The Powerhouse Museum holds a large and significant collection of Persian objects spanning the disciplines of design, technology and applied arts that have been created over many centuries since the Safavid period (1501-1736). This diverse collection includes tribal handwoven crafts (namakdun, khorjin, sak-e safar, zilou), carpets and rugs (qali and qalicheh), arms and armour (shamshir, separ, zereh), glass and ceramics, textiles and embroidery, and coins. Many of these objects were created during the Qajar era (1789-1925), specifically during the reign of Naser al-Din Shah Qajar (1848-1896), the king and great patron and admirer of Persian art and architecture.

Pedram Khosronejad, Curator, 2020