Iran’s Treasure

It took me nearly two years before I managed to visit the National Treasury of Iran, located in the country's Central Bank in Tehran. We had lived in Tehran from 2007 to 2009, and every day demands such as school runs, work and the general difficulties of moving around in the city's atrocious traffic had prevented my visit for the longest time.

Nor is it easy to plan such a visit when you are not on holiday. e location of the Central Bank is obvious enough - smack in the centre of town - but the Treasury's opening hours are fairly limited, and children below 12 are not allowed. You cannot bring anything into the building - no cameras, no handbags, no coats, no mobile phones - and you have to leave all these items prior to entering at a dodgy outdoor hut with a guardian who hands you over a cheap plastic chip with an Arabic number on it. No access for wheel-chairs. And watch out for any Islamic holidays - although it won't be announced on its homepage, the Treasury for sure will be closed.

When I #nally made it to the Treasury - alone, someone had to stay with the kids - I was greeted by

a queue that rivalled those at the Uffici in Florence or the Louvre just before opening hour. Aer some 40 minutes, it was #nally my turn to step through the security gates and the time-switch operated doors, which guarantees that only a certain amount of people are in the Treasury at any given time.

Once inside, I slowly stepped down into the dungeons of the Central Bank, past a counter where one can purchase a small guide and a set of post-cards depicting the most striking pieces of the collection. en onwards and further downwards, until we reached a small anti-chamber, at the end of which stands the famed „Peacock rone“ (Takht-e Tavous), or rather what many believed it to be. In truth, this throne (penultimate page) is an entirely different specimen to the famous piece that was brought back by Nadir Shah in 1739 from one of his expeditions to India, where he took the piece from the Mughal emperor Muhammad Shah. Aer Nadir Shah’s assassination in 1747, this original Peacock rone disappeared from the records. is is where one turns right into the safe of the Central Bank - a walk-in strong box that contains all the

remaining treasures of the Shah and whose content is still used to back the country’s monetary system.

ere is little available that prepares one for this experience. On an area not much bigger than an average living room, nearly 40 showcases display items of the greatest splendour imaginable. From crowns and diadems to swords and daggers, royal robes to household items such as decanters and pill boxes, there is practically nothing there that is not encrusted with jewels on every free square centimetre. In fact, the impression is so overpowering that aer a while, it completely dulls one’s senses.

e artistry needed to produce all these items was probably at its summit during the 18th century. Later, more and more European in&uence is tangible in the pieces. Indeed, what with the turbulent history of Iran, it is astonishing that so many pieces have survived the tides of time.

Once I had completed the tour that goes around the room either clock-wise or anti-clockwise - depending on the mood of the day (and only one tour is allowed!) - I realised the

most amazing fact: that many glass cases still contain piles and piles of diamonds, rubies, emeralds etc. that the artisans have not found necessary to turn into pieces of art. e heaps of jewels just gives one the sense of what Aladdin must have felt when he looked into the cave for the #rst time.

As it seemingly is not possible to obtain the photo guide to the Treasury ahead of time anywhere in Tehran, I have made the effort to reproduce it <a href="http://www.scribd.com">here</a> for use of any future traveler to Iran. As the items are fairly poorly marked, this guide will hopefully be helpful for prospective visitors to familiarise themselves with the Treasures ahead of the trip there.

e information contained in this booklet is taken from the official guide that can be purchased once inside the Central Bank, and thus are reproduced here without any guarantee for accuracy. For further information on the National Treasury of Iran, refer to· www.iranchamber.com· www.cbi.ir/page/1475.aspx· short video-clip: www.cbi.ir/upload/videos/NJT225k_en.wmv

Iran’s Treasure

Front cover: diadem made of gold, large and small rubies, and diamonds; Fath-Ali Shah period (1798-1834)

Diadem made of platinum and diamonds, 1938

Golden aigrette in a bow shape,encrusted with diamonds, spinels

and emeralds. Made during thereign of Fath-Ali Shah (1798-1834)

Case 1 and 2

These cases contain a number of Kalyans

(waterpipes), dish-covers, vases and

mirrors. They are made from gold and

encrusted with a variety of precious

stones.

