Among the many treasures held at the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin (Berlin’s state library) are the albums of the Prussian envoy Heinrich Friedrich von Diez (1751-1817). They contain approximately 450 paintings, drawings, and calligraphies, as well as unfinished sketches and study sheets which Diez acquired in Constantinople in the period from 1786 to 1790. The majority of these artworks date back to the 14th and 15th century and were made in Persia and Central Asia. The diversity and quality of the Diez albums make them one of the most important collections of Persian-Mongolian art in the world. The only existing collection of comparable stature can be found in the library of the Topkapi Seraglio, the former palace of the Ottoman rulers, from where several of the pictures in Diez’s albums also originate.

The exhibition presents a selection of high-quality paintings along with other highlights of Oriental book art from the Diez collection. The exhibition also includes a selection of contemporary documents, diplomatic correspondence, and manuscripts which reveal Diez’s significance as a diplomat and Orientalist.