We are deeply saddened by the passing of Sheila R. Canby (1949–2025), one of the most prolific and erudite contributors to the study of Iranian and Islamic art. Over the course of a distinguished career, she served as Curator of Islamic Art and Antiquities at the British Museum (1991–2009) and later as the Patti Cadby Birch Curator in Charge of the Department of Islamic Art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (2009–2019), where she oversaw the landmark reinstallation of the Islamic galleries. Her substantial contributions include widely acclaimed publications such as The Golden Age of Persian Art 1501–1722, Shah ‘Abbas: The Remaking of Iran, and The Shahnama of Shah Tahmasp, works that educated both academic and public audiences and earned her honors including the International Farabi Award.
Her contribution to Iranica is a sweeping survey of the tradition of mural painting in the Iranian world. Her entry on mural painting traces the tradition from Parthian sites like Dura Europos and Kuh-e Khwaja, through Sogdian, Nishapur, Ghaznavid, and Saljuq examples, to the Ilkhanid and Timurid periods, where wall painting was closely linked to manuscript illumination. She highlights the Safavid palaces of the Dawlat-ḵāna, ʿAli Qapu, and Čehel Sotun, and concludes with Qajar murals such as Fatḥ-ʿAli Shah’s throne scene at the Negarestan Palace. Canby’s article situates murals not only as decorative elements but as expressions of cultural, political, and religious ideals across Iranian history, emphasizing continuity from antiquity through the 19th century.
Through her curatorial vision, scholarship, and teaching, Sheila Canby served as a bridge between Iran and the wider world, leaving behind an enduring legacy that will continue to inspire future generations of scholars and museum visitors. We are grateful for her immense contributions, and her loss will be profoundly felt across the field of Iranian studies.
