What do you know about the symbol or myth? How familiar are you with what each of the motifs that are tied on carpets or other handwovens represent? In this article, you will get to know many symbols that you have surely seen on carpets and handwovens.
It should be said that a symbol is actually a manifestation of a thought, belief and even human observations of the surrounding environment. Since the past, the symbol has been associated with man and his life, especially during the cave-dwelling and nomadic era. In fact, it should be said that symbols have helped the inability of mythological people's thinking to discover and understand and have an abstract connection with truth and reality.
A symbol is one of the tools of consciousness and reveals concepts to us that cannot be expressed in other ways. Perhaps it can be said that the symbol has more expressive power to understand and be aware of the environment around us. It should be noted that coding or symbolism is one of the oldest and most fundamental expressions of concepts, and the secret of symbol influence in various aspects of human life can be considered.
But about the symbol in traditional art , which is a manifestation of the hand-woven carpet, it is a very suitable platform for the formation of the symbol. The symbol in the carpet works according to the social beliefs and customs that inspire the weaver's art.
Iranian hand-woven carpet is one of the functional arts, or rather multi-dimensional, which has benefited from phenomena such as symbolism and mythology in its various functions. From the point of view of art researchers, the patterns woven in the text of the carpet are not just colorful patterns to fill an empty space, but each line and color in each twist and turn is a symbol of the meanings and concepts of the Eastern worldview, especially in Iran.
In fact, the real role of the symbol is that the human being, or rather, the artist, uses it to reach the true meaning of a phenomenon in a symbolic and internal way, and the best way is to create a symbol. In all the arts of ancient Iran, we find countless symbols and signs, each symbol of a phenomenon and related to creation, life, death, fertility, drought, rainfall, etc. are. These symbols have been fixed in the minds of Iranians over time.
But the symbols in Iranian carpets are divided into 3 formats:
- Vegetal motifs such as plants, trees and flowers
- Animal motifs
- Geometric patterns
The role of trees in handwovens
The world of plants is a whole world where life is always flowing and renewable. In the ideal world of Iranians, plants and trees are the absolute meaning of life because of the greenery and vitality they give to humans, and of course, they also have a sacred aspect. In the meantime, the tree is of special importance because it is the embodiment of growth and life, and continuous birth and reproduction.
One of the mysteries of the tree is the world itself. Cooper, American archeologist and paleontologist, considers the tree to be a combination of sky, earth, water, and life in opposition to stone. Of course, we must say that the symbol of the tree is one of the oldest motifs that has attracted the attention of mankind and has used it in his works of art. Proximity to mountains, forests, plains and valleys are reasons for this. The pattern of trees such as cypress, plantain, pine and oak has always been one of the most common motifs in Iranian handwoven carpets.
- Cedar role
Cedar has a very high position among Iranians. Due to its eternal greenness, this tree has a deep root in the beliefs of us Iranians, and its ritual concept is a sign of immortality and the resurrection. This tree was considered the tree of life during the Achaemenid and Sassanid eras. In the past, the cedar tree was considered the soul and religious life of Iranians, and its role has been discovered in different regions of the country, such as the eastern stairs of the Apadana Palace in Persepolis with extremely precise and delicate carvings.
- The role of the plant
After the arrival of Islam in Iran and due to the limitations that occurred during the creation of works of art, such as carvings on carpets, Iranian artists presented paintings with a creative and abstract change, a religious structure and format, and an Islamic flavor.
Mohd Ali Eslami Nadushan believes that the role of the bush is the diagram of a cedar tree. Dehkhoda also stated in this regard that the cypress coat is the emblem of Iran and Iranians and can be seen on carpets, fabrics, inlays and other ornaments of Iranian handicrafts.
- The symbol of the Iranian garden
The Iranian garden is a valuable heritage of Iranian culture and art in terms of its shape and geometry and the transcendental wisdom in its design. It has its roots in the ancient spiritual and mythological culture of Iran. The Iranian garden is a way to the innermost layers of thought and imagination, an interpretation of the meaning of life, the end of man, eternity and eternity, heaven and life, and the earthly manifestations of the realm of the kingdom according to Iranians.
