Meredyth Winter

Dr. Meredyth Winter is a Lecturer in Early Islamic Arts at The Courtauld Institute of Art, University of London. She specializes in medieval Islamic craft traditions, focusing on artistic knowledge transmission and technical art history in Iraq and Iran. Her work bridges material culture and art history to reconstruct historical labor networks through analysis of materials and techniques. Winter earned a PhD in Middle Eastern Studies and Art History from Harvard University and a Master’s from the Bard Graduate Center. She was a Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow at the Philadelphia Museum of Art (2021–2024), researching textiles from Erich Schmidt’s excavations at Rayy.

Education:

• PhD in Middle Eastern Studies and the History of Art & Architecture, Harvard University
• MA in Material Culture, Bard Graduate Center (New York)

Research Interests: Meredyth Winter’s research emphasizes technical analysis of art-making processes, from weaving to brick masonry. She examines how artisans learned and preserved skills, and how craft traditions influenced technological and artistic developments. Her studies highlight interdisciplinary approaches to reconstructing historical labor practices and material networks.

Awards:

• Andrew W. Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship in Costume & Textiles (2021–2024)

Teaching & Grants:

• Teaches courses on Islamic ornamentation, medieval craft, and art history at The Courtauld
• Supported by grants from the Aga Khan Program, the American Institute for Iranian Studies, and Harvard’s Center for Middle Eastern Studies

Research Projects: Her Mellon Fellowship involved analyzing textiles from Rayy, Iran, excavated by Erich Schmidt. This work contributes to understanding medieval textile production and cultural exchange.