Item 5 is a gold decanter with enamel

work containing pictures of flowers and

birds. On the upper half, there are

pictures of women. The item is

considered one of the best examples of

Iranian enamel work.

Case 3

This case holds items such as a

candlestick, several kalyan heads, coffee

cup holders and dish-covers.

The golden candlestick on display here is

decorated with diamonds, emeralds,

rubies, tassels of pearls and emeralds. It

was used with its twin displayed in case

32, on either side of the Peacock Throne,

during cemeronial occasions in Golestan

Palace.

Decanter from 19th century. Green enamel with pearls, rubies and diamonds Golden incense burner, with enamel, diamonds, spinel and emerald

Turquoise coffee cup support set in a scroll design (made during reign of Nasser-ed-din Shah Qajar, 1831-96)

Case 4

In this case, various parts of waterpipes,

tea and coffee pots, an enamelled golden

tray and a variety of household items are

displayed, including an incense burner, a

saddle horn and the coconut-shaped jar

of a waterpipe made of an ostrich egg

shell.

The displayed item is a waterpipe with tray

decorated with diamonds, emeralds,

rubies and pearls. It was made under

Fath-Ali Shah’s reign (1798-1834).

Case 5 and 6

Case 5 is assigned entirely to objects with

Iranian turquoises. The item on display

here is aa water decanter made in the

19th century set with turquoises and

rubies in a spiral around the body.

Case 6 contains a variety of swords and

daggers, as well as a standard.

Case 7 and 8

Aigrettes and hat organments encrusted

with jewels, some dating from the Safavid

dynasty, are on display in case 7. The

aigrette displayed here was made in the

early 19th century. A painting of Fath-Ali

Shah shows him wearing this aigrette

mounted on the Kiani Crown (case 36),

instead of the one that it is carrying

currently.

Case 8 contains small gold boxes, pocket

watches and pen cases, all encrusted with

jewels. One item is a pocket watch with

blue enamel presented to Nasser-ed-Din

Shah (1848-96).

Diamond brooch, with the bird’s eye represented by a ruby Brooches in the form of court jesters, set with diamonds and rubies (19th century)

Aigrette made from gold and silver, encrusted with diamonds (19th century) Golden aigrette with diamonds and emeralds, early 19th century

Case 9 and 10

Case 9 contains a quiver, several swords,

daggers, belts and a pair of saddle bags.

In case 10, ornaments such as brooches,

watch chains, aigrettes and buckles,

decorated with diamonds, are on display.

This brooch is made of gold in a flower

design and is encrusted with diamonds,

rubies and opals. It was made in the 19th

century.

Case 11 and 12

Case 11 holds various objects decorated

with rubies and spinels, as well as loose

rubies and spines in a variety of sizes.

The brooch in the picture was made in

the 19th century in the form of a double

knot made of a set of matching rubies.

In case 12, a number of swords, sword

belts, a rifle and a pair of saddle bags are

displayed.

Platinum diadem with diamonds and rubies, made in 1967

These cases contain a great variety of

pearls from the Persian Gulf. The tassels

of pearls, which can be seen in case

13, weigh a total of 16 kilograms and

were used as throne decorations. Item

3, a flower brooch, carries a baroque

pearl of 600 grains.

In case 14, a little globe decorated with

rubies and various enamelled boxes are

displayed. There are also gold coins

and commemorative medals produced

on various celebratory occasions. The

commemorative coins displayed as

Item 5, for instance, bear the effigy of

Mozzaffar-ed-din Shah. They were

minted in 1900 by the Brussels mint

on the occasion of the Shah’s official

visit to the mint.

Case 13 and 14

Case 15

This case contains a number of

outstanding items. Item 2 is a mirror with

a gold and enamelled frame. This frame is

decorated with diamonds, rubies, spinels

and five pearls, and surrounds the

portrait of young Nasser-ed-Din Shah.

The item was made in 1867.

