Glory

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7,000 Years of Iranian Glory, Art, Culture, Civilization

The opening of the exhibition, 7000 years of Iranian Art, at the National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C., is a source of great pleasure to me.

During the more than one hundred years of Iranian-American relations, many a representative from Iran has come to the Unites States, but this exhibition is undoubtedly the best cultural ambassador we have ever sent to our North American Friend.

This messenger of culture, I am sure, will be instrumental in establishing spiritual understanding between our two nations and in bringing us closer together.

The exhibition is, of course, not the first showing of Iranian art in the United States,. Valuable collections of Iranian Art treasures are to be found in most major U.S. museums, and numerous exhibitions of our art have been held in such cities as Philadelphia in 1926 and 1939, New York in 1940, 1949 and 1960, and Cincinnati in 1954, as well as the 1960 showings in Washington and Baltimore.

however, 7,000 YEARS of IRANIAN ART is unique because of the many rare historical objects that have been loaned by the government of Iran. i am also pleased by the loan of the Foroughi Collection.

Our Americans friends, as they acquaint themselves with Iran's ancient culture and civilization through this exhibition, will grasp the humanity and universality of Iran's culture, and will become aware that Iran has always provided a link b3etween the various cultures of the world.

I*t is my sincere hope that this great exhibition will so further the already existing intellectual understanding between our two countries that, with common aims, and with unity of purpose and ideals, we build a world in which the highest of man's spiritual and moral aspirations can find expression.

Mohammad Reza Pahlav