A Comparative Study of Fabrics and Motifs of the Safavid and Qajar Periods

The first archaeological evidence of Iranian textiles dates back to the fifth millennium BC. In the Safavid period, Iranian textile weaving, like other branches of art, was influenced by the policies of the rulers of that period. One of the most important artistic characteristics of this period is the formation of art centers under the patronage of the court and the close connection between art disciplines, especially textile weaving and painting. In this research, using the comparative and analytical method, referring to the library and visual sources, the fabrics of the Safavid and Qajar periods are examined. Covering was one of the most basic human needs that the first humans, covered themselves with the leaves of plants, and little by little, in different eras, this type of cover improved in such a way that meeting its need became one of the most fundamental concerns of humans and governments and the type of cover, sex Fabrics, and motifs sometimes represented the social class of people and distinguished the rich from the poor. During the Safavid period, which had a stable government, and during the time of Shah Abbas II in Isfahan, a special way of weaving cloth was created in terms of the way of weaving and the use of motifs, and it caused the “golden age of weaving” of Iran to be registered. During the Qajar period, many traditions and customs of the Iranians in the Safavid era still existed. The motifs used in the fabrics of these two periods can be classified into the human, animal, plant, and geometric motifs. The results of this research show that the human figure was used more in the Safavid period, just like the geometric motifs in the Qajar period, sometimes they both use the figure of an angel, but sometimes Western figures adorn their fabrics. The fabric material is very similar in the two periods. Safavid silk textiles were world-famous; As the Qajar penman was unique.