The Iranian garden, which is enclosed in a wall, separates the wild, indifferent and even hostile nature from the orderly nature and from the nature filled with beauty and grace by human hands.
kilim pettern symbol
- Naqsh Bagh Irani (Chaharbagh)
The mystical relationship of Iranians with the water of trees and flowers shows well that the Iranian garden is a sacred environment because it is a relationship between an exemplary garden and an earthly garden. Therefore, the archetype of the Iranian garden is always the source of all the past arts of Iran, as well as carpet weaving in the Islamic centuries. The carpet and the garden have pleasant similarities. The design of the garden map goes back to the role of the Baharestan carpet in the Sasanian era. This Minoan garden is symbolic of the image of the promised paradise of Iranians in the carpet.
Animal motifs
The use of animal motifs as a ritual symbol, myth, and decoration in Iran has a very ancient history and reaches back to millennia BC. Patterns, each of which later evokes the collective memories of Iranians as visual elements of the national identity.
The use of animal motifs in carpets has been common since at least the Achaemenid period. Animal motifs such as lion (the national symbol of Iranians), fish (called Mahi Darhem or Herati) and bird motifs such as Simorgh, peacock, etc. These colorful and beautiful creatures are common, diverse and famous carpet motifs, they give the carpet a special appeal and remind the viewer of life, effort and liveliness.
The scientist and researcher of Farsh believes that "among the societies and clans, birds and animals are each a symbol and a symbol of beliefs and an embodiment of imaginations." In carpets, like other fine arts such as painting, tiling, and penmanship, birds are a sign of beauty, freedom, and pride.
By drawing and weaving the shape of a bird, the carpet consciously or unconsciously writes the thoughts of the heart and inner desires and beliefs on this handwoven. From the carvings of simorgh and eagle, ambition and sharp talons, alertness from Hudod, crowing partridge, and peacock, this well-combined bird inspires the appearance and beauty of the people around it.
The history of using animal characters and images in art and its types is longer than human motifs. Iranian arts and especially hand-woven nomadic carpets have always been a suitable place for the presence of domestic and wild animals. Animals such as lion, eagle, cow, horse, fish, etc., which have a symbolic aspect and refer to the collective identity and memories of Iranians, are more than other animals in handwoven carpets.
Lion pattern (the national symbol of Iranians) in a hand-woven carpet
One of the symbols that has been very prominent in the culture and art of Iran and is referred to as an Iranian symbol is the "Lion" figure. Since the lion is the national symbol of Iranians, compared to other animals, it has found a greater presence in the field of carpets. The proof of this claim is the lion's character in an abstract and lonely form, which is woven in Persian and Bakhtiari lion carpets. This shows the special interest of weaving artists towards this symbolic animal.
This animal was considered as an indicator of the fertility of the earth in the ethnic and mythological beliefs of Iran. The lion's head is a sign of care and vigilance, and his rear body is a manifestation of power. The meanings of the lion symbol include fire, majesty, piety, sunshine, victory, summer, bravery, spirit of life, kingdom, courage, power and divine power, heat of the sun, care, superhuman and subhuman strength.
The role of the lion, which has long been repeated as a symbol of dominance and leadership in many types of Iranian artists' creations and has reached today through the power of imagination and innovation of carpet weaving artists and weavers, has been placed on the carpet text (Tanavali, 19:1537). In the art of the Islamic period, from the end of the Seljuk period, the lion and the sun were formed as Shia symbols, and the sun was an interpretation of the Prophet of Islam (pbuh) and the lion was a symbol of Hazrat Ali (pbuh).
The Shirke pattern was the first pattern in the Achaemenid period, and it was obtained from the Pazyrik carpet and it was obtained in the form of a row. In this picture of lions, the lion is a symbol of earthly power and the sun is a symbol of heavenly power, which in combination expresses the power that comes from the sky for people.
