Mehr Monir Jahanbani

• Honorific Prefix — H.H. • Name — Mehr Monir Jahanbani • Native Name — مهرمنیر جهانبانی • Other Names — Nini Jahanbani, Mehr-Monir Jahanbani, Mehrmonir Jahanbani, Mehr Monir Djahanbani • Born — 17 April 1926 • Birthplace — Tehran, Imperial State of Iran • Died — 7 August 2018 • Place of death — Tehran, Iran • Education — University of South Florida • Known for — Textile design, fashion design, visual art • Children — 2 • Father — Amanullah Jahanbani • Relatives — Nader Jahanbani (brother) Khosrow Jahanbani (brother)

Mehr Monir Jahanbani was born on 16 April 1926, in Tehran, Imperial Iran, into a noble family. She was the daughter of General Amanullah Jahanbani and his Russian wife, Helen Kasminsky, who belonged to the aristocracy of Saint Petersburg. Her paternal grandfather was a descendant of Prince Seyfollah Mirza, a son of Fath-Ali Shah Qajar. Consequently, upon her birth, Mehr Monir was given the title "H.H. Shahzadeh Mihir Munir Khanum" (Persian: شاهزاده مهرمنیر خانم) in the Qajar dynasty's genealogy and was registered as Mehr Monir Jahanbani in official documents. From a young age, Jahanbani was deeply influenced by the cultural and artistic heritage of her Russian grandmother, which sparked her passion for the art of embroidery and needlework. This interest became a defining aspect of her later life. At the age of 24, she moved to Paris to continue her education, and a year later, she relocated to the United States. In the U.S., she studied history at the University of South Florida, where she deepened her understanding of the importance of history and cultural heritage, which became her primary focus. She was married twice and had two children.

After returning to Iran in 1961, Jahanbani became acquainted with the art of Balochi needlework and its motifs. This discovery led her to undertake numerous trips to Baluchistan, where she sought to deepen her understanding of the people, culture, and art of the Baluch. In 1967, she organized an exhibition in Tehran to introduce the art and culture of the Baluch people. The exhibition featured Balochi needlework, Kalporegan pottery, Qasr-e Qand basketry, and other Baluch handicrafts, aimed at raising awareness among elites, particularly to encourage them to support this rich and untapped region. During this exhibition, she successfully persuaded Bank Saderat to support agriculture in Baluchistan. She also managed to secure numerous orders for Baluch embroiderers, thereby activating the economic cycle for Baluch women.

Jahanbani died on 7 August 2018, in Tehran, Iran, after a stroke.