Geometric Echoes 1: Knot Within the Columns

This hyper-real collage is envisioned by Maral and inspired by the fourth hall on the second floor of Tehran’s enchanting Glassware and Ceramic Museum, or simply Abgineh Museum, known as the Lusterware Hall. In reality, this space showcases a collection of exquisite vessels made of gold and lapis lazuli, adorned with intricate decorative motifs, hence its name, Lusterware. In this reimagined scene, a newly designed mirrored pattern, inspired by Maral’s original “Gereh Ma”appears delicately preserved within the glass columns of this breathtaking hall, giving the impression that each column is guarding a fragment of sacred geometry.

Historical context: The building housing the Abgineh Museum was originally constructed in 1937 by order of Qavam al-Saltaneh, one of the most influential Iranian statesmen during the Qajar and early Pahlavi eras. He commissioned the residence during his tenure as prime minister to Ahmad Shah. One of the most remarkable features of the museum’s interior is the unique design of its display cases, created by the Austrian architect Hans Hollein. These vitrines draw inspiration from ancient Persian monuments from the columns of Persepolis and the Tachara Palace of Darius the Great to the Zoroastrian Ka’ba of “Naqsh-e Rostam “ making the space truly one-of-a-kind. The museum contains more than 1000 art pieces from pre-historical era to recent times.