I Tatti Masterclasses 1: Collecting Islamic Carpets in Berenson’s Time

Speaker: Avinoam Shalem (Columbia University / American Academy in Rome)

Avinoam Shalem is the Riggio Professor of the arts of Islam at the Columbia University in the city of New York and the incoming director of the American Academy in Rome. Prior to this appointment, Shalem held the professorship of the history of the arts of Islam at the University of Munich and taught in different universities in Europe, Asia and North America. His main field of interest is the global context of the visual cultures of the world of Islam, mainly in the Mediterranean, Near East, North Africa, Spain, South Italy and Sicily, medieval aesthetic thoughts on visual arts and craftsmanship, the image of ‘Islamic’ art and the historiography of the field. In this Masterclass—the first in the series — Prof. Shalem will look at carpets from the Villa’s collections through the lens of Berenson’s fascination with the culture of East and South Asia and of the Islamic regions. 

Masterclasses allow participants to take a virtual step through I Tatti’s doors and listen in as a senior scholar uses the collection as a departure point to expand on themes pertaining to their own research. Pre-recorded at I Tatti, the viewing will be followed by a discussion around topics touched on during the presentation.

ZOOM details

Topic: I Tatti Masterclasses 1: Collecting Islamic Carpets in Berenson’s Time

Time: Jan 14, 2020 12:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Meeting ID: 913 8785 5884

Password: 487835 

Direct link: https://harvard.zoom.us/j/91387855884?pwd=SmNQRXBEZ3dDK0xGQ0pWeFRjYnJ1dz09