Glassware and Ceramic Museum of Iran (Abgineh Museum)
The Qavam House houses the Abgineh Museum, the only museum in the country dedicated to glassware and ceramics. Qavam, a renowned politician of the Qajar and Pahlavi eras, was its former owner. Located on 30th Tir St., the museum boasts a collection of over two thousand historical pieces, including 899 water-based objects and glasses, 680 pottery items, 242 crystals, and 243 exquisite objects. Among its most prized possessions are glass cylinders from the second millennium BC, obtained from the Chogha Zanbil Temple in Khuzestan province. The museum also showcases pottery from different cultural periods in Iran.
History
In 1291 AD, Ahmad Qavam, who was known as Qavam os-Saltaneh, ordered the construction of a grand mansion in the center of a Qajar Garden. Over the years, this mansion became a treasure trove of glass and terracotta works from various cultural periods in Iran. Qavam resided in this place from 1921 until 1351. After his father’s death, Ahmad Qavam’s son sold the house, which then served as the Embassy of Egypt for seven years. Eventually, in the 1950s, Farah Pahlavi’s office purchased the Qavam House as a museum. It was then handed over to the former Ministry of Culture and Art to establish the Pottery and Glass Museum. In 1355, this building became the GlassWare and Ceramic Museum of Iran.
Museum architecture
The museum’s design was created by Iranian engineers, while the interior architecture and showcases were designed by Austrian architect and engineer Hans Hollein. The design was influenced by historic monuments such as Tachara, Persepolis columns, Zoroaster’s Cube, and Safavid arches. The materials used in constructing the museum included brick, plaster, mud mortar, and lime with a brick facade. The building consists of a basement, ground floor, first floor, and foyer, with beautiful wooden stairs in the shape of two nesting horseshoes on the ground floor. The stairs are inspired by the Russian style and lead to the second floor. The exterior of the museum is based on Iranian architecture, while the interior of the Western Architecture Museum is a combination of Iranian-Baroque architecture. The foyer was originally built in a dome shape but now appears flat after the establishment of the Egyptian embassy in the area. The mansion features various architectural decorations, including inlays on the stairs and doors, and 50 models of brickwork inspired by the Seljuk period are displayed on the facade of the building. The building’s interior is adorned with various decorations, including mirroring and plastering. The mirror work added in 1989 on the second floor often features religious and revolutionary themes.
The objects of the museum are displayed on two floors and five categories.
Enamel Gallery: The oldest objects of the museum are located in this hall, which includes glass works belonging to the beginning of the second millennium BC, which includes glass rods obtained from Chogha Zanbil.
Nacre Gallery: In this gallery, one can observe the development of the artistic and technical styles from the Sassanid era. Additionally, you can find exhibits ranging from the 9th to the 13th century. Notably, this space highlights the pinnacle of glassware and pottery craftsmanship.
Gold Gallery: This gallery proudly exhibits an exquisite assortment of enameled vessels and lustrous inscriptions dating back from the 10th to 13th centuries. These inscriptions beautifully depict interpretations, good prayers, and poems by renowned figures such as Nizami and Ferdowsi. The inscriptions showcase an array of human figures engaging in diverse ceremonies, as well as enchanting depictions of various animals, particularly birds.
Crystal Gallery: Explore the exceptional engraved crystal bottles and vessels from the Achaemenid and Parthian periods in this gallery. Witness the remarkable collection of Sasanian and post-Islamic dishes adorned with molded, applied, pressed, and cut designs.
Lapis-Lazuli Galleries: Iran’s glass and pottery industries were destroyed but later revived by Shah Abbas I with the help of Chinese and Italian artists. This resulted in a transformation of vessel shapes and decorations using lapis lazuli. Today, galleries showcase a variety of azure and bright orange vases, sprinklers, and pots from Shiraz and Isfahan as a testament to the hard work and dedication put into reviving these industries.
The Abgineh Museum is comprised of various sections, such as the library and Hoz’Khaneh. The Hoz’Khaneh boasts exceptional tiles from the late Qajar era, as well as a ceiling adorned with impressive plasterwork. This area can be found on the museum’s ground floor. Meanwhile, the library is situated on the second floor of the building, and it houses a diverse collection of books in Farsi and English on subjects like archeology, history, art, and architecture.
Visiting hours
Abgineh Museum has seasonal visiting hours: 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. in spring and summer, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. in autumn and winter.
