https://www.syssofalinehjournal.ir/ Sofalineh en daily 1 Tue, 23 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0330 Tue, 23 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0330 https://www.syssofalinehjournal.ir/article_169646.html Iran and Greece are two ancient cradles of civilization. For this reason, they behold cultural and artistic richness. The art of pottery is one of the common arts between these two civilizations; however, differences and similarities regarding the general shape of pottery is present in Iranian and Greek pottery. The issue that this research pursues is the possibility of the single origin of Iranian and Greek pottery and their comparative comparison via a descriptive and analytical method and relying on data from library sources. The research findings indicate that Iranian pottery is older than Greek pottery. There is no narrative aspect in Iranian pottery. The patterns are abstract and symbolic, and more creativity and freedom can be seen in the design of dishes and patterns on the body, which displays the freedom that the artist experienced and his relation with society. The ruling order in Greek pottery in the geometric period is not realized in Iranian pottery. The designs are free, fluid and abstract and tailored to the body of the vessels, which may be due to the world view of the artist who did not adhere to strict principles. The motifs of animals are repeated in Iranian pottery, such as cows and mountain goats; on the other hand, in Greek pottery, motifs of octopuses and sea creatures are mostly visible due to the difference in climatic conditions and prominence. Furthermore, in Iranian pottery, shapes representing the moon and the sun are engraved that signify the importance of such features in the everyday lives of people.Research aims:To identify the coordinates of Iranian and Greek pottery.To compare the elements of shape and motif in Iranian and Greek pottery.Research questions:What are the coordinates of Iranian and Greek pottery in general?What are the similarities or differences between Iranian and Greek pottery in terms of shape and motif? https://www.syssofalinehjournal.ir/article_168660.html The Timurid period is one of the most significant periods in Islamic metalwork including the presence of exquisite candlesticks with very delicate and superior decorations; they are obtained in abundance and currently preserved in museums worldwide. In this research, an attempt is made to examine the samples of these candlesticks; therefore, their form and decorations are analyzed along with their features and characteristics. Also, the association between the motifs and their functions will be discussed. It is expected that in line with this research, by using the information available in various books, internet sources and field studies, the course of development of motifs, decorations and form of these examples will be debated and how the effects of other arts in these works will be evaluated. According to the studies conducted in this research, it is determined that most of the metal candlesticks of this period are made of brass adorned with casting technique. The basic form of all these examples is an incomplete cone; additionally, during the end of the Timurid period, the making of double-headed candlesticks, specifically the dragon-headed candlestick, became common in Iran. For more beauty, these samples are decorated with inlaid, black pen and tinning techniques in multi-colored form and the body of these candlesticks are divided with geometric knots and boards and mostly decorated with plant, geometric, human and animal decorative motifs. These candlesticks are well seen in the paintings of that period, which is a proof of their widespread use in the daily life of the people of the mentioned period.Research aims:Examining the decorations and motifs of candlesticks of the Timurid period.Studying the relationship between the motifs and inscriptions used in candlesticks and their functions.Research questions:What forms and decorations were applied in the candlesticks of the Timurid period?What is the affiliation between the motifs and inscriptions used on the candlesticks and their functions? https://www.syssofalinehjournal.ir/article_168663.html Myths are a significant part of societies' beliefs and cultures. In addition to the oral and written history of nations, traces of myths can also be found in the remaining works. The use of epic motifs has been effective not only in the art of painting, but also in pottery motifs. The decorative motifs of pottery can be an echo of the cultural, social and political developments of societies of various historical periods. Some of the drawings on the pottery are taken from an ancient heritage with a mythological emphasis. These works, similar to historical texts, have a great contribution in preserving and introducing the myths of a society. This research aims to study the interaction between the themes of Persian epic literature and Sgraffiato pottery motifs of