Mirza Agha Emami
No discussion of Isfahan’s design legacy is complete without honoring the genius of Mirza Agha Emami, a virtuoso whose mastery elevated Persian art in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Born in 1881 into the storied Emami family of Isfahan, he dedicated his life to reviving and redefining traditional Persian arts at a time of cultural transition.
Training & mastery
Trained in Tehran under Mirza Reza Sani’e Homayoun, Emami achieved mastery across an exceptional range of disciplines:
Pyrography on leather (sukht technique)
Miniature painting
Lacquer and illumination
Carpet design
Calligraphy
His compositions, rich with flowers, birds, courtly scenes, and literary references, are admired for their balance, naturalism, and spiritual depth.
Influence & revival movement
Emami’s influence extended far beyond his own workshop. Pupils such as Hossein Khata’i and Mahmoud Farshchian carried forward his artistic vision.
In carpet design, he collaborated with master weavers, including Abdol-rahim Shureshi and Haj Mehdi Khan, producing museum-level works that helped spearhead Isfahan’s late-Qajar revival movement.
Notable works
Among his most significant creations:
A large leather “Shirin and Khusraw” tableau (c. 1930), gilded, inscribed with verses from Nizami, and signed modestly as “Mirza Aqa Imami Isfahani”.
Carpets and pyrographic panels praised for botanical intricacy and refined color harmony, now commanding top auction prices.
Across every medium, Emami united technical precision with emotional depth. Often compared to a Persian Da Vinci, he stands not merely as a craftsman, but as a visionary who reshaped a cultural tradition. To encounter his work is to witness artistic genius
Important Carpet Designers
Eisa Bahadori (1905–1986)
Eisa Bahadori was one of the central figures in the artistic revival of 20th-century Isfahan, a renaissance figure whose career bridged classical Persian art and modern interpretation.
Born in Markazi province, he studied at the Sanaye Mostazrafeh School in Tehran under Kamal-ol-Molk, gaining mastery in miniature painting, drawing, and traditional crafts.
In 1936, he became director of the Isfahan School of Fine Arts, a position he held for nearly thirty years. During this period, he trained a generation of influential artists, including Mahmoud Farshchian and Rostam Shirazi.
Range of disciplines
Bahadori’s creative reach included:
Painting and calligraphy
Carpet and tile design
Innovation in khātam (inlay) and furniture design
He respected tradition, yet reimagined Persian motifs with boldness and originality.
Innovation in carpet art
Among his most groundbreaking achievements was the introduction of tableau and portrait carpets, transforming rugs into narrative and figurative works of art.
His “Starfish Carpet” exemplifies this vision, marine forms such as starfish and jellyfish woven into the classical structure of Persian carpet design, blending Western realism with Persian ornamentation.
Architecture & cultural dialogue
Bahadori also designed tiles for the Christian hospital of Isabn-e-Maryam in Isfahan, harmonizing Islamic floral aesthetics with Christian symbolism.
Later, he designed carpets for Sarouq, adapting motifs to Western tastes. He eventually settled in France, passing away in Paris in 1986.
Recognition
His honors included:
Recognition from Iran’s Ministry of Education
Awards from the Brussels World Fair
The French Legion of Honor
His works remain highly sought after, with pieces such as The Sanctuary of the Charbagh School in Isfahan achieving over $36,000 at Bonhams
Hossein Khata’i
Hossein Khata’i represents a crucial link in Isfahan’s artistic lineage, a guardian of tradition during a period of transition.
According to Zinat al-Sadat Emami, daughter of Mirza Agha Emami, Khata’i was among her father’s closest pupils.
Specialization & transmission
He specialized in engraving and embossing, particularly in the Safavid style, ensuring these techniques were preserved and passed forward. Zinat al-Sadat herself learned Safavid-style metal engraving under his guidance.
Though his individual works are less documented today, Khata’i’s legacy endures through his role as a teacher and preserver of Emami’s artistic heritage.
Mahmoud Farshchian: Master of Persian Miniature Revival
Born in 1930 in Isfahan, Mahmoud Farshchian is widely regarded as the foremost master of modern Persian miniature painting.
He studied at the Isfahan School of Fine Arts under Eisa Bahadori and other inheritors of the Persian artistic tradition, combining classical techniques with Western influences.
Artistic language
His works are recognized for:
Expressive movement and emotional depth
Fluid composition and dramatic perspective
Mystical and spiritual themes rooted in Sufism
Rich color and intricate detail
Farshchian played a vital role in bringing Persian miniature art to global audiences. His works reside in major museums worldwide, and his influence continues through generations of artists.
Javad Rostam Shirazi (1919–2005)
Javad Rostam Shirazi was a distinguished Iranian painter and carpet designer, contributing significantly to the revival of Persian miniature art.
Born in Isfahan, he studied under Eisa Bahadori and later at the University of Tehran’s College of Fine Arts. In 1958, he received the Gold Medal of Painting from Belgium.
He collaborated with master weavers such as Sadegh Seirafian. His Fish Arabesque carpet features a navy-blue field filled with fish-shaped arabesques and khata'i motifs.
From 1943 to 1976, he also served as an educator at the Isfahan School of Fine Arts.
Mohammad Ebrahim Minaian (1923–2008)
Mohammad Ebrahim Minaian was a respected Iranian artist and educator whose work strengthened the revival of Persian traditional arts in Isfahan.
His expertise encompassed miniature painting, calligraphy, tile design, and carpet design. Through close collaboration with master weavers, he elevated Isfahan carpets on both domestic and international stages.
His works remain in museums and private collections worldwide
Mohammad Hossein Mosavvar al-Molki (1890–1977)
Born into a Safavid-era lineage of painters, Mohammad Hossein Mosavvar al-Molki was a multidisciplinary artist skilled in miniature painting, illumination, oil painting, poetry, and carpet design.
He later traveled to Paris, bridging Persian and Western traditions. His honors included medals from King George V and the Brussels International Exhibition.
He also contributed to the restoration of the murals at Chehel Sotoun Palace. Works such as The Isfahan Prayer Rug remain central to Persian decorative arts.
Abbas Karabision (1922–1992)
Abbas Karabision was a noted carpet and tile designer from Isfahan, celebrated for reviving classical arabesque and khata'i motifs. His designs were incorporated into significant Islamic and civic landmarks across Iran and beyond.
Akbar Mahdiei (1954–February 2025)
Akbar Mahdiei was a pioneering modern carpet designer from Isfahan, renowned for his Golfarang rugs and narrative silk-and-wool compositions.
He founded his workshop in 1976 and later registered the Mahdiei Rugs brand. Widely exhibited and award-winning, his death in 2025 marked the passing of one of Isfahan’s most influential contemporary carpet designers