Register for a CSMC workshop series

Studying the Seals on Iranian Manuscripts During the Islamic Period

Masterclass in Persian

Instructor: Dr Emad Sheykh-ol-Hokamaee (University of Teheran)

Organisers: Dr David Durand-Guédy and Professor Dr Shervin Farridnejad

Time: Monday, 18 March 2024, 2:00 pm – 6:00 pm CET, and Tuesday, 19 March 2024, 9:00 am – 1:00 pm CET

Place: Asia-Africa Institute, ESA East, 1st floor, room 121. Edmund-Siemers-Allee 1, 20146 Hamburg

Registration: Please register following the instructions below

Seals are crucial components of manuscripts and archival documents produced in Iran, playing a significant role in various domains, particularly in authenticating legal deeds and tracing ownership. Besides, some seals stand as artistic masterpieces, distinguished by their designs and the precious materials from which they are crafted.

This masterclass aims to introduce students and scholars working on Iranian and Islamic manuscripts with the basics of sigillography studies, the structure of the seals, usage, and encoding the seals and seal impressions. The instructor of this workshop, Dr Emad Sheykh-ol-Hokamaee (University of Tehran), is a renowned scholar on the subject and currently a fellow at the CSMC. Participants will have the unique opportunity to learn from him during his first presentation on sigillography outside of Iran. The masterclass will be conducted in Persian.

The two-day masterclass will cover the following topics:

Introduction to sigillography studies
Evolution of the Persian terminus technicus mohr
The use of seals in documents and manuscripts
Ink and colour in seals
Principles and rules of seal engraving
How to read seal inscriptions
The role of seals through time
Practical exercises in reading seals

Target audience

MA students and doctoral researchers from any programme on Iranian Studies, Islamic Studies, and Turkish Studies
Postdocs with a research interest in Iranian Studies and in Persian manuscript culture
External participants with an interest in Iranian Sigillography, seals, and seal impressions as written artefacts

Costs

The masterclass is free of charge, but participants need to organise and pay for their accommodation, adequate health insurance, and travels themselves. Meals are not included.

Application and deadline

Please fill in the application webform (below) and send a CV and a letter of motivation (1 page) to Shervin Farridnejad(shervin.farridnejad"AT"uni-hamburg.de) by 16 March 2024. In this letter, please explain what motivates you to apply for the course. Please also mention your level of Persian language.