Abbas
Wrestlers at training, wearing old traditional trousers. The Zourkhaneh (house of strength) was donated by the Shah to Shaabane-bi-mokh (Shaabane the Brainless) to thank him for sending his troops against nationalist leader Mossadegh, during the 1952 coup organised by the USA.1971, printed 2016

Not on view

Artist or Maker: Abbas
Iran, 1944-2018
Title: Wrestlers at training, wearing old traditional trousers. The Zourkhaneh (house of strength) was donated by the Shah to Shaabane-bi-mokh (Shaabane the Brainless) to thank him for sending his troops against nationalist leader Mossadegh, during the 1952 coup organised by the USA.
Place Made: France
Date Made: 1971, printed 2016
Medium: Gelatin silver print
Dimensions: Image: 14 3/4 × 10 in. (37.47 × 25.4 cm) Primary support: 16 × 12 in. (40.64 × 30.48 cm)
Credit Line: Purchased with funds provided by Shidan Taslimi
Accession Number: M.2016.199.2
Classification: Photographs
Collecting Area: Art of the Middle East: Contemporary
Curatorial Notes: This photograph by the photojournalist, Abbas, belongs to a body of work titled "Life Before Revolution" that documents life in Iran prior to the 1979 revolution. It is set in a zurkhana ("house of strength"), where the pahlavans (the zurkhana athletes) practice a traditional form of wrestling. Although no longer in fashion, it used to be common practice for pahlavans, to wear tattoo designs that symbolized their courage and dedication, as seen here.
Selected Bibliography: Komaroff, Linda. In the Fields of Empty Days: The Intersection of Past and Present in Iranian Art. Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art; Munich; New York: DelMonico Books-Prestel, 2018.