the 4th and 5th centuries Hegira located in the collection of Bonyad museums. In the process of this research, the analysis and origin of these pottery motifs are often depicted based on the poems and mythological themes discussed. Data is collected via library research. Findings show that the function of the continuity and influence of myths in a symbolic way on the belief of the people, especially the pottery artists during the middle Islamic periods, is imperative due to the values and national identity of the past.Research aims:A study and analysis of illustrative themes and symbolic concepts of Sgraffiato pottery.Examining the degree of imitation of Sgraffiato pottery designs from mythological and epic themes of ancient Iran.Research questions:What was the inspiration of pottery artists in depicting Sgraffiato pottery and selecting their themes?How did the characteristics of epic literature appear on the Sgraffiato pottery motifs and how is it different from other story motifs of other potteries? https://www.syssofalinehjournal.ir/article_168661.html Iran's traditional handicrafts have always enjoyed a logical process and have been in tune with the progress of science and technology in the course of their several thousand years of history. Nonetheless, this logical process loses its balance from the last years of the Safavid era, and following it, the traditional arts of Iran gradually stagnate. Today, Iran's handicrafts are suffering from difficulties and complications due to its brilliant past and for various reasons, it lacks good dynamism and vitality. In this study, the roots affecting the decline of the art of toreutics are investigated with the method of hierarchical analysis conducted based on the nature of basic research and a qualitative technique of data analysis. The spatial territory of the city of Isfahan and the community of calligraphy artists and the temporal territory is from November to February 2013. Finally, four criteria and 22 sub-criteria, which were believed to be effective in diminishing the art of toreutics were identified and ranked and weighted by the method of pairwise comparisons with Expert Choice software. The results of this study showed that the most influential factor in the reduction of this art was the lack of plans for cultural creation and support of the artist; moreover, and the sub-criterion of the artist's disappointment gained the most weight in this criterion. Other principles were also obtained according to the conditions governing the current political and economic situation of the society, the artist and the facing problems, style and motifs.Research aims:Identifying the factors affecting the decline of toreutics art.Determining the effective factors for the prosperity of toreutics art.Research questions:What are the factors affecting the fading of toreutics?Has the art of toreutics lost its status over time? https://www.syssofalinehjournal.ir/article_169670.html The continuous support of Iranians for the Shia religion in the Timurid to Qajar periods caused prayers and hadiths related to imams to be a valuable subject for the occupation of calligraphers and inscribers; hence, the artists used these subjects to decorate practical objects and dishes such as plates, bowls, and candlesticks made of metal, marble, stone, wood and fabric. For this reason, in Islamic Iran from the 15th to 19th centuries (9th to 13th Hegira), Shi’ah themes gradually became the mainstay of artists' work. They used calligraphy and inscription in applied arts not only as a decorative element, but also as a tool to propagate and strengthen the high values of Shiism. Among the religious subjects used in the calligraphy of practical works of these historical periods, mentioning the name of Ali (PBUH), the first Imam of Shiites, is one of the examples of the association between art and religion. Mentioning his name alone or next to Allah, Mohammad (PBUH) and the Infallibles, two Shiite martyrdoms, the hadiths of the Prophet in his Manqbat, and parts of the graceful prayer of Nad-e Ali prayer are among the topics that not only show devotion to this holy Imam, but also reveals the tendency of Iranian towards the Shi’ah beleif. The method of data collection is documentary and library research and the method of organizing the article is descriptive, analytical and historical.Research aims:Investigating the differences and similarities of the appearance of the name Ali (PBUH) in the calligraphy of applied works from the Timurid to Qajar periods.Exploring the reasons for the devotion of artists to choose themes in the portrait of Imam Ali (PBUH) considering his personality.Research questions:What is the position of calligraphy and inscription in Islamic art and its relationship with Shi’ah religion?What are the subjects of the expressions in the description of Ali (PBUH) in the calligraphy of applied arts? https://www.syssofalinehjournal.ir/article_168655.html The remains of the past human history provide an inadequate picture of the material