Short answers, pulled from the story.
Painted ceramic vessels from Susa date to around 5000 BCE within the Sumerian Uruk cultural sphere. These artifacts emerged between 3800 and 3100 BCE during Early, Middle, and Late Uruk periods. Nearly two thousand pots were recovered from a cemetery near the base of a temple platform erected shortly after settlement began 6000 years ago.
Darius the Great ordered the Behistun relief around 500 BC as a grand reflection of power. The inscription repeats text in three different languages using cuneiform script: Old Persian, Elamite, and Babylonian. Naqsh-e Rostam served as the necropolis of the Achaemenid dynasty between 500 and 330 BC featuring four large tombs cut high into the cliff face.
Sogdian wall paintings depict costumes of the day, gaming equipment, and harnesses drawing on Iranian, Near Eastern Manichaean and Nestorian themes, as well as Indian influences. Murals such as the Afrasiab murals and Penjikent murals survive today as some of the best known examples of this art form. Banqueting scenes appear recurrently reflecting how Sogdians saw themselves enjoying wealth rather than portraying mercantile activities directly.
Shah Tahmasp I reigned from 1524 to 1576 but lost interest in art after about 1555. In 1556 he issued an Edict of Sincere Repentance attempting to outlaw miniature painting, music, and other arts. This disruption caused many painters like Abd al-Samad and Mir Sayyid Ali to move to India where they developed Mughal miniature styles.
The Ardabil Carpet now resides in London and Los Angeles as one of the most exceptional individual Safavid carpets. These carpets woven in Isfahan during the sixteenth century are famous for elaborate colors and artistic design treasured worldwide today. In 2010 the traditional skills of carpet weaving in Fars and Kashan were inscribed to UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists.
Fath-Ali Shah Qajar reigned as second Qajar shah when his distinctive style truly flourished between 1781 and 1925. His narrow waist, long black bifurcated beard, and deepest eyes exemplify the Romantic image of great Oriental Rulers found in myriad portraits painted by Mihr Ali. Royal portraiture remains most famous among Qajar artworks with each ruler commissioning official images either for private use or public display.