506-1736), it served as a showcase of sartorial grandeur, where luxury textiles transformed the city into a spectacle of power and wealth. The bazaars overflowed with sumptuous fabrics, while the Shahs, their harems, and nobility draped themselves in brocaded silks using gold and silver threads. Visiting European ambassadors were often presented with elaborate robes, turbans, and weapons before their departure, often expressing delight in what they perceived as generous recognition of their status.

This lecture will unravel the intricate symbolism embedded in the embroidered patterns of these garments, focusing on the form of the dragonslayer. Far from mere tokens of goodwill, these gifts were a strategic enactment of the Shah’s dominance, a sophisticated play in which the Shah’s supremacy was reaffirmed.