and spiritual aspects of life. Reconstructing the ideological and belief aspects of ancient societies based on historical remains is relatively a demanding task that requires interpretive approaches, attentiveness to the ideological and intellectual foundations of societies in their own temporal and spatial scale and comprehensive analysis of data related to such issues. From the excavations of the Baluch Neolithic area in the western part of Neishabur plain, a piece of pottery with human motifs was obtained; unique due to its time and place scale. Our information about the Neolithic period in northeastern Iran, especially Khorasan, is scanty. The evidence obtained from Baloch hill is important in the field of ideological thinking and the reconstruction of the intellectual process of Neolithic societies in the archaeological white region of the country, where a not very clear picture of its cultural developments in the prehistoric era is available. On the other hand, this unique motif identified on the mentioned piece of pottery and its analysis in terms of drawing style and aspects of iconography in the Neolithic period are of interest. In the following article, an attempt is made to study the historical-cultural contexts of the Neolithic period in Khorasan, Iran and by analyzing archaeological and ethnological data and a comparative analysis and thematic classification of similar examples of such clay motifs in the Near East, detailed information regarding the material and spiritual aspects of this artwork is obtained.Research aims:Analytical-comparative study and classification of the human motif of Baloch hill regarding time and place context.The use of archaeological information and ethnographic data in order to explain the conceptual and ideological meaning of the human motif of Baloch Hill.Research questions:What are the material and spiritual aspects of these human motifs in the time scale of the Neolithic period?Do these dance-like human motifs show the continuity of indigenous-local traditions over several thousand years? https://www.syssofalinehjournal.ir/article_168658.html Traditional art works in different centuries of Iran's history, especially after the advent of Islam, have significantly reflected the ritual-religious views of their artists. This is clearly evident in the art of metalwork, which reached its peak of prosperity during the Safavid period. The use of decorative calligraphic inscriptions, which after Islam (with the emphasis of this religion on reading and writing), was widely used in most of the arts, also in metalwork of the Safavid era, not only for the purpose of decoration, but also for the purpose of expressing two important principals of national identity and the promotion of the Shi’ah belief. The metalwork of this age was formed based on the old traditions of this art, the skill of the metalworkers of this period, and based on the view of the Shia religion among the rulers and society of that day; moreover, it frequently contained the blessed names of the Almighty, verses and chapters of the holy Quran, the blessed names of the Infallible Imams, particularly Hazrat-e Ali (PBUH), the vicinity of the names of those who ordered the works, the name of the creator of the work, the name of the scribe and calligrapher, the date of creation of the work and finally Persian and Arabic poems. It is noteworthy that the content of the calligraphy of the inscription of the work has always been closely related to the function of the container. In this research, the inscriptional illustrations of eight brass vessels with different uses available in the Victoria and Albert Museum (London) have been examined aesthetically. The motive for this selection is to identify the decorative elements and concepts of the phrases of these inscriptions and their influence on the religious views of the Safavid period.Research aims:Examining the calligraphy of inscriptions on Safavid brass vessels in the Victoria and Albert Museum (London) concerning their calligraphy and aesthetic principles by the artists of the Safavid period.Exploring the decorative and conceptual features of the phrases included in the inscriptions of Safavid brass vessels and the influence of the religious views on their content and themes.Research questions:What are the decorative aesthetical values, forms and themes of Safavid inscriptional decorations?What themes and contents do the inscriptions on the Safavid brass vessels in the Victoria and Albert Museum (London) contain, and is there a connection between the function and content of the artworks? https://www.syssofalinehjournal.ir/article_168666.html Iranian-Islamic painting is the manifestation of God's beauty. The principles of this national art have evolved and developed for over many centuries. The manifestation of this art is perceived in works that have remained until today, although the number of book remaining is minor. In fact, the main theme of Iranian-Islamic painting is presence of "the book" and this is a