Hybrid Symposium – The Sasanians in Context: Art, History, and Archaeology, NMAA – October 21-22, 2022

Join the Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art on October 21 and 22, 10 am-5 pm EST daily, for The Sasanians in Context: Art, History, and Archaeology.

This is a hybrid event: In-person attendees register on eventbrite here / Virtual attendees register on Zoom here.

Between the third and seventh centuries CE, the Sasanian Empire became one of the most dominant powers in the ancient world, extending geographically from Western to Central Asia. From monumental buildings and impressive rock reliefs to elaborately designed metal vessels and finely carved seals, these structures and objects provide a glimpse into the empire’s artistic diversity and its rich material culture. Recent scholarship has further expanded our knowledge of the Sasanian empire and has confirmed its enduring legacy beyond its geographic borders, long after the Arab conquest in the seventh century.

The Sasanians in Context: Art, History, and Archaeology gathers some of the most renowned national and international scholars to share their recent work on the Sasanians and their lasting artistic and historical contributions.

This symposium is generously supported by the Tina and Hamid Moghadam Fund and is organized in collaboration with the University of California, Irvine.

Speaker Names and Affiliations

Matthew P. Canepa, Professor and Elahé Omidyar Mir-Djalali Presidential Chair in Art History and Archaeology of Ancient Iran at the University of California, Irvine

Vesta Sarkhosh Curtis, Curator of Middle Eastern Coins at the British Museum

Anca Dan, Assistant Research Professor of Ancient History and Archaeology in the National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) at the École Normale Supérieure (Paris)

Touraj Daryaee, Maseeh Chair in Persian Studies and Director of the Dr. Samuel M. Jordan Center for Persian Studies and Culture at the University of California, Irvine

Shervin Farridnejad, Professor of Iranian Studies at the University of Hamburg

Mariachiara Gasparini, Assistant Professor of Chinese Art and Architectural History at the University of Oregon

Frantz Grenet, Professor at the Collège de France (Paris) and Chair of the Department of History and Cultures of Pre-Islamic Central Asia

Prudence Oliver Harper, Curator Emerita in the Department of Ancient Near Eastern Art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Ani Honarchiansaky, Assistant Professor of Early Christianity at Saint Louis University

Derek Kennet, Lecturer in the Department of Archaeology at Durham University

Judith Lerner, Research Associate at the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World, New York University

Negin Miri, Assistant Professor of Archaeology at Shahid Beheshti University

Kianoosh Motaghedi, Independent Researcher in Islamic Art, Iran

Mehrnoush Soroush, Assistant Professor in Landscape Archaeology in the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago

Giusto Traina, Professor of Roman History at Sorbonne Université (Paris)

Find more information here: https://asia.si.edu/research/scholarly-programs/the-sasanians-in-context-art-history-and-archaeology/