The ceremonial staff of Hajeb-ed-Dowleh,

Lord Chamberlain to the Shah, is shown

as item 3. The golden staff measures 133

centimetres and is decorated with rubies,

diamonds and enamel, topped by a large

emerald. It was used by the Lord

Chamberlain in front of the king on

ceremonial occasions.

The coronation robe, item 6, is made of

hand-woven silk with a white background

and colourful paisleys. The border carries

6 centimetres of pearl and gold

embroidery.

Case 17

The Nadir Throne displayed here,

although named after him, has no

relationship whatsoever to the 18th

century Iranian ruler. The inscriptions on

the panels located around the seat of the

throne show that it was rather

constructed during the reign of Fath-Ali

Shah (1798-1834).

Fath-Ali Shah’s motive to having this

throne made was to display the pomp

and splendour of his court to his subjects

and to foreign envoys who visited the

king in various summer residences

around Tehran. The throne is composed

of 12 separate parts and carries a total of

26,733 precious stones. It was also used

for the coronation ceremony of

Mohammed Reza Pahlavi.

Case 19, 20 and 21

Case 19 contains the hat of Fath-Ali

Shah’s Crown Prince, Abbas Mirza,

garments of the Qajar period, a robe of

gold, pearls and bead embroidery. Abbas

Mirza’s hat, in the shape of a crown, is

made of red satin and velvet cloth carrying

pearls and gold sequins.

Various insignia and medals can be found

in case 20, as well as a number of gold

boxes, brooches and inkpots.

In case 21, various boxes and watches

are displayed. Item 1, a gold and enamel

carafe, was made in the early 19th

century. Item 3 is a golden flowerpot

totally set with diamonds and rubies. Item

8 is a gold pocket watch set with

diamonds and enamel, a gift by

England’s Queen Victoria to Nasser-ed-

Din Shah.

Case 22 and 23

Case 22 contains a variety of swords and

daggers encrusted with jewels. Item 6, for

instance, is a sword given as a present to

Iran by Alexander II, Czar of Russia. Item

12 is a horse aigrette set with diamonds

and yellow sapphires.

In the next case, broohes, diamond-

studded purses, amulets and bracelets

are displayed. The items displayed are

three brooches carrying large pearls - the

duck a black pearl, and the swans white

ones. Items 69, 72, 78 and 79 are

brooches made of gold and enamel in

the shape of insects and flowers, each

containing a tiny watch (made by Fabergé

in the 19th century).

Case 24 and 25

A variety of diamonds, ranging in size

from less than one carat to 152.16 carat,

and with different cuts, are on display in

case 24. The „celebrated sword“ of Nadir

Shah, item 19, carries a golden scabbard

and is set with 1869 rose cut diamonds.

An enamelled portrait of Fath-Ali Shah

Qajar can be seen on the reverse side.

The weapon is one of the most famous

national treasures of Iran. After the victories

of Nadir Shah it was named „All

Conquering Sword“ and studded with

diamonds. Shah Reza Pahlevi used it at

his coronation in 1926.

Case 25 displays a rifle, a quiver, and

several swords and daggers, all encrusted

with various gems.

Case 26

In this case, jewels used by the Pahlavi

family are displayed. Several pieces were

made on the occasion of the first

wedding of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi in

1938, for which Iranian and French

jewellers were commissioned to make

several new pieces.

Item 1 is a platinum necklace set with 10

large emeralds, 486 diamonds and 4

huge pearls.

Item 2 is a platinum tiara set with 324

diamonds, one of which measures 60

carat and is a pale pink diamond of the

name of „Nur-ol-Ein“. It is speculated that

this diamond was once part of one larger

diamond, together with the Darya-i Nur

(see also below).

Item 25 is a platinum necklace set with

469 diamonds, and item 38 a brooch

set with Burmese rubies and diamonds.

Aigrette with diamonds and sapphires, made in the early 19th century Aigrette from gold and silver, with rubies and diamonds, early 19th century

Case 27

This case contains loose emeralds

weighing from 10 to 320 carats, as well

as objects set with emeralds. Item 1 is a

gold and green enamelled bottle set with

diamonds and rubies. Its stopper is

capped with a big ruby and ornamented

with pearl drops.

