The Markarian Foundation Lecture: How Safavid Carpets Speak with Sarah Molina, PhD

Schedule

Sun Nov 08 2026 at 02:00 pm to 04:00 pm

UTC-05:00
Location

Cincinnati Art Museum | Cincinnati, OH

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The Markarian Foundation Lecture: How Safavid Carpets Speak with Sarah Molina, PhD
Sunday, November 8, 2026 from 2–4 p.m.
Free. Reservations required. → https://bit.ly/4i7q09U
Evocative poetic inscriptions run the perimeters of several carpets produced in early modern Iran. These poems have often been recognized as delightful espousals of beauty, but they do so much more. Join Sarah Molina, Sullivan Visiting Professor in Art History at Wesleyan University, for an exploration of how such inscriptions can be considered fundamental sources for understanding how carpets were conceptualized during the Safavid period (1501–1722). Together we will contemplate the longer history of inscribed objects in the Islamic world, the considerations taken to integrate text into the textile medium, and how inscriptions allow Safavid carpets to speak on their own terms.
About the speaker:
Sarah Molina is currently the Sullivan Visiting Professor in Art History at Wesleyan University. She recently completed her PhD at Harvard University. Her Professor Molina’s research focuses on a wide range of textiles from the early modern Islamic world, with particular interests in carpets from Safavid Iran, funerary textiles, technical approaches to objects, and theories of aesthetics.
Please join us for the lecture from 2–3 p.m. in Fath Auditorium with light refreshments to follow from 3–4 p.m. in the Marek Family Commons.
American Sign Language interpretation will be provided by Ghostlight Artistic Interpreting.
This lecture is made possible by the Markarian Foundation.
If you need accessibility accommodations, please contact us in advance at [email protected].
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The Cincinnati Art Museum is open Tuesday–Sunday. Free general admission & free parking. Please visit cincinnatiartmuseum.org for more information.
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Cincinnati Art Museum, Cincinnati Art Museum, 953 Eden Park Dr, Cincinnati, OH 45202, United States

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