US King of Copper as collector of Persian artworks

American-born mining magnate, Alfred Chester Beatty, has been named to be one of the greatest collectors of the 20th century who collected Islamic and Persian artworks and manuscripts from West Asia.

The abundant wealth Chester Beatty made via copper trade, which earned him the nickname ‘King of Copper’, allowed Chester to pursue his passion for ancient manuscripts and Asian art specifically Islamic and Persian artworks.    

He, as a private collector, visited the West Asia region several times and acquired Islamic artworks, because he was very interested in such an art.

Nowadays, the collection of books and artworks by Chester Beatty is being preserved in one of the famous museums in Western Europe called the Chester Beatty Library which has been established in 1950.  

Located in Dublin, capital of Ireland, the museum displays manuscripts, miniature paintings, print and antique books as well as artworks from Iran, the Islamic world and eastern and western Asia regions.

There are more than 4,000 manuscripts from Iran and other Muslim countries. Some of the books, including a manuscript of the holy Quran written by Ibn Bawwab, date back to over 1,000 years ago.

The Islamic collection of the museum consists of works in Arabic, Persian and Turkish languages as well as manuscripts of the holy Quran and some Indian artworks.

The Persian collection comprises of miniatures and manuscripts from renowned poets such as Ferdowsi and Nezami as well as a luxurious copy of the Golestan Saadi, a landmark of Persian literature.

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