مجله هنر و تمدن شرق
پیاپی 43 (بهار 1403)

In pursuit of identity-oriented demands from society, the movement with roots in the contemporary West has been one of the primary stage directors imposing the official policy of art, especially in academic centers, since the Islamic Revolution. This movement, represented in Iran by Seyed Hossein Nasr, had taken steps to initiate artistic movements before the revolution under the management of Farah Pahlavi's office. After the victory of the revolution, the students and followers of this thought, using the religious and mystical language of the traditionalists, introduced themselves as representatives, claiming the society's demands. They introduced Iran's religion, and in the absence of careful assessment and undervaluation of art by the country's administration, they left a greater impact on the country's art policy compared to its scientific and population size. The determining presence of the adherents of this thought, who are often known as experts and not artists, in the country's political and educational institutions confirms this opinion.According to the traditionalists, the basis of their thought is a set of facts that have an all-encompassing historical and geographical scope. About a century ago, the French philosopher Renégnon created this sect, and then it became a school of theorizing and philosophy of art by Kumaraswamy, a Sri Lankan artist and sage, and Shawan, Lings, Nasr, Palis, etc. The school of traditionalism talks about sacred knowledge and authentic ancient traditions and points to a supernatural, common, and universal truth in the heart of religions and calls it "immortal wisdom or "eternal wisdom." The method adopted by the school of comparative theology is of the contemporary era, and in the Islamic world, it is connected with Sufism and local mysticism. It is also tied to the mysticism of the Far East, which is different from Abrahamic religions. Traditionalists in Iran have theoretical discussion under the title of Islamic art and architecture, and by inventing the terms Islamic art wisdom, religious art, sacred art, and holy art, they have created materials that are poetic, emotional, and far from logical and reasoning, and in certain religious and historical matters, interpretation. They have mixed Islamic art and architecture with self-founded, strange mysteries. Some of the traditionalists became familiar with the form of Islamic art and architecture while traveling to the Arab Maghreb, Egypt, China, and India, relying on the backgrounds they had from Christianity and Judaism, and accepted Islam through Sufi sects. Shawan joined the Shazliyya Tariqat in Algeria. Burckhardt believed in Islam in Morocco, followed the Shazliyyah Tariqah, and joined the traditionalists after meeting Schwan. After familiarizing himself with Eastern teachings and focusing on the East, Guenon deals with the tradition, generality, and general view of Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism. In fact, this range of scholars, relying on the philosophy and mysticism of the great religions of the world such as Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Jain, Taoism, and Shinto, consider them to have a common truth and believe in the inner matter shared by religions. It is obvious that the existing traditions in each of these religions and beliefs have undergone changes and developments, and despite the common points or the common essence, according to the traditionalists (al-hikma al-khalida ), they have gradually gone through tremendous differences. The Islamic Sunnah is different from other Sunnahs according to the text of the Holy Quran and authentic traditions. Looking positively at the activities of Western traditionalists, not much fault lies with them because they got acquainted with Sufi sects and different sects in other countries, and they also experienced the mysticism of the Far East and Hinduism. In a way, they reached the unity of religions, and from the angle of art, architecture, and sanctity, they have told stories based on the appearance of the arts. But how can it be accepted that Dr. Seyed Hossein Nasr, an Iranian Muslim, philosopher, and mystic, endorses these strange and incomprehensible claims and is a disciple of the sectarian and creator of the Marymiya Tariqat? The continuation of the trend of traditionalist thoughts and opinions affected the artistic circles and universities of art and architecture in Iran, and we are still dealing with this problem. Criticism of his opinions will open a window to knowing the truth of the art and architecture of the Islamic era of Iran and the world and highlight the superiority of logic and reasoning over emotions.

