Raquel Santos

Conservation & Curatorial Research Fellow (PhD)

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Freer|Sackler Galleries of Art, the Smithsonian’s Museums of Asian - USA

(September 2012- August 2016) 

 

 - Engaged in museum-life & educational mission by assisting with open-day labs, exhibit opens, while speaking in public talks as part of the scholar museum community;

 - Planned, coordinated and monitored day-to-day workflow ensuring on time delivery of large scale projects and data; 

 - Conducted technical & advisory support for The White House Collection & The Frick Collections; 

 - Established successful collaboration between NOVA University of Lisbon (PT) & Smithsonian Institution (USA); 

 - Developed & implemented the project including establishing collaborations with various reputed institutions (including the Smithsonian Institution, The National Gallery of Art, The Philadelphia Museum of Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, etc) & sharing of unique and valuable samples & knowledge from research centers worldwide; 

 - Successfully converted a complex analysis model into a decision matrix type of tool enabling institutions to assess the origin and date of specific historical carpets; 

 - Advocated the importance of combined methodologies in accessing complex problems; 

 - Designed and successfully delivered innovative materials & solutions in dealing with various educational partners approaches and requirements;  

 - Provided new approaches that can be applied around the study of historical textiles;

 - Fostered awareness of one of the great forms of artistic expression in Iran by publishing the results of my research in multiple peer-reviewed journals, international meetings, online publications, etc;

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Project Scope

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International trade and political stability in 16th-century Iran gave rise to new economic developments, including textile production. The new Safavid rulers saw this moment as the ideal opportunity to develop the Iranian carpet industry to respond to the demands and competitiveness of the international market. This work aimed to look at this transformation during the 16th and 17th centuries, to establish how, when and where it occurred, through the collection of Islamic carpets in Portugal and USA.

The interdisciplinary approach taken in this study involving Art History, History and Conservation Science, focused on the study of the art historical and historical contexts surrounding their production and consumption, as well as a close analysis of stylistic features, decorative materials and technical components, supported by science, as a complementary tool for assessing the spatial and temporal dimensions of their production, while establishing the role played by the Portuguese and other European markets in encouraging the creation of new types of carpets for export. 

The historical research recognized the complex political, economic and cultural background during the Safavid and Mughal periods that set the stage for carpet industry innovations, while the art historical identified the subsequent development of the new carpet type through a comprehensive survey of the 59 selected carpets. Technical and material analysis achieved a more detailed understanding of manufacturing processes, thus delivering more accurate resultsregarding their origin and context of production. The study of carpet designs and their painted depictions allowed to trace the evolution of the type and to develop a chronology for production. 

Together the results of this combined methodology offer new and broader insights to the understanding of such a problematic type and allowed the interpretation on the role of the producer and consumer between the 16th and 17th centuries.

This study contributes to a better understanding of the impact of the new overseas trade networks in the development of one of the great forms of artistic expression in Iran and presents a tool for public and private institutions worldwide housing similar carpet types.