- 3 June 2009
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- Culture, Diplomacy, persepolis artifacts
I recently went to visit the Sackler Gallery’s exhibit: The Tsars and the East: Gifts from Turkey and Iran in the Moscow Kremlin. When I walked through the Iranian portion of the artifacts on display, I was blown away by the immaculate and masterfully crafted golden maces, gem inlaid swords, ceremonial horse trappings, and silk tapestries gifted to the Russian Empire in exchange for coveted trade routes or trading compacts. I was impressed to see that these exquisite indicators of my heritage have been held in the Kremlin Treasury since the 16th and 17th centuries are still in such pristine condition!
I also came to realize that the ancient art of diplomacy might be the way of the future. In the times of the Sefavid Shahs and Ottoman Sultans, customized gifts were part of the diplomatic conversation. Valuable treasures were presented to political authorities in order to ensure economic and political agendas. The Russian government, in an attempt to improve relations with the US, has made the simple yet powerful gesture of sharing these historic artifacts with the Smithsonian here in DC.