To understand the origin of artistic roles and arrangements, it is essential, in addition to knowing the main tendencies of the human mind, to study the process of form exchange between related arts. This will help to reveal common morphological features and enable logical analysis. It seems that understanding the relationship between the art of head covers, which is used in two different areas and scales of covering and architecture, is no exception to this rule. By comparing the main lines of the surviving works of these two arts, this article seeks to answer the following questions: To what extent are the architectural head covers similar to those used by individuals in a given historical period? What are the similarities between the head covers used during the Ottoman period (16th-19th centuries) and the architectural covers and elements of the Topkapi Palace in Istanbul? The purpose of this research is to show the similarities in forms between the head covers worn during a particular historical period and the architectural covers used in the Topkapi Palace. The aim is to address any confusion regarding the forms of these objects and to show how the practical experiences and aesthetic achievements, influenced by the semi-collective unconscious, are transferred from one art form to another. The research is descriptive-analytical. It draws upon a psychodynamic approach using the library method. The head cover samples were selected from the Ottoman cultural sphere between the 16th and 19th centuries, and the architectural samples were selected from the Topkapi Palace in Istanbul. Based on the research, it has been found that the head cover patterns of the people living in this region during the Ottoman period have at least eight similar patterns with the head covers of decorative components and architectural elements. It seems that habituation to familiar patterns through their presence in the semi-collective unconscious formed the basis for the development of visual preferences and aesthetic biases.

In ancient civilizations such as Iran and Mesopotamia, an eagle figure can be seen, which has two heads - inclined to the right and left - and with open wings. The continued use of this motif until the Islamic period in Iran and Anatolia made it emerge as a national symbol in the Seljuk period. This motif represents the dominance of the West and the East, and the implied concept of power and kingship. Available sources attribute this motif to the Hittite civilization in the second millennium BC and consider it influenced by Mesopotamian art, while it has a much older history in Iranian art. Today, due to the importance of this motif as an international symbol, as well as the attribution of the background of this motif in the available sources to other civilizations and the concepts hidden in it, the need to investigate and analyze this motif has become more important. The purpose of this research is to find the roots and evolution of the motif of the form and content of the double-headed eagle in the art of ancient Iran until the Seljuk period. Also, identifying the important factors in drawing this motif in Iranian art is another goal of the research, which is done for the first time in Iranian and international sources. This research has been carried out by descriptive-analytical method and by referring to library-documentary sources. The findings showed that this motif was seen for the first time in the 4th millennium BC in Iran and in the pottery of Tal Bakun - a millennium before the Mesopotamian art. The presence of ancient Iranian myths, religions and rituals, popular beliefs about the king, literature, especially the Shahnameh, are among the reasons for the presence of this motif in the pre-Islamic art of Iran and its continuation until the Islamic period.

Carpet weaving stands as one of Iran’s most authentic traditional arts. Studying and scrutinizing this art reveals the existence of power structures, sometimes ruthless, hidden behind its beautiful and captivating facade, playing significant roles in its zenith and decline. The region of Chaleshtor, nestled within the precincts of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province in the realm of Iranian carpet geography, is replete with discursive occurrences that, only under the auspices of attention to the hypertext, structure, and context, can be subject to analysis; particularly, a group of influential women known as ‘the Bibis’ wielded a remarkably influential role as a microphysic of power in the production of Bibi Baf rugs. Microphysics of power constitutes small currents and minute powers that permeate and reproduce bureaucratic, disciplinary, and psychological forms within smaller, concealed strata of society. During the Qajar era, microphysics of power played a significant role in political and social transformations. The power of Bakhtiari women in Chaleshtor, akin to the power of court women, became the primary factor in creating and producing a distinct genre of carpet in this region, known by the very name of ‘Bibi Baf’ rugs, renowned for their significance. The most notable characteristic of these rugs crafted at the behest of the Bibis was their incorporation of cultural and political transformations along with conceptual and discursive formulations within themselves. Investigating the role of the Bibis as a microphysics structure in Bibi Baf rugs is the subject of this study, aiming to explore and examine the genesis of the Bibis’s micro power by scrutinizing the ongoing political factors in the Bakhtiari women’s power system, subsequently assessing and elucidating the constructive role of Bibi Baf as a power institution in carpet production under study. Hence, the principal research question emerges: How has the power of the Bibis influenced the production of rugs known as Bibi Baf? This inquiry, based on theoretical foundations and Michel Foucault’s notions of power, delves into the transformations of Bibi Baf rugs in the context of power-resistance, power-knowledge, and power-relationship under the Foucauldian power discourse. The contemplative conclusion drawn unveils that the economic, political, and managerial power of the Bibis constituted one of the most influential factors shaping these types of rugs.