The role of fish
One of the other Iranian symbols related to national identity that can be found in the patterns of national art is the role of "fish". This motif has been present in different cultures as a symbolic role since ancient times. The presence of fish in carpet weaving is known as the pattern of "fish in each other" or "Herati design". Fish has been present as a symbol in Iranian art and civilization such as Elamite and Achaemenid art and civilization. The fish motif is one of the most delicate and beautiful motifs. In the role of fish, two or four fish go around a pond.
In Iranian symbology, a fish represents life, and therefore, along with Haft Sin, Nowruz is the beginning of the new life of nature. "Fish was a symbol of purity, purity of soul (due to constant connection with water), fertility and fertility, and was considered as a guard for the palaces of kings." (Nistani, 2007: 81)
The components of the fish image are derived from the religion of love. The fish-shaped leaves were the same two fish that took the seal out of the water, and the round flower is the lotus flower on which the seal was placed. The basis and origin of it are two or four leaves of Iranian handwoven carpet motifs, curved elements, etc., which cover a large flower.
- Patterns of birds
One of the Iranian chickens that has always had a clear presence in the culture, art, literature and mythology of Iran is the legendary Simorgh, which is especially visible in carpets with animal and hunting grounds and Shahnameh themes. This symbolic Iranian chicken, which has prominent traits and characteristics in the collective memory of Iranians, also had a special place in the mind of the weaver artist.
Simorgh is a mysterious and mythological bird and is considered the first and most famous bird in Iranian mythology" (Shaygan, 1373:321.) From the symbolic point of view, Simorgh means "desire, fire, freedom, belief, authority, divinity, inspiration, empire It is tolerance, recklessness, chastity and piety, victory, tolerance and..." (Vaheddoost, 1999: 309.) In Ferdowsi's Shahnameh, Simorgh is a mythical and legendary wise bird, and it also has Yazidi and mystical dimensions.
- The role of the peacock
Another Iranian bird, which is considered a manifestation of Iranian culture and art, is the peacock. A bird that is also known as the bird of paradise. "The role of the peacock often has religious connotations, and it was not only used as a religious symbol in the works of art of the Islamic period, but it was also considered as a sacred bird in ancient times and in Zoroastrianism" (Golf, 131:131, 1986).
In Zoroastrian religion, this role is a symbol of Anahita chicken (Venus, god of water) and has the concept of immortality, and in some cultures, it expresses the concept of pride. The role of this magnificent and beautiful bird is abundantly depicted in Sassanid fabrics and sometimes it is created as a combination of peacock, dragon and simorgh on the fabric.
Today's carpet weaving depicts the pattern of the peacock on the width of the carpet; Because he knows that it is a souvenir of Iranian symbols and the wishes of his ancestors. In many works of the Sassanid period, such as the reliefs of the Bostan arch, fabrics or plaster plaques of Tisophon, the motif of the peacock can be seen in the decorations or on both sides of the tree of life.
Human motifs
Among the pictorial elements and themes of the Iranian identity, we come to the famous Iranian kings, who, due to having different characteristics from other people, their behavior has been passed down to the next generations, and the weaving artist has tried to create a moment and a memory simply along with his beauty. Draw a picture of their life on a carpet.
A carpet with the theme of Shapur II sitting on his throne and looking at armed soldiers is kept in the collection of the Iranian Carpet Museum. In the role of this rug, three soldiers armed with spears are in charge of protecting Shapur II and two servants, one of whom is holding a canopy over the king's head and the other is seen blowing him.
Patterns of ancient and historical buildings
It can be boldly said that apart from the Iranian hand-woven carpet and the art of carpet weaving, the second art that can introduce the Iranian identity and the themes and concepts of the national identity is the Iranian architectural art, which has always been used throughout the history of Iran, both in ancient times and after Islam. attention has been Perhaps it is better to say that the Iranian architectural element is the most significant component of the national identity.
In Iranian buildings, historical works and buildings such as the Persepolis, Kasri Arch, Soltanieh Dome (the largest dome in the Islamic world) and Naqsh Jahan Square in Isfahan, etc., are the buildings that introduce Iranian identity and Iranian architecture to the world.
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