Item 6 is a gold watch set with a 55 carat

cabochon emerald.

Another exquisite piece is item 11, a snuff

box set with 92 matching emeralds of

superb quality. It is thought to have been

made in Iran during the first half of the

19th century.

Item 31 is a clasp set containing a very

high quality cabochon emerald weighing

150 carats.

Case 28

This case contains the buckler of Nadir

Shah, and various bejewelled swords and

daggers.

Item 3 (also on the back cover of this

booklet) is the shield of Nadir Shah made

of rhinoceros hide. It was used during the

war with India in 1739-40. The large

rubies, diamonds, spinels and emeralds

were added later to mark the occasion.

Item 7 is a sword with a diamond-

studded hilt and made from Damascus

steel. The scabbard is made of black

leather and set with diamonds and with

golden tassels and clasps. The sword

was presented by the Sultan of the

Ottoman Empire to Nasser-ed-Din Shah

in 1860.

Golden aigrette, with diamonds and sapphire. Produced in Europe, 19th centuryGold and silver necklace, with diamonds, rubies and spinels

Golden diadem with flower and bird motif (early 19th century)

Case 29 and 30

An enamelled gold ewer and basin are

displayed in case 29, as well as the

travelling mirror of Fath-Ali Shah, various

gold coffee cup holders, belts, and a pair

of diamond and sapphire clasps.

Case 30 is assigned to cut and uncut

emeralds and objects set with emeralds.

Item 5 is a tiara set with diamonds and

one emerald, presented by the British

Government during the reign of Fath-Ali

Shah to Aqabaji, his wife. Fath-Ali Shah

purchased it from Aqabaji for 8,000

tomans.

Item 48 is a sword with sheath, handle

and hand guard in gold, set with a total

of 214 emeralds, 64 spinels, 4 sapphires,

275 rubies, and 12,384 diamonds. The

item was presented to Nasser-ed-Din

Shah by his Prime Minister in 1894.

Case 31, 32 and 33

In cases 31 and 32, various golden

objects are displayed, such as waterpipe

(Kalyan) parts, dish-covers, trays and

bottles. Item 34 is a gold tray delicatedly

enamelled by Mirza Baba, a famous

painter during the reign of Fath-Ali Shah.

Case 33 contains household and

personal objects encrusted with precious

stones, such as carafes, ewers, basins,

mirrors, kalyan heads and knives, as well

as gun powder pouches and bowls. Item

18 is a gold ewer with basin, whose

mouth is set with a ring of pearls.

Neighbouring item 19 is a golden rose-

water sprinkler, enamelled and set with

rubies, diamonds and emeralds.

Case 34

Item 1 in this case is the crown used by

Reza Khan and Mohammad Reza

Pahlavi. The item is made of gold and

silver and decorated with diamonds,

emeralds, sapphires and pearls. The fabric

of the crown is red velvet. On the four

sides of the crown are battlement designs

and sunbursts of the four planets, entirely

set in diamonds. The general design of

the object is in the style of the crowns of

the Sassanid Kings (226-651 AD).

This crown, which carries a total of 3,380

diamonds (1,144 carats) and 368 pearls,

and weighs 2,080 grams, was used in

the coronation of Reza Pahlavi on 25

April 1926, and the one of Mohammad

Reza Pahlavi on 26 October 1967.

Case 34

One of the world’s most famous

diamonds is the Darya-i Nur („Sea of

Light“), item 2 in case 34. This diamond

is the largest pink diamond in the world

and takes first place among the vast

amount of diamonds in the National

Treasury of Iran. The stone was passed

on from generation to generation among

the Shahs of Iran, from Nadir Shah to

Nasser-ed-Din Shah, who had a special

fondness for it.

The Darya-i Nur measures approximately

182 and its colour is pale pink, which is a

rarity among diamonds. It is suspected

that the stone was formerly part of a larger

stone of 242 carat, which was split into

the Darya-i Nur and the Nur-ol-Ein of 60

carat. The latter was mounted in the tiara

displayed as item 2 in case 26.