symbol of sanctity and the general respect for books and writing in Islam. The first coherent style of Iranian painting is the Tabriz Ilkhanid School of Painting or the Mughal School. A group of paintings of this school have a direct relationship with religion, and interestingly, considering the diversity and freedom of religion in the mentioned period of Iran's history, the paintings were also the manifestation of religious stories of Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Among the notable works of this era are the silk official copies, one of the valuable examples of which is a copy kept in the Bodleian Library in Oxford dated 1337/738 and two copies of the British Museum dated 700/1300 and 1323/723. The result of examining the illustrations of the mentioned three versions and comparing them with the Maqamat of Hariri manuscript in the early Baghdad school is an apparent manifestation of the stages of completion and integration of painting features is the optimal use of the features of the civilizations brought to Iran (Chinese and Byzantine).Research aims:Studying the content and style of the paintings of the Maqamat of Hariri during the Ilkkhanid period.Comparing the style and subject of the paintings of the Maqamat of Hariri of the Ilkhanid period with the paintings of the early Baghdad school.Research questions:How many copies of the Maqamat of Hariri were illustrated during the Ilkhanid period?How are the illustrations of the Maqamat of Hariri analyzed in terms of form, content and stylistic features? https://www.syssofalinehjournal.ir/article_168653.html In the history of Iranian pottery, the Seljuk period can be mentioned as the golden age of this art among the other present arts of this stage. Such potteries are significant for their design features and motifs. The motifs of the pottery of this period speak of the creativity and genius of the artists of this era and were executed with special skill and artistry. Various motifs such as animal, herbal and human motifs are used in the pottery of this period, and each of these motifs includes various meanings and concepts. The image of the horse is one of the animal elements used in Seljuk period pottery and was widely used in various forms in the pottery of this period. The present research has analyzed the symbolic meanings and forms of this image in the composition of the pottery of the two cities of Ray and Kashan during the Seljuk period by following an analytical and descriptive method. The results of the research show that the motif of the horse in the ceramics of the Seljuk period has appeared in various themes such as hunting, banquets, court ceremonies and war. Moreover, independently as a symbol, the motif of the horse represents freedom, power, speed and beauty and thus such concepts are manifested in the form of a horse.Research aims:Acknowledging the themes and symbolic meanings of the motif of the horse in the ceramics of the Seljuk period.Studying the form, position and placement of the horse figure in Seljuk period pottery.Research questions:What symbolic themes and meanings are used in the horse motifs on Seljuk pottery?What are the visual characteristics of the form, position and state of the horse on Seljuk pottery? https://www.syssofalinehjournal.ir/article_168662.html The themes in paintings in every historical period are closely related to popular culture; thus the legends and beliefs of people play a significant role in their formation. The Qajar period is one of the historical periods of Iran from which many paintings have survived. Some of the traditional paintings of the Qajar period are available in the Mazandaran province. Examining the themes of such paintings can shed light on Iranian culture. The present research has been written in a descriptive and analytical way and by relying on data from library sources and field observations. The effect of motifs on the developments and events of the Qajar period include the spread of Ta'ziyeh in Iran, the use of lithography in the production of printed literary copies and the expansion of popular literature and art. The key issue under study in this article is to examine the folk stories of the Qajar era and how artworks with the mentioned themes are created and to scrutinize their relationship with the identity of Mazandaran art. The findings of the research indicate the event of the Ascension of the Prophet and the story of Solomon from the book “Qesas-al Anbia” are repeatedly depicted on the buildings of Mazandaran. The formation of a religious building as a place to hold Ta’zieh and religious ceremonies initiated from the Qajar era. The political events of the Qajar period and the religious beliefs of the people have played a prominent role in the formation of the identity of this region and have preserved and strengthened the cohesion of the people of this region from the past to the present day.Research aims:Studying the place of Quranic and religious themes in the traditional paintings of the Qajar period