Garments in Safavid Iran: The Visual Narratives that Claimed Power (original) (raw)
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Journal of History Culture and Art Research, 2021
Fabrics and the use of patterns in the textile industry have undergone countless and astonishing changes due to the biological climate, the degree of civilization and culture, religious beliefs and customs. The study of the evolution of clothing and various fabrics is not only important from the point of view of history and art, but also from the point of view of sociology and understanding of the nations' psychology. The history of patterns is the same as the history of textiles and clothing, so it can be examined directly and indirectly from a conceptual and thematic point of view. Comparing the patterns and designs of Indian Gurkani fabrics with the textiles and artworks of Safavid Iran shows that Indian weavers have created works under the influence of Iranian art that is difficult to distinguish from each other. Due to the many impacts of Iranian art in many designs, the Gurkani have consciously tried to localize the used patterns and motifs, such as the altar pattern. A variety of motifs, including decorative, plant, animal, and pictorial arrays, have been used in Gurkani Indian fabrics, which have undoubtedly been greatly influenced by the Iranians according to the conditions of the time. The main purpose of this research is to classify the patterns of Safavid and Gurkani fabrics and the main focus of the research is the woven designs and patterns in Safavid and Gurkani fabrics. Accordingly, by classifying the designs and patterns, the level and extent of their impact on each other have been studied and plant, human, animal and calligraphic motifs have been studied comparatively.
(Colour illustrations for CD-ROM version you can see after black-white variant) Colour combinations in the costume of peoples in the Iranian World reveal their traditional character: red, white and blue, with rarer use of yellow, black and green. It reflects ancient Iranian colour symbolism rather than the contents of dye-stuffs. The influence of the Achaemenid Empire on other Iranian peoples includes the use of multi–coloured and, partly, striped fabrics and continued into the period of the Sasanian Empire when the concept of decorating cloth with medallions. Multi-coloured fabrics are not typical for Iranian costume and the costume of many other Iranian peoples in the Parthian period, which can be explained through Greek aesthetic influence.
Comparative study of Graphic aspects of textiles in Indian Gurakani and Iranian Safavid eras
Bulletin de la Société Royale des Sciences de Liège, 2016
The extensive support for the textile production industry and art from kings of 2 simultaneous Safavids and Gurkani Dynasties in Iran and India helped its promotion. In these periods, valuable textiles which played a significant role in expressing the individuals’ social dignity were provided with valuable fibers, rare colors and particular designs. The main goal of this research is to comparatively analyze the Iranian textiles designs in Safavids and Indian ones in Gurkani dynasties during 9-11th centuries (AH) so that it can find the similarities and differences in term of designs and color of the textiles in these 2 countries and the level and reason for their effectiveness. This research focused on designed courtier textiles whose images and samples remained and are available. Investigation into the political-cultural relationship between these 2 dynasties, techniques, the materials and instruments used in textiles, itineraries and historical and research books and designs analy...
2015
The object of this study consists of two textile fragments, which are in a private collection and have a main decoration of pearl roundels containing respectively one single or two composite creatures with a dog’s head, wings and a peacock’s tail. Both fabrics are radio-carbon dated, respectively to the 9th-10th century and to the beginning of the 8th - end of the 9th century. M. Comparetti elaborates on the iconography of the composite winged creature, which is often referred to as simurgh ...
Pre-Islamic religious motifs (550 BC to 651 AD) on Iranian minor art with focus on rug motifs
HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies
This review research focuses on the influence of religion on pre-Islamic carpet designs, which were prevalent during the beginning of the Achaemenid period (550 BC) through to the end of the Sassanid period (651 AD). The main intention of rug production at that time was to provide comfort, show wealth (status) and, as considered in this article, demonstrate its position in cultural standing (burial ceremonies). In this study, rug design motifs of the periods mentioned above are reviewed together with other handicraft forms to determine the type of rug motifs and symbols employed to decorate rugs with their spiritual meaning in the overall design (geometric designs). Research background The tendency to create art as a form of cultural production is one of the inherent traits of human beings, as can be seen in the extant artworks from ancient times to the present. In Iran, artworks reflect cultural, traditional and religious beliefs. The quality of the Persian rugs and their motifs This article reviewed the influence of pre-Islamic religions such as Mithraism and Zoroastrianism on decorative elements of ancient Persian rugs. The article then evaluated the effect of the Islamic religion on Persian rugs. This was examined through extant evidence from pre-Islamic empire artefacts and publications in Persian carpet history, iconography and religious studies. Using spiritual motifs on some ancient rugs results from the important position of rugs in ancient Iranians' lives. Believing the existence of religious motifs on Persian carpets is because the first carpet in history (Pazyryk) was attributed to the ancient Achaemenians, decorated with symbolic motifs from Mithraism and Zoroastrianism. Pazyryk shows how rug-weaving evolved during the Achaemenids, and it represented spiritual foundations through visual concepts. This article reviewed the symbolic Persian rug motifs from ancient religions through Pazyryk, with support from museum collections. With the emergence of religions, these effects are seen in all aspects of life, including the production of rug design. Contribution: The main contribution of this research was that it investigated the effects of religion on Persian art focusing on the Persian rug. The findings showed that religion had directly influenced the decorative motifs of the Persian rug among high-class families that might have cascaded into visual elements found on commoners' rugs.
Woven from the Soul, Spun from the Heart: Textile Arts of Safavid and Qajar Iran, 1987
Through analysis of pattern repeats in hand-woven carpets of Safavid and post-Safavid Iran, one may learn to distinguish the products of court and commercial production. From royal patronage of the 16th and 17th centuries, to the proliferation of regional carpet production in commercial centers, the social and economic conditions underlying carpet manufacture warrant further examination, particularly with reference to implications for design in the relationship of central field to borders, and repetition that results in patterns.