Glassware and Ceramic Museum
The Glassware and Ceramic Museum ( Abgineh Museum of Tehran ) of Tehran is one of the most famous museums in Iran and is considered the only specialized glass and ceramics museum in the country. This museum houses various collections of historical and artistic glassware that belong to different historical periods of Iran. The Abgineh Museum of Tehran is one of the popular tourist destinations in Tehran where visitors can view diverse glassware from various historical periods of Iran.
Until 1951, the Abgineh Museum of Tehran was the residence and workplace of Qavam al-Saltaneh. After that, from 1953, it was used by the Egyptian Embassy for seven years. In the following years, it housed the Afghan Embassy and later the Bank of Commerce of Iran. In 1976, the property was purchased from the Bank of Commerce and designated for establishing the specialized Glass and Ceramics Museum.
Meaning of “Abgineh”
The word “Abgineh” in Persian has various meanings, including glass, crystal, goblet, vase, cup, and mirror.
Architecture of the Abgineh Museum of Tehran Building
The architecture of the museum building: The Abgineh Museum of Tehran building has three floors. It is located in a garden of approximately 7,000 square meters in central Tehran, with a building area of about 1,040 square meters. The use of wood and intricate woodwork in the museum’s architecture is notable. The first floor connects to the second floor via Russian-style wooden stairs. The facade decorations include 51 brick relief designs reminiscent of the Seljuk era, and the presence of porticos and entrance columns is characteristic of late Qajar and early Pahlavi architecture.
The project to convert Qavam’s building into the Glassware and Ceramic Museum of Iran was entrusted to the famous Austrian architect and engineer, Hans Hollein. During this project, Hollein used elements of pre-Islamic and Islamic Iranian architecture and the formal and historical features of the artifacts to design and construct display cases and exhibit spaces and to design the museum halls.
Exhibit Halls of Abgineh Museum of Tehran
The exhibit area includes six halls. On the ground floor, historical artifacts from the prehistory to pre-Islamic periods are displayed in the audiovisual, Mina, and Crystal Halls. The first floor houses the Sadaf, Zarrin-Fam, and Lajvard Halls, which display artifacts from the Islamic period to the contemporary era.
Crystal Hall of Abgineh Museum of Tehran
The Crystal Hall is located on the first floor. As the name suggests, it features valuable and exquisite glassware. One of the most important artifacts in this section is a large display cube containing various types of glass discovered in Iran. The artifacts in this hall date back to the first millennium BC and the Achaemenid, Sassanid, and early Islamic periods. The museum aims to facilitate visitors’ understanding of the evolution of the glass and crystal industry by arranging the artifacts in chronological order.
Mina Hall of Abgineh Museum of Tehran
In this hall, the design for displaying artifacts is inspired by Achaemenid architecture and Persepolis. One of the oldest artifacts in the Mina Hall is glass pipes excavated from Chogha Zanbil.
Zarrin Hall of Abgineh Museum of Tehran
This hall is suitable for viewing the motifs and designs of the Seljuk period. Due to the presence of gold-lustered vessels from the Seljuk period, this section is called the “Zarrin Hall.” Among these artifacts, you can see designs in the form of miniatures and poetry.
Lajvard Hall of Abgineh Museum of Tehran
This section of the Glassware Museum is named the “Lajvard Hall” due to its glass and turquoise-glazed artifacts. The Lajvard Hall is divided into two sections: Hall 1 and Hall 2. The most beautiful artifact in this section is a table from the Qajar period with seven-colored glaze and portraits of characters from the Shahnameh.
Sadaf Hall of Abgineh Museum of Tehran
This hall is named the “Sadaf Hall” due to its architectural design resembling a half-open shell. The Sadaf Hall is a repository of enameled glassware from the post-Islamic period.
Audiovisual Hall of Abgineh Museum of Tehran
Upon entering this hall, visitors are shown a video of the museum’s artifacts to familiarize them with all parts of the museum. The first thing that catches your eye in this hall is a grave containing a prehistoric human skeleton along with various jewelry and items.
Other Sections of Abgineh Museum of Tehran
In addition to the six halls, the Glassware Museum includes administrative offices, the director’s office, and a secretariat. The museum’s library contains 4,000 books on various subjects available for use.
Address of Abgineh Museum of Tehran
Imam Khomeini Street, Si-e-Tir Street, close to Jomhouri Street.
Visiting Hours of Abgineh Museum of Tehran
The Glassware Museum is open from 9 AM to 7 PM in the first half of the year and from 8 AM to 5 PM in the second half of the year. The museum is closed on all official holidays.
Conclusion
The Abgineh Museum of Tehran is one of Iran’s renowned museums. This museum specializes in displaying glass and ceramic artifacts and attracts approximately 2 million visitors annually.
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