Case 34

Item 3 in this case is a golden belt with a

large emerald of 175.5 carat set in the

buckle, surrounded by 60 brilliant cut

diamonds and 145 rose cut diamonds.

Its total length is 119 centimetres and the

width 4 centimetres. The belt was used

during the coronation of Reza Khan

Pahlavi in 1926.

The Nadir aigrette, pictured here, is item 4

in the case. It is set with diamonds and

emeralds. The central emerald is

cabochon (shaped and polished instead

of faceted). There are 7 diamond-studded

plumes on the aigrette, and 3 drop

emeralds hang from it.

Item 5 is the golden royal scepter. It was

presented to the Shah during his

coronation. Three lions and suns

support a diamond-studded crown with

their right paws.

Necklace of emeralds, diamonds and pearls, made in 1967 Necklace from platinum, with large yellow and smaller white diamonds (1967)

Brooch with diamonds, emearlds, rubies, sapphires and turquoises (19th century) Golden aigrette, with diamonds, rubies, pearls, spinels and emeralds (19th century)

Case 35

This case contains the crown used by

Farah Pahlavi (item 1). It was made, using

select gems from the Treasury, by Van

Cleef et Arpels in 1967. The crown is

from platinum and gold, and encrusted

with 1,469 diamonds, 36 emeralds, 105

pearls, 34 rubies and 2 spinels. Its total

weight is 1,480.90 grams.

Item 4 is a buckle made of 84 cabochon

cut rubies of outstanding quality,

brought to Iran from Myanmar.

Ghamarol Saltaneh necklace, from gold and silver with diamonds and emeraldsPlatinum necklace with diamonds and emeralds, made in 1967

Turquoise and diamond necklace, made of platinum (from the 1960s) Turquoise aigrette depicting sun-rays, made under Nasser-ed-Din Shah’s reign

Case 36

The crown of Fath-Ali Shah Qajar, known

as „Kiani Crown“, features in this case as

item 1. It is set with diamonds, emeralds,

rubies and pearls. The final red stone is

an Aurangzib spinel. The crown was

made during the reign of Fath-Ali Shah,

in 1797, and was used by several of his

successors. It is the first crown made after

the Sassanid dynasty.

Item 4 in this case is a mace made at the

same time as the Kiani Crown. It is set

with spinels and diamonds.

Platinum necklace carrying large yellow and smaller white diamonds (made in 1967)

Case 37

This Globe of Jewels was begun in 1869

by order of Nasser-ed-Din Shah. A group

of Iranian craftsmen, under the

supervision of a Ebrahim Massihi, made

the globe using loose stones from the

Treasury. The net weight of the gold

used for the globe is 34 kilograms, and

the jewels weigh a total of 3,656 grams.

As is recounted often, the skill of the

craftsmen was more in the field of

jewellery-making than in geography, so it

can be somewhat hard to find precise

countries on the globe. Oceans and seas

are identified by emeralds, land is

represented by rubies. South-east Asia,

Iran, England and France are depicted

with diamonds.

The diameter of the globe is about 66

centimetres. The stem is of wood and

studded with gems.

Peacock Throne

Fath-Ali Shah, who reigned from 1798 to

1834, ordered his artisans to make this

throne, which became famous as the

„Sun Throne“ on account of the design

of the sun on the back panel. After he

married Tavous („Peacock“) Tajodoleh, the

throne was renamed „Peacock Throne“.

Some believed it to be the famed throne

brought back from India, but this is not

so.

After Fath-Ali Shah’s death, his successor,

Nasser-ed-Din Shah, ordered the throne

to be changed, and some panels were

added, carrying verses in blue enamel ona

golden background.

The throne was kept in Golestan Palace

until 1981. Due to its rich decoration

with jewels, it was then decided to keep it

with other pieces of the National Treasury

and thus delivered to the Central Bank.

Back cover: shield made from rhinoceros hide, decorated with diamonds, emerals, spinels and rubies (18th century)