Glassware and Ceramic Museum - Tehran
History
Glassware & Ceramic Museum is located at Tir Street in Tehran. This building was the residence of Ahmad Qavam in early 1920s and this building was used by Qavam himself till 1953. In 1953, this building became the Egyptian Embassy in Tehran and finally it was bought by Farah Pahlavi in 1976 and turned into a museum.
After entering the museum from the main road, one is greeted by a lush green garden which spans 7000 sq. meters. Inside the reception hall on the ground floor, it shows an imaginary archaeological site with treasures. A necklace is made from glass and it came from Gilan and it is believed to be from 1st – 3rd century BC. Necklaces on display inside the Mina Hall are from the 4th century BC to 3rd century AD.
Displays
Perfume jars or glass head bottles are molded by blowing and they are from the 2nd century AD (East Mediterranean). Objects on display inside the blower room of the museum are dating back to the 1st millennium B.C., the Achaemenids, the Sassanid and early Islamic eras. Let alone the displays inside the museum, even interior of the Glassware & Ceramic Museum Tehran is extremely beautiful.
Interior
At one stage in the past, this building was owned by a bank after the closure of the Egyptian embassy. The museum was opened in 1980 after Farah Pahlavi’s bureau bought the building in 1976. This two storey building has beautiful landing stairs. The main establishment of the museum that occupies an area of 1040 square meters is a two-storey octagonal building.
The plaster work used on the second floor of this building is from 1984. Some changes were made to the interior during the time when Egyptian embassy was here.
Ceramic bowls on display mainly come from Nishapur and Rey and they cover the Islamic era of 10th – 12th century. A glass bottle with painted decorations and tumblers next to it, are on display inside the Sadf Hall. A ceramic compound vessel (lustre painted & molded) from 12th – 13th century (Gorgan). There are few good quality ceramic plates and bowls on display. The colours and patterns on the items still look in good condition.
On display, was a ceramic ewer lustre painted and wheel made comes from Kashan (13th century). One of the unique item was a 12th century model is polychrome glazed with molded decorations comes from Gorgan. A beautiful round table on display inside the museum on the second floor. The table shows series of photos but I didn’t find any information about this object.