Perhaps among the ancient literary works of India, the epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata are more significant and are the main pillars of the country’s epic literature. This epic narrates Rama’s life, the beloved Dasaratha’s son, Kosala land’s king, in exile with his wife Sita. These two paintings are recalled as symbols of purity and happiness in Hindu tradition. Rajasthani artists have depicted a painting of the wedding ceremony of Rama and Sita, which possesses the main characteristics of Hindu art, namely an emphasv is on the symbolic use of colors. This study aims to analyze the symbols and features used in this painting. The study was conducted using a descriptive-analytical method. The painters of the present work used colors to enhance the clarity of the images and have shown special attention to their symbolism. Each color has been used according to its identity, and elements such as building architecture and the arrangement of figures have been precisely positioned in the painting. The decorations and other components presented in this painting have adhered to specific principles for proper composition, guiding the viewer’s eye, and maintaining the positions of the characters. The overall composition of the painting is designed to reflect the customs and traditions of wedding ceremonies in India.

Socio-cultural ties and similarities among different parts of the Iranian plateau in late prehistory are a primary concern of Iranian archeology. Notwithstanding their differing climates and geographical distances, the northwest and southeast quadrants of the plateau archaeologically exhibit a remarkable degree of homogeneity and similarities in the painted motifs of pottery vessels. The question thus arises: what makes them similar, and what underlying sociocultural factors contribute to the emergence of such similarities despite the geographical dimension and climatic heterogeneity? The authors approach these questions through the hypothesis that despite the theory of the mosaic of ethnicities and climates, which views the climatic heterogeneity and geographical remoteness as obstacles precluding cultural convergence across the Iranian plateau in prehistory, these parallels can indeed be justified by the “Great Oriental Society” theory and Lévi-Strauss’s “cultural structuralism.” The classification of painted motifs underpins the methodology adopted here. The motifs on the pottery from each region were classified — based on their typological description, classification, and relative chronology — and finally compared to pin down and analyze their common attributes. It is noteworthy that neither the archaeological context nor the typology of the form of vessels was addressed here. The similarities between the motifs of the Bronze Age pottery traditions in the northwestern and southeastern Iranian plateau indicate that the “Great Oriental Society” theory of Ravasani can explain cultural integration in the two disparate regions, an observation that can be interpreted by Lévi-Strauss’s structuralism.

The art of any nation is deeply rooted in the beliefs, ideology, and mythology of its people, and decoding it requires knowledge of their myths. Mythical criticism is an interdisciplinary approach that deals with the interpretation of a literary work and identifying the sources of myths in that work based on anthropology, psychology, the history of religions, and the history of civilization. Since the Shahnama, The Epic of Kings by Ferdowsi has a profoundly mythological plot line, it’s worthy of archetypical analysis. This research attempts to analyze and interpret the archetype of the Great War in the Epic of Kings based on Northrop Frye’s viewpoint. Thus, the selected illustrations in this essay are analyzed using structuralism. Frye’s view is based on the zeitgeist and draws attention to placing art and literature in the space created by archetypal symbols and the seasonal cycle with a universal classification. For this purpose, first, the theoretical definitions and the way the myths were created are studied. Then, the statistical population is introduced and described. In the following sections of the research study, the analysis will be done using Frye’s approach as the dominant approach. At the end of the research, it turned out that the narrative of The Great War and The Selected illustrations of the Epic of Kings are significantly compatible with Frye’s mythical approach. Frye’s archetypal symbols, which are three types of archetypal, demonic, and analogical imagery, have covered a high percentage of selected illustrations of Shamloo’s Epic of Kings. It can be concluded that mythological and archetypal concepts and themes can be identified in the stages and elements of the illustrations. And these images are the messengers that convey the archetypal symbols and the way concepts and meanings are displayed in different literal and visual stages.