Kiani Crown

Kiani Crown
Replica of Kiani Crown
Details
Country	Iran
Made	1796
Material	Gold, silver
Cap	Red Velvet
Notable stones	Pearl, diamond

The Kiani Crown (Persian: تاج کیانی) was the traditional coronation crown in the Iranian Crown Jewels, worn by the Qajar shahs of Iran (1789–1925). The crown was designed under the first Qajar shah Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar (r. 1789–1797) as a way to connect himself to the ancient Sasanian shahs (224–651) and mythological Kiyani shahs.^[1]

The crown itself is made of red velvet, on which thousands of gems were set. The Kiani Crown is highly decorated, possessing 1800 small pearls stitched onto it, with many having only 7 millimetres in diameter. It has approximately 300 emeralds and 1,800 rubies. The crown is 32 cm (12.5 in.) high and 19.5 cm (7.5 in.) wide. It is currently kept in the National Treasury of Iran in Tehran.

Reza Shah, the founder of the Pahlavi dynasty, had his own Pahlavi Crown designed, but the Kiani Crown was present during his coronation in 1926.

Middle and New Persian kay(an) originates from Avestan kavi (or kauui) "king" and also "poet-sacrificer" or "poet-priest".

See also

• Iranian National Jewels
• Kayani (disambiguation)
• Naderi Throne

References

Sources

• Daryaee, Touraj (2016). "Persianate Contribution to the Study of Antiquity: E'temad Al-Saltaneh's Nativisation of the Qajars". Iran: Journal of the British Institute of Persian Studies. 54 (1): 39–45. doi:10.1080/05786967.2016.11882299.

External links

• Media related to Kiani Crown at Wikimedia Commons
• Image of the Kiani Crown