MOHAMMEDAN PERSIA. Two centuries after the Mohammedan conquest Persia not only recovered its artistic supremacy, but enlarged its influence by dominating the Caliphate of Bagdad. But of this period almost nothing remains. l'ersia was then overrun by Tatars mud Mongols, whose in thienee modified the purer native Nolminmedan ism. Persian art retained the dome and the broad arch—like the old Sassanian ellipse—and threw itself more and more into color and deco ration. It was the only Mohammedan school consistently to allow the use of the human figure in design—in wall paintings and illuminations, in metal sculpture and textiles. This school ra diated into India, and influenced all other Islamic schools, such as the Syrian, Spanish, and even. though slightly, the Egyptian. The collapse of the caliphate and the hordes of Genghis Khan and Tamerlane wiped out most of the really mediaeval work, and we must judge of it from the better preserved and more gorgeous if less pure works of the Persian renaissance of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, its last period of brilliancy.
Even in modern times Persian art has retained its character and influence, its beauty of color and design, while other Eastern schools have died out, and it. has not been without effect even in raising the standard of taste in Europe and Ameriea, especially by its rugs and hangings. Consult: Dieulafoss L'Art antique de la Pcrse ( Paris. 1884) ; Perrot and Chipiez. Histoire de l'art dans Pant ignite, vol. v. (ib., 1890); Gayet, rt person (ib., 1895 ) ; Coste. Monuments model-ties de la Perse (its, 1867); Sarre, Denk nsules (Berlin, 1901). See Ett:ATANA: 'MOHAMMEDAN ART; PASARGAILE; PERSEPOLls;