On the occasion of “Transitum”, solo show of artist Fabrizio Cotognini, curated by Marina Dacci and on view in BUILDING from April 3rd to July 19th, 2025; Gallery Moshe Tabibnia, from April 3rd to July 5th, 2025, hosts the sculpture “L’iperboreo” (2025) and some preparatory drawings in a precious setting of Persian matrix, in which animals and natural elements are the protago- nists. The textile specimens on display – which are the product of the most important manufactures of Safavid Persia – aim to recreate the natural environment for the bronze swan.

The dominant theme is the one called “a giardino,” which, in the first room, is addressed in different interpretations depending on the manufacture, patronage, and historical period. This theme is taken up by the Safavid rulers from ancient Persia because of its strong symbolic connotation. Seen as the very metaphor of divine creation, the garden is depicted as the shadow of paradise, and it is transformed into a celestial map where the pavilions are the vault of heaven, the paths the Milky Way, and the water the source of eternal life. Before becoming a type of decoration in textiles, this layout is an important architectural feature in Persian Royal Palaces. One example of this is the archaeological site of Pasargade, dating from the 6th century B.C., in which the ruins of two Royal Palaces show the remains of corresponding gardens.

Two large carpet fragments with “Chahar Bagh” decorative scheme, reflect themselves in the side walls. They feature orthogonal water canals that divide the space into lush flowerbeds, where large leafy trees and other floral elements grow. The water is skilfully depicted and recognizable by surface ripples, and fish of different colors swim in this silent current. Where the channels intersect, we find fountains or pools in which waterfowl rest. The bird’s-eye view and the choice of vertical exposure allows us to better appreciate this cleverly organized space, in which the protec- tive enclosure divides and protects from the outside world. In the garden, not only Edenic images of an orderly and lush nature are depicted, but also scenes of combat, in which the man displays his courage, and that recall the life-death cycle. Among the oldest specimens, dating from the 16th century and woven in the Kerman area, we find two sections of the border with scenes of fighting between both fantastic and real animals; within each medallion a beast and its prey coil in a circular pattern.

In the platform, we see a so-called “Sanguszko” carpet, whose reading of the decorative layout begins on the side corresponding to the entrance of the Gallery, thus welcoming the visitor. Here, birds of paradise, parrots, peacocks, and phoenixes inhabit the dark blue-colored field, defining the different planes with their presence thanks to skilful overlaps with the phytomorphic ele- ments in which they are immersed, where the large sickle-shaped “saz” leaves and cypresses stand out. The meaning of the predominant presence of birds is to be sought in the Persian poetic tradi- tion, in which the 12th century poem “The Canticle of the Birds” stands out: in the poem, different species of birds face a long and difficult journey in search of the “Simurgh,” their king. The journey becomes a metaphor for faith, an allegory of the search for God. A bird of paradise overlooks in the Hatvani fragment, a precious relic of a large carpet to this day divided into several portions; and again, we find a nightingale and a pheasant respectively in the velvet and lampas fabric fragments displayed on the opposite wall. Noble materials such as silk, gold, and silver, present in these precious items, are not exclusive to the clothing textile repertoire. In the exhibition, we can appreciate a majestic so-called “Polonaise” carpet, a precious handknotted production in which the pile is made of silk, and some areas have brocades with silver and gold threads.

In the room facing the inner garden, there are magnificent examples of handknotted carpets made entirely of silk. In these artifacts, the liquid brilliance of the material and the naturalistic decorative systems are a fil-rouge that accompany the visitor on this journey within the different declinations of the Persian garden. The two small fragments in the vitrines – masterpieces from the 16th century – are also made of silk: their refinement and very high density allow them to be juxtaposed with the textile production of velvets.

The exhibition path continues upstairs with a final stop in the library, the par exellance place for study and learning, where other preparatory drawings of the swan find affinity and a new dialogue with the volumes housed inside the room.