Qajar Shiite Material Culture

Book excerpt: This study is one of the first interdisciplinary examinations of the material religion and art objects of Naser al-Din Shah's court, vis à vis popular Shiite beliefs during the Naseri period (1848-1896). The primary focus of this book remains the intercession of Shiite religion and the occurrence of depictions of the Prophet Mohammad and Imam Ali inside the royal court during the reign of Naser al-Din Shah. In this work, Pedram Khosronejad has paid special attention to the role of Naser al-Din Shah's popular Shiite values in shaping attitudes toward the depiction in portraiture of the Prophet Mohammad and Imam Ali. Khosronejad's observations further confirm Naser al-Din Shah's deep-rooted connections to popular Shiite beliefs and related superstitions. The king's devotional practices and his sacred rites regarding the objects on/in which may be seen visual representations of the Prophet Mohammad and Imam Ali, especially their portraiture, explain "deep-seated beliefs" that Shiite visual pieties were invested in his life.