From Persia to Glasgow: Coding the Collections

A collage image of a classical facade of a building. There are Persian patterns collaged between the stones

Introduction

This blog explores a unique book of artworks that carries the weight of centuries of culture and storytelling. That legacy has been remixed, blending Persian and Scottish, creativity and heritage, using the modern tools of code, games, and gifs, for a new way to tell an old story.

 

2 paintings (Persian Miniature Style). A man and woman are sitting at a table laden with food and drink. They are playing a musical instrument. There are cats on the floor eating scraps. There is a woman coming through the door, probably a servant, as she is holding a container. A man and woman are sitting at a table laden with food and drink. There are cats on the floor eating scraps. There are women gathered in the background wearing veils. The harem of the Kajar court.The harem of the Kajar court.

Two paintings from "The Court of Persia"

This collage of two separate paintings show similar scenes of the harem in the Kajar court. In both, a man and woman are sitting at a table laden with food and drink. There is a cat on the floor eating scraps. There are women gathered in the background wearing veils, or serving food and drink.

The paintings

These are mid-19th century versions of Persian Miniature paintings, an ancient form of painting, tracing its roots back 1800 years, to the 3rd century, when a Persian prophet named Mani was using both images and text to tell vivid and expressive stories.

The mystery surrounding this particular album of paintings in the Mitchell Library, named The Court of Persia, makes this collection especially intriguing. There are no formal records or documentation about its origin, not even the name of the artist.

The album, which is embellished with a tortoiseshell and brass front board, were given to the library alongside a large collection of books and manuscripts, by John Cowie - his father was Charles Rennie Cowie (1851 - 1922), who had business interests in Yangon (previously Rangoon) in Myanmar (previously Burma).

 

 

Two paintings (Persian Miniature Style) On the left is a woman wearing Persian clothing. She is kneeling on a carpet, cutting food on a low table. A white cat sits beside her, expectantly. On the right is a woman wearing Persian dress gathered around a bucket with a small child.

Two paintings from "The Court of Persia"

On the left is a woman kneeling on a carpet, cutting food on a low table. A white cat sits beside her, expectantly.

On the right is a woman gathered around a bucket with a small child.

What we do know is that the paintings were created around 1858, and that places the action during the Qajar era, the second-last Persian ruling dynasty. This period was known for its rich and elaborate court culture, and these artworks reflect that beautifully.

Two paintings (Persian Miniature Style) On the left is a woman wearing Persian clothing. She is swinging on a rope. On the left is a woman stretching backwards on a carpet.

Two paintings from "The Court of Persia"

On the left is a woman swinging playfully on a rope.

On the right a woman is stretching backwards on a carpet - her hair is cascading to the floor.

All clues point to the Golestan Palace in Tehran as the place of origin. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, "Golestan" translates to "a place filled with roses", a poetic setting for a palace that inspired such lush and detailed artworks. 

The paintings open a window into the luxurious world inside the palace walls. They depict daily life in the court through images of women dancing, playing instruments, preparing food, and enjoying elaborate feasts, scenes likely drawn from the private quarters of Naser al-Din Shah, the Qajar king. These intimate moments, often set in the palace’s harem, show a world of music, indulgence, and elegance, revealing the hedonistic side of Qajar lifestyle.

This collection isn’t just decorative, it’s a rare visual archive of a hidden world. Through these works, we glimpse moments preserved in intricate brushwork and vibrant colours. 

Coding

As part of the 2025 Glasgow Science Festival, we used that legacy and remixed it, blending Persian and Scottish, creativity and heritage, using modern tools like code, games, and gifs, to create a new way of telling an old story.

Coding the Collections event at The Mitchell Library

A person sits at a table, which is covered in papers. They are holding a mobile phone.
A young participant using Octostudio
Two people are standing together. They are discussing something, being held in their hands
A volunteer and participant discussing the artworks
Three people sitting at a table covered with pictures.
Working hard on their game in Octostudio

Our Glasgow Science Festival events at The Mitchell Library & Elder Park Library, mixed the paintings of the Persian court with icons of modern Glasgow using a free coding app, Octostudio, on our phones. In a short time, we had created a series of tiny games, animations and collages.

Glasgow Life Coding volunteers helped participants to remix the images, and engage with the collection in a unique way!

Background images

Volunteer Asal Ahmadi created backgrounds for the animations, fusing images familiar to Mitchell Library visitors with Persian designs.

Copper sculpture of a women, collaged against a background of Persian flower patterns
Digital Collage by Asal Ahmadi
A photograph of a caryatid sculpture in a collage with Persian patterns
Digital Collage by Asal Ahmadi
Copper sculpture of a women, collaged against a background of Persian flower patterns
Digital Collage by Asal Ahmadi

Update your cookie preferences to view this content.

Animations and games made in the OctoStudio coding app by participants in Glasgow Libraries' Glasgow Science Festival 2025 events at Elder Park Library and the Mitchell Library. Persian images from a 19th century album of paintings in the Mitchell Library's Special Collections. Persian-miniature style versions of The Mitchell Library created by Asal Ahmadi.
To find out more about this project, please email specialcollections@glasgowlife.org.uk or claire.quigley@glasglowlife.org.uk 
Coderdojo