Man in a Fur-Lined Coat 1575 - 1625

Curator: Look at this piece; it's captivating, isn’t it? Editor: It is! There's such a sense of quiet opulence to it all. I am drawn to the almost dreamlike quality... the colors, composition—everything feels softly removed from reality, even if just by a whisper. Curator: Indeed. The work you are seeing here, "Man in a Fur-Lined Coat," created between 1575 and 1625, comes to us from the celebrated artist Riza-yi 'Abbasi. It's crafted using ink, tempera, and watercolours on paper. It currently resides here, at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Editor: "Man in a Fur-Lined Coat"... Such a descriptive, literal title, yet it's brimming with an almost secretive world. Curator: 'Abbasi was an incredibly influential figure during the Safavid period. The use of this 'type' portrait, with one central figure dominating the pictorial space, suggests a reflection of both power and individual identity during this period. Miniatures like this also became coveted commodities, often gifted between the powerful and affluent, thus serving to advertise one’s connection to political power. Editor: Almost like an Instagram post of the era—flexing the good life and all! And the patterns framing the portrait only amplify the richness, don’t you think? They almost seem to hold and guard the scene within. There’s so much symbolic weight in those borders themselves, containing this little world inside the miniature! It almost looks like I am peeking into the past through the doorway! Curator: It reflects the tastes and patronage networks within the Safavid court culture, especially under Shah Abbas I. And, interestingly, miniatures such as this became accessible and a form of royal and upper-class self-fashioning that helped codify status within an expanding imperial milieu. The portrait operates as a piece of self-display—cultural, political and even intimate—all bundled in one striking image! Editor: Absolutely. You’ve given me a lot to think about here... this artwork really sparks something! Curator: Hopefully it does for you, too, as you continue through the exhibition!