best university collection. The Philadelphia Museum has
famous carpets as well as imposing and unique archi-
tectural ensembles. The Freer Gallery has specialized in
the finest pottery and miniatures. The Walters Art Gal-
lery in Baltimore has excellent and especially rare pieces.
The museums of Cleveland, Chicago, Detroit, St. Louis,
Kansas City, Providence, Minneapolis, and Seattle all
contain beautiful objects, although in none of them do
the collections systematically cover the field. Very im-
portant early material is to be found in the Oriental Insti-
tute of Chicago, the University Museum of Philadelphia,
while the Chicago Museum of Natural History is espe-
cially strong in Sasanian examples.

The most comprehensive collections of Persian tex-
tiles yet made are in the Hobart Moore Memorial Col-
lection at Yale University, and in the Textile Museum
of the District of Columbia. Nearly one half of the sur-
viving precious Seljuq textiles are included in these two
collections. Unfortunately there are no longer serious
private collectors of Persian Art in America, with the
exception of Mrs. Cora Timken Burnett in miniatures
and Mr. Joseph McMullan and Mr. Paul Getty in the
field of carpets. Mr. C. S. Gulbenkian in Paris, and Mr.
Matusian in Alexandria, who specializes in ceramics, are
the outstanding Persian collectors of the day.

But to understand fully the art of Iran one now must
see the National Museum in Teheran. Although estab-
lished only a few years, it already surpasses all other col-
lections at several points. As a result of its own excava-
tions as well as its share from foreign expeditions working
in the country, it has by far the most complete collec-
tion of prehistoric pottery, the best authenticated collec-
tion of mediaeval ceramic wares, the largest collection of
Achaemenid sculpture, including examples of greater
importance, stucco far finer and more varied than that
owned in all the rest of the world put together. In other
departments also, such as faience mosaic and carved
wood, it is well in the lead.

For a Western audience the familiar name "Persia" is
preferable to the correct and ancient although unfamiliar
name "Iran." The name "Persia" is a Western corrup-
tion of the names of one province in the south (Fars);
but it is now part of our language habits and deeply
enshrined in literature. In fact, there are more than
10,000 titles in a dozen languages referring to Persian art
alone. Much would be lost if the name of this great
land and gifted people were to be deprived of the pres-
tige and rich associations which have been gradually
built up in the West around "Persia" for many centuries.
Publishers are agreed that the public objects to footnotes
in an introductory or interpretive work like this. Accord-
ingly, with some reluctance, the author spares the reader
the distraction; but all the statements in this volume can
be amply documented.

The general obligations of the author have been fre-
quently acknowledged. Lorraine Meyer and Dorothy
Sainsbury have rendered arduous and indispensable ser-
vices and Dr. Wolfgang Born helped on some vexatious
details. Special thanks are due Miss Regina Shoolman
who arranged for the publication and to E. Weyhe who
supplied five color plates from Arthur U. Dilley Oriental
Rugs and Carpets and made many valuable suggestions.

Dr. Ackerman contributed the sections on Prehistoric
Pottery, the Luristan Bronzes, Sasanian Silver, and col-
laborated with the author on the Textiles section. In addi-
tion, she edited the manuscript of the entire text. Mr. Eric
Schroeder wrote the sections on the Arts of the Book,
Calligraphy, and Miniature Painting.

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