Author: Theresa Zischkin

On 25th and 26th July, Ilse Sturkenboom’s once-per-term colloquium took place, bringing together all research members of the team to present their current work related to decorated paper. The first day began with a presentation by Negar Kazemipourleilabadi, who spoke about the Dīwān-i Muhibbīmanuscripts and how the discovery of a single manuscript in Warsaw inspired the… Continue reading MUNICH, July 2025

Cairo Chronicles Part 2: Conference Conversations   The final three days of Ilse’s and Theresa’s Cairo trip were devoted to the 20th EHG conference, co-convened by the German Archaeological Institute in Cairo and the American University in Cairo (AUC). Hosted in the stunning Oriental Hall at the Tahrir Campus – its gilded ceiling, muqarnas vaults, and… Continue reading CAIRO, July 2025, Part 2

Cairo Chronicles Part 1: Fieldwork & Manuscripts & Conference Conversations In late June, Ilse Sturkenboom and Theresa Zischkin travelled to Cairo for a rich and multifaceted research trip that combined fieldwork, manuscript studies, and participation in the 20th Ernst Herzfeld Society (EHG) conference. Their time in Egypt was as inspiring as it was intensive, offering… Continue reading CAIRO, June 2025, Part 1

In May, Theresa traveled to Cambridge, where her time was spent at the renowned Fitzwilliam Museum, whose rich holdings provided a fertile ground for exploring codicological features and manuscript biographies. One of her key research goals was to study a group of Islamic manuscripts, particularly those once owned by P. C. Manuk (d. 1945) –… Continue reading CAMBRIDGE, May 2025

SENSIS: A Multisensory Journey Through Art and Materiality From May 22–24, 2025, our team member Theresa Zischkin participated in the conference SENSIS –  Senses in Islamic Art and Culture: Interdisciplinary Approaches in Utrecht, hosted by Dr. Christian Lange and Dr. Suzanne Compagnon. The event was held at the Centraal Museum and Universiteitsmuseum in Utrecht and… Continue reading UTRECHT, May 2025

GLOBAL DECO PAPER Workshop at LMU: A Deep Dive into Decorated Paper Traditions In March, the ERC project GLOBAL DECO PAPER held a three-day workshop at LMU Munich, bringing together the full research team along with newly affiliated researcher Dr. Jake Benson, an expert on decorated—and especially marbled—paper. The event proved to be an enriching opportunity for in-depth… Continue reading MUNICH, March 2025

In February 2025, Ilse and Theresa embarked on yet another journey to India. During their one-week stay in Patna, Bihar, they explored a fascinating collection of manuscripts from Central Asia, India, and Iran at the Khuda Bakhsh Open Public Library (KBOPL). As expected, their research revealed a stunning variety of decorated papers. Their findings were… Continue reading PATNA, February 2025

Humayun’s Tomb, Red Fort, and Ugrasen ki Baoli The next work trip brought Ilse and Theresa back to India. During the first stop in Delhi, they celebrated the Diwali festival and visited the Red Fort, the Tomb of Humayun, and the National Museum of Delhi. At Red Fort’s Chhatta Chowk Bazar, they had an interesting… Continue reading NEW DELHI & RAMPUR, November 2024

Exploring NYC Following the success of the Hamburg workshop, Ilse and Theresa set off for New York City to continue their research on manuscripts at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Theresa looking at the art of paper cutting and the Nan wa Halwa (MET 1999.157) After a day of sightseeing—complete with a boat tour, a… Continue reading NEW YORK, September 2024