The calligraphic collection of scripts and books by MirEmad, a master in calligraphy, inaugurated in February 1998, is the first collection of its kind opened to the public. The idea of organizing such a museum stems from the fact that there did not exist any comprehensive collection presenting this prominent Islamic Art of Iran. Following this idea, a vast effort was made to gather and collect unique and valuable artworks from different sources in the Cultural Hertitage organization. Amongst them, the most typical examples were chosen to show the six famouse original calligraphic fonts and also fonts added after the 8th century A. H.
The collection is not limited to the works of MirEmad, but comprises a vast selection of calligraphic pieces, from 3th to 14th century, which give the visitors a good image of the evolution of this art from the pre-Islamic era up to the present time. In selecting the artworks, a great contribution was made by contemporary masters of calligraphy, without the help of whom this collection would not have been possible.
The building of MirEmad museum, a delicate subsidiary building in the Sa’adabad Compound bears the history of mid 14th century architecture. Before the Islamic revolution, this building was dedicated to rhe residence of the late Shah’s daughter, unsuitably changed and its original architectural spaces unsuitably changed. After the revolution, the building was inscribed as a national monument and was restaurated to gain its original historic architecture. All the superfluous equipments and spaces were romoved, and while reenforcing the structure, some necessary adjacent spaces were designed. The ladscape of this site was also designed in harmony with the original spirit of its historical era.
The design and construction of the building and its interior architecture were carried out and supervised by Mrs. Firouzeh Athari. The management of the project was carried out by Dr. Shafiie and Khodaverdi, and the landscape design was supervised by Mr. Houman Sadr. The members of the technical bureau of the Sa’adabad compound contributed enormousty accomplishment of this project. We take the opportunity to thank them all.
The magazine’s printed English ends here. The Farsi text continues with a detailed schedule of the restoration work and a section on the landscape design, for which the magazine printed no English.
