Region traditionally known as Persia is now called Iran.

The term ancient Persia is used to refer to the period before the advent of Islam in the 7th century A.D.

The high plateau of Iran has seen the development of many cultures, all of which have added distinctive features to the many styles of Persian art and architecture.

History

The Persian Empire was a series of historical empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau, the old Persian homeland, and at times extending into central and mid-east Asia. The Persian empire has become what we know today as Iran.

Generally, the greatest entity considered a part of the Persian Empire is Persia's Achaemenid Empire (648–330 BC)—famous in antiquity as foe of the classical Greek states — a united Aryan kingdom that originated in the region now known as Pars province of Iran and was formed under Cyrus the Great, who overthrew the empire of the Medes and conquered virtually the entire Middle East, including conquest of the Babylonians, the Phoenicians / Canaanites, and the Lydians.

Babylonia was the only Assyrian nation that had not been conquered by Cyrus' Mede grandfather, Astyages. Cyrus's son, Camybyses, continued Cyrus's conquests by conquering Egypt.

Most of the successive states in Greater Iran prior to March, 1935 are collectively called the Persian Empire by Western historians.[citation needed]

After Alexander the Great's conquest of the Persian Empire, Persian Aryan religion spread to the West in the form of Mithraism, which became reached its height of prominence as the official religion of the Roman Empire for centuries, and continued in prominence until the death of the Roman Emperor Constantine.

Virtually all the successor empires of Persia were major regional and some major international powers in their day.

Persian Art & Periods

Early works
Although earlier civilizations are known, the first archaelogical finds of artistic importance are the superb ceramics from Susa and Persepolis (c.3500 B.C.).

Biological Subjects - Formative Principle of Persian art

The choice of biological subjects, simplified into patterns, may be called the formative principle of Persian art. Much of 4th-millennium Iranian art is strongly influenced by that of Mesopotamia. The 3d-millennium art of Elam, found at Sialk and Susa, also follows Mesopotamian styles, and this trend is continued in the less well-known Elam and Urartu art of the 2d millennium.

Animal Style

The "Animal style" which uses decorative animal motifs is very strong in the Persian culture first appearing in pottery, reappearing much later in the Luristan bronzes and again in Scythian art.

Bronze Casting

Beginning at the end of the 2nd millennium to the middle of the 1st millennium a great florescence of bronze casting occurred along the southern  Probably dated 1200-700 B.C., harness trappings, horse bits, axes, and votive objects were made in large quantities and reflected a complex animal style created by combining parts of animals and fantastic creatures in various forms.

Seljuk period - Baghdad School

The earliest known distinctive style of Persian painting dates back to the Seljuk period, which is often referred to as the "Baghdad School". Early painting was mainly used to decorate manuscripts and versions of the Holy Koran, though some 13th century pottery found near Tehran indicates an early, unique Persian style of art. During the Mongol period, paintings were used to decorate all sorts of books.

Achaemenian period (550-330 B.C.)

Decorative Art

A unified style emerges. Luxurious works of decorative art were produced. The Achaemenids evolved a monumental style in which relief sculpture is used as an adjunct to massive architectural complexes. Remains of great palaces reveal plans that characteristically show great columned audience halls. The style as a whole and the feeling for space and scale are distinctive.

In the sculpture is shown ordered clarity and simplicity. Heraldic stylization is subtly combined with effects of realism. Typical are the low stone reliefs and friezes executed in molded and enameled brick, a technique of Babylonian-Assyrian origin.

The great care lavished on every stone detail is also found in the fine gold and silver rhytons (drinking horns), bowls, jewelry, and other objects produced by this culture.

After the death of Alexander the Great (323 B.C.), there was turmoil in Iran until the rise of the Parthians (c.250 B.C.). Theirs is essentially a crude art, synthesizing Hellenistic motifs with Iranian forms.

Sassanian Period (A.D. 224 - 651)

Adapting and expanding previous styles and techniques, they rebuilt the Parthian capital at Ctesiphon. There a great palace with a huge barrel vault was constructed of rubble and brick. Sassanid architecture is decorated with carved stone or stucco reliefs and makes use of colorful stone mosaics.

Sassanian Metalwork was highly developed, the most usual objects being shallow silver cups and large bronze ewers, engraved and worked in repoussé. The commonest themes were court scenes, hunters, animals, birds, and stylized plants.

The largest collection of these vessels is in the Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg. The Sassanids recorded their triumphs on immense outdoor rock reliefs scattered throughout Iran, often using the same sites that the Achaemenids had covered with reliefs and inscriptions.

Pottery

The long prehistoric period in Iran, is known to us mostly from excavation work carried out in a few key sites, which has led to a chronology of distinct periods, each one characterised by the development of certain types of pottery, artefacts and architecture. Pottery is one of the oldest Persian art forms, and examples have been unearthed from burial mounds (Tappeh), dating back from the 5th millennium BC.

Metal work

During the Achaemenian and Sassanian periods, metal-work continued its ornamental development. Some of the most beautiful examples of metal-ware are gilded silver cups and dishes decorated with royal hunting scenes from the Sassanian Dynasty.

Persian Architecture

Persian architecture has a very long and complex history, and is often regarded as the field in which Persia made its greatest contribution to the world's culture. Although Persian styles differ sharply from any other Islamic architecture, they have strongly influenced buildings throughout much of the Islamic world, especially in Central Asia, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India.

Source: http://www.art-arena.com/hpart.html

http://www.huntfor.com/arthistory/ancient/persia.htm