One of my enduring focuses as a scholar is on education of the general public through museum exhibitions. I have been extremely lucky to have had the opportunity and support to study the ancient world, and I think it is my responsibility to share what I have learned with as many people as possible. In this respect I regard museums as being on the front lines of education, as it were, since anyone can come in off the street and have access to the most up-to-date research on the ancient world.
I have been involved, directly and indirectly, in a number of museum exhibitions and displays, though sadly the COVID-19 pandemic has effectively ended my chances at a museum career. Below I have listed exhibitions in which I have been involved.
The Met’s Ancient Near Eastern Galleries
The primary responsibility of my former position at the Metropolitan Museum of Art was to assist in the design and planning of a re-installation of the Ancient Near Eastern galleries. In particular I provided expertise on the art of ancient Iran. I am no longer employed by the museum, but I am serving on a advisory committee for this project.
Animal-Shaped Vessels from the Ancient World: Feasting with Gods, Heroes, and Kings
As a curatorial fellow at the Harvard Art Museums in 2014-15, one of my primary responsibilities was object research for the exhibition Animal-Shaped Vessels from the Ancient World: Feasting with Gods, Heroes, and Kings. The exhibition is a cross-cultural look at zoomorphic drinking vessels from the ancient world, and considers both their function and meaning. My efforts were directly mainly at the Near East and Central Asia from the Hellenistic Period to Late Antiquity, but I also dealt with Bronze Age Kush, Etruscan bucchero, Chinese porcelain and Tibetan metalware. I have also written parts of the accompanying publication.
The exhibition ran from September 7, 2018 through January 6, 2019.