TEHRAN - The world of Islamic art history is mourns the loss of one of its most distinguished figures, Sheila R. Canby, who passed away this week.

As a pioneering curator, prolific author, and dedicated scholar, Canby’s work profoundly shaped the understanding and appreciation of Persian and Islamic art for both academic audiences and the public.

Canby’s remarkable career was defined by her leadership at two of the world’s most prestigious cultural institutions. She served as a curator of Islamic art and antiquities at the British Museum in London and later as the Patti Cadby Birch Curator in Charge of the Department of Islamic Art at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, where she eventually retired as Curator Emerita. A fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society, her expertise was built on a formidable academic foundation, with degrees from Vassar College and a Master’s and Ph.D. from Harvard University.

Her scholarly focus was particularly sharp on the arts of the Safavid period and Persian miniature painting. This deep knowledge was best exemplified in her award-winning book, “The Golden Age of Persian Art 1501-1722,” for which she was honored with the International Farabi Festival Award—a testament to the significant respect her work commanded within Iran itself.

Her numerous other publications, including seminal works like Persian Painting, Shah ‘Abbas: The Remaking of Iran, and the magnificent The Shahnama of Shah Tahmasp, remain essential reading in the field.

In a statement expressing his condolences to the communities of art history and archaeology, particularly specialists of Iran’s Islamic period, Jebrael Nokandeh, the Director General of the National Museum of Iran, noted that Dr. Canby had enjoyed a fruitful and beneficial collaboration with the museum in the past. He highlighted that her articles had been published in several of the museum’s exhibition catalogues and books, most notably for the celebrated “Iran: Cradle of Civilization” exhibition. He concluded by stating, “Her passing is a great loss, but her immense contribution ensures that her name and legacy will forever be enshrined in the cultural memory of both the Islamic world and global art history.”

AM