Discussant: Shunhua Jin (Museum für Islamische Kunst, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin)

This talk explores the role of talismans and astrological imagery in Safavid Iran (1501–1722) and the ways in which objects associated with the occult were understood, used, and classified. Based on my doctoral research and serving as an introduction to my forthcoming book, it reconsiders what was regarded as “magic” in the Safavid context and how these practices intersected with devotional piety, astrology, and the pursuit of protection and knowledge. Academic writings often describe artifacts such as engraved metalwork, inscribed gemstones, and illustrated treatises, noting certain inscriptions and motifs as “magical,” yet textual sources rarely name or describe them, or explain how they functioned and were experienced. By comparing these accounts with surviving material evidence, this study highlights both the differences and similarities between literary descriptions and the objects preserved in collections today. These objects reveal how Safavid artisans and scholars translated talismanic and astral knowledge into tangible forms that operated within both popular and scientific frameworks. Their materiality offers clues to their meanings, uses, and symbolic efficacy, dimensions largely absent from the texts. The talk thus proposes a material-centered approach to understanding the occult as a vital part of Safavid intellectual and artistic culture.