The Asia Institute (1928–1979) was an American organization in support of research and interest in Persian art and archaeology; and starting in 1964 it was funded by the Pahlavi-era Iran. Two remnants from the Asia Institute are the ''Bulletin of the Asia Institute'', published in the United States, and the

Qavam House Qavam House (also widely called, Narenjestan-e Ghavam) is a traditional and historical house and garden in Shiraz, Iran, built between 1879 and 1886. The building preserves the elegance and refinement enjoyed by the upper-class families during the ...

museum (or Narenjestan) at

Shiraz University Shiraz University ( fa, دانشگاه شیراز ''Dāneshgāh-e-Shirāz'', formerly known as Pahlavi University دانشگاه پهلوی ''Dāneshgāh-e Pahlavi'') is a public university located in Shiraz, Fars, Iran, established in 1946. ...

, Iran.

History

The Asia Foundation was founded in 1928 in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

, as the ''American Institute for Persian Art and Archaeology''. Later, it continued its activity in

Shiraz, Iran Shiraz (; fa, شیراز, Širâz ) is the fifth-most-populous city of Iran and the capital of Fars Province, which has been historically known as Pars () and Persis. As of the 2016 national census, the population of the city was 1,565,572 p ...

between 1966 and 1979. Its affiliations, functions, and publications have varied over the years, although it no longer exists as an organization. The Asia Institute was founded by

Arthur Upham Pope Arthur Upham Pope (February 7, 1881 – September 3, 1969) was an American scholar, art historian, and architecture historian. He was an expert on historical Persian art, and he was the editor of the ''Survey of Persian Art'' (1939). Pope was also ...

and

Phyllis Ackerman Phyllis Ackerman (1893–1977), was an American art historian, interior designer and author. She was a scholar of Persian art and architecture and she worked alongside her husband Arthur Upham Pope. Her legacy was as an editor of the six volume p ...

, who had organized in 1926 an exhibition and the ''First International Congress on

Persian Art Persian art or Iranian art () has one of the richest art heritages in world history and has been strong in many media including architecture, painting, weaving, pottery, calligraphy, metalworking and sculpture. At different times, influences f ...

'' in

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

. The Asia Institute's first director was Pope, and Ackerman served as an assistant and co-director. The aim of the institute was to promote research and interest in Persian art and archaeology through exhibitions, lectures, congresses and publications, and to assist in the excavation and conservation of monuments in

Persia Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

. Due to close contacts with the royal family of Iran, Pope and his wife moved to

Shiraz Shiraz (; fa, شیراز, Širâz ) is the List of largest cities of Iran, fifth-most-populous city of Iran and the capital of Fars province, Fars Province, which has been historically known as Pars (Sasanian province), Pars () and Persis. As o ...

in 1966, where the Asia Institute was re-established as a part of Pahlavi University (now

) and housed in the late-nineteenth-century Qajari mansion called the Qavam House (or Narenjestan). The institute organized the ''5th International Congress of Iranian Art and Archaeology'', which took place in Tehran in 1968. The Asia Institute in Shiraz was closed after the

Islamic revolution The Iranian Revolution ( fa, انقلاب ایران, Enqelâb-e Irân, ), also known as the Islamic Revolution ( fa, انقلاب اسلامی, Enqelâb-e Eslâmī), was a series of events that culminated in the overthrow of the Pahlavi dyna ...

in 1979, but the Qavam House re-opened as a museum. Eventually, the ''Bulletin of the Asia Institute'' was revived in Michigan in 1987. File:Qavam House باغ نارنجستان قوام در شیراز 10.jpg, Garden and building of Qavam House (Narenjestan-e Ghavam) File:Qavam House (11994093056).jpg, Sign

References

{{reflist

External links

''Bulletin of the Asia Institute''

Asia institute The Asia Institute (1928–1979) was an American organization in support of research and interest in Persian art and archaeology; and starting in 1964 it was funded by the Pahlavi-era Iran. Two remnants from the Asia Institute are the ''Bulletin ...

Iranian studies Asian studies 1928 establishments in Pennsylvania