The Markarian Foundation Lecture

About this event

Free. Reservations required. Registration will open on October 8, 2026.

Evocative poetic inscriptions run the perimeters of several carpets produced in early modern Iran. These poems have often been recognized as delightful espousals of beauty, but they do so much more. Join Sarah Molina, Sullivan Visiting Professor in Art History at Wesleyan University, for an exploration of how such inscriptions can be considered fundamental sources for understanding how carpets were conceptualized during the Safavid period (1501–1722). Together we will contemplate the longer history of inscribed objects in the Islamic world, the considerations taken to integrate text into the textile medium, and how inscriptions allow Safavid carpets to speak on their own terms.

About the speaker:

Sarah Molina is currently the Sullivan Visiting Professor in Art History at Wesleyan University. She recently completed her PhD at Harvard University. Her Professor Molina’s research focuses on a wide range of textiles from the early modern Islamic world, with particular interests in carpets from Safavid Iran, funerary textiles, technical approaches to objects, and theories of aesthetics.

Please join us for the lecture from 2–3 p.m. in Fath Auditorium with light refreshments to follow from 3–4 p.m. in the Marek Family Commons.

American Sign Language interpretation will be provided by Ghostlight Artistic Interpreting.

This lecture is made possible by the Markarian Foundation.

If you need accessibility accommodations, please contact us in advance at access@cincyart.org or fill out the accessibility request form.