in Mazandaran.Investigating the relationship between folk beliefs and the religious atmosphere of the Qajar period in the themes of traditional paintings of this period.Research questions:What is the place of Quranic stories and religious themes in the traditional paintings of the Qajar period in Mazandaran?What is the role of the beliefs and religious atmosphere of the Qajar period in portraying the themes of the traditional paintings of this period? https://www.syssofalinehjournal.ir/article_168665.html The discoveries of archaeologists in the Jiroft area show that 7000 years ago, those who lived in such areas were familiar with the pottery industry and its decoration. With the appearance of the first potter's wheel in Ilam, it becomes clear that pottery, earthenware and weaving industry started from the plateau of Iran. The oldest example of glazed terracotta decorations found in Iran is attributed to the "Chagharzanbil Temple" and belongs to the Middle Elam period. The current research is written in descriptive and analytical method and based on the data of library sources. The findings of the research indicate that the oldest pottery found in Iran belongs to the same period. The obtained samples of the Elam civilization pottery from Susa region indicate that Susa pottery is not only related to Susa itself, but also pottery that came from Musyan hill, Baluchistan, Gyan hill, Hisar hill, Tepe, Silk, Sumer, Tal Halaf (Iraq), northwest of India, were obtained and are called part of Susa pottery class. When the pottery was made with the "potter's wheel", it became more refined. In the early period of Islam, pottery was unglazed and decorated in a pressure mold; also, vessels were made of blue or turquoise glaze. In the later era, during Ilkhanids, Timurids and Safavids, the pottery industry flourished and became popular and various magnificent artworks were made by potter artists.Research aims:Recognizing the stages of pottery evolution in Iran.Examining the various types of Iranian pottery.Research questions:What is the history of pottery in the geography of Iran?What types of pottery are more popular in Iran? https://www.syssofalinehjournal.ir/article_168656.html In the first centuries of Islam, flower-patterned pottery was considered the most common pottery in the eastern lands of Iran. This type of pottery is known as "Samani pottery" since it was mostly made during the Samanid period and within the boundaries of this kingdom. There are many examples of this type of pottery in museums and collections around the world, some of which have a detailed identification and some of which have not been studied yet. The current research aims to preserve and identify 25 painted Golabeh pottery vessels on a pea background located in the treasury of the Tehran Bonyad Museum in order to examine its visual characteristics. Also, since a general monograph of the pottery collection of the Tehran Bonyad Museum has not been published so far, it seems compulsory to document the mentioned pottery for the purpose of relative dating, determination of possible manufacturing centers, and clarification of identification details. This research has been done by descriptive-comparative method and by collecting information via field and library method. The Golabeh pottery studied in this research are decorated with various decorative patterns including: geometric, plant, animal, human motifs and illegible inscriptions. The production of these pottery was almost certainly during the 3rd and 4th centuries Hegira and in the course of the Samanid rule. Also, it seems that North-Eastern Iran (the city of Neishabur) was the possible center of making the stated potteries.Research aims:Documenting the Golabeh pottery painted on a pea-background located in the treasury of the Tehran Bonyad Museum for the purpose of relative dating, determination of possible manufacturing centers and explanation of detailed identification.Identifying the motifs executed on the Golabeh pottery painted on the pea-background located in the treasury of the Tehran Bonyad Museum.Research questions:Where are the possible centers for the production of Golabeh pottery painted on a pea-background located in the treasury of the Tehran Bonyad Museum and what historical period are they related to?What types of motifs are applied Golabeh pottery painted on a pea-background? https://www.syssofalinehjournal.ir/article_169678.html https://www.syssofalinehjournal.ir/article_173145.html https://www.syssofalinehjournal.ir/article_173146.html https://www.syssofalinehjournal.ir/article_173147.html https://www.syssofalinehjournal.ir/article_173148.html https://www.syssofalinehjournal.ir/article_173149.html https://www.syssofalinehjournal.ir/article_173150.html https://www.syssofalinehjournal.ir/article_173151.html https://www.syssofalinehjournal.ir/article_173152.html https://www.syssofalinehjournal.ir/article_173153.html https://www.syssofalinehjournal.ir/article_173154.html https://www.syssofalinehjournal.ir/article_173155.html