TEHRAN – The loan exhibition of ‘Land of Kindness’, which showcases artifacts from several Tehran museums, including the Reza Abbasi Museum, Moqaddam Museum of the University of Tehran, Abgineh Museum, and the Carpet Museum of Iran, has reached the Nanjing Museum in eastern China. It will be running in Nanjing city until the end of the Iranian month of Aban.

The exhibition, which has been held in China in an exhibition tour in cities of Chengdu, Guangzhou, and Nanjing, is currently underway in Nanjing Museum, one of the most important and luxurious museums in China, IRNA reported.  

Majid Montazer Zohouri, head of the Museums and Cultural Spaces Office at the University of Tehran, said that given the cultural, economic and political ties between Iran and China and their friendship during the history, holding international exhibitions can deepen these ties and improve the knowledge of people of both nations of each other’s history, civilization and culture.

He recalled that ‘Land of Kindness’ exhibition, as cultural ambassador of Iran with 151 outstanding artifacts including metal objects, potteries, glassworks, cotton, carpets and paintings, has been showcased in cities of Chengdu, Guangzhou and Nanjing. 

Montazer Zohouri emphasized that the historical objects of the exhibition have been selected in such a way that they tell different aspects of Iranian culture and present a new narrative of the ancient history of Iran. 

“The exhibition uses works with frequent motifs, some of which are ancient cultural patterns with eternal messages; messages that remind us of adherence to covenants, friendship, and love, messages that narrate the immortality and vitality of Iranian culture.”

He said that the Iranian works of exhibition at the Nanjing Museum are displayed in chronological order, covering the period from the Second Millennium BC to the Qajar era.

“Land of Kindness” is a joint initiative by Iran’s Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts and the China International Cultural Exchange Center.  The exhibition features some 150 artifacts, including metalwork, ceramics, silk textiles, carpets, seals, and other artistic items that reflect the grandeur of Iran’s Islamic-Iranian civilization.

Spanning from the third millennium BC to the later Islamic periods, the displayed items include intricately crafted metalworks, ceramics, glassware, textiles, and Persian carpets. These objects not only demonstrate Iran’s artistic evolution but also narrate key stages in its cultural history—from the era of Mithraic rituals to the advent of Islam.

As mentioned by organizers, a key feature of the exhibition is its immersive design, inspired by iconic elements of Iranian art and architecture. Visitors enter through an area reminiscent of the Quranic tilework of Tehran’s Golestan Palace, while the main exhibition hall features stained glass and geometric patterns evocative of the Nasir al-Mulk Mosque in Shiraz. This carefully curated ambiance invites visitors into the spiritual and artistic heart of Iranian heritage.

KD