شاهنامه‎ی طهماسبی

Cow- head mace is one of the symbolic weapons in the mythological stories and the Punishment tool of Zahhak in the Ferdowsi's Shahnameh. This case is depicted in Tahmasp’s Shahnameh paintings and the Scene of Zahak's Hanging is one of the paintings that Seen in it the motif of Cow- head mace.There is a metal Cow- head mace with similar Specifications in the New York Metropolitan Museum. Formal and apparent similarity of the metal case and the image Illustrated has made the research necessary. The purpose of study is to identify the similarities and differences between the Cow- head mace in the Scene of Zahak's Hanging painting and the Metropolitan Museum metal case. The question in the study is: 1. what are the similarities and differences between Cow- head mace Motif in Scene of Zahak's Hanging painting in Tahmasp’s Shahnameh and the Sample No. 36.25.1882 in the Metropolitan Museum? This research has been done by analyzing library and documentary information with a descriptive-analytical and comparative approach. research Case Studies include the Cow- head mace Motif in Scene of Zahak's Hanging paintings of Tahmasp’s Shahnameh and the metal sample of Metropolitan Museum. The results show that the metal mace of Metropolitan Museum has a form similar to the motif of the Cow- head Fereydoun mace in the Scene of Zahak's Hanging painting and it has an iron color and is made of iron and it has golden ornamentation, while the painting mace is golden color.

One of the most important and fundamental secrets of the universe is death; explained in different ideas and worldviews in various forms and methods. On one hand, the representation of this theme, in the form of art media, is taken from the same ideas and worldviews explaining it; on the other hand, it is derived from its worth as well as its stylistic and media limitations. Literature, in the field of Persian miniature in a relatively long historical context, has also had a great effect on forming different themes. The narrative literature in Iran had always been one of the most prominent sources of inspiration to manifest artists of the other media; among which visual and performing arts have more contributions. The Iranian miniature had depended on the literature to a great extent. So, by the middle of the Safavid era, the Iranian miniature was categorized as a subset of the “calligraphy” art which its major function had been the visualization of literary narratives.Reviewing miniature works of the Herat and the Second Tabriz Schools showed that nearly one hundred and fifty images refer directly and indirectly to the theme of death – their notable examples are seen in the Shahnamehs of Baysonghor and Shah Tahmasp. The main problem in this research, regarding the theme of death in Iranian images, is responding to the question of how one can get to one knowledge about the representation of this theme in the images. The ultimate aim of the research is to gain the full and profound knowledge about the features of forms, themes, and contents of the Iranian miniature; the most superior form of art in this land. Its functional purpose is to study semiologically the images with the theme of death in two illustrated Shahnamehs of Baysonghor and Shah Tahmasp. Based on the patterns of layered semiology, the research aim is achieved through analyzing the linguistic, visual, and cognitive semiotics. The research will respond to the following questions: How linguistic and visual symbols, related to the theme of death, are matched with each other in the studied images? Can anyone reach one knowledge about the representation of the theme of death in the studied works? Iranian paintings have been studied by many methods and models. Some researchers have tried to provide an aesthetic and formal reading of the painting, while others have re-examined the overt or covert meaning of these works, and in these studies, some have considered themselves bound to align with new study methods and patterns. Researchers, on the other hand, have not bound themselves to any cognitive pattern and have left their minds, hearts, and senses free for intuitive cognition. The researches of the first group are formulated and minimalist studies that have not been able to fully identify and discover some of the basic features of these works. On the other hand, the results and interpretations of the research of the second group cannot be repeated and proven. Therefore, it is necessary to find a solution or model that can eliminate the listed shortcomings in the field of painting research. “Layered semiotics” is a theoretical and efficient approach that provides the basis for extensive analysis of texts in the context of the interactive relationship between sign systems and textual layers that creates a complex network of semantic relationships. “Layered semiotics” is an approach in the process of which the researcher or the audience, by entering from the outer layer of the work to the semantic layers, goes through the outer meaning to its inner meaning. The result of this journey is neither minimalist nor unprovable, and the choice of this method and pattern in the study and selection of selected works of Iranian painting, reveals the importance of this research. This descriptive-analytic study has a poststructural semiology approach. The data collecting uses the library and documentary method. Furthermore, the Delphi method has been used to analyze the research qualitatively – experts in miniature and semiology have done it in the form of an open and exploratory interview. The samples studied in this study have been purposefully selected, which include two images with a common narrative and related to the theme of death. It should be emphasized that the criterion for selecting these two paintings was their common theme which is portrayal of the narration of "Siyâvash's death".  The linguistic and visual features and the type of adaptation of the signs are different from each other in the studied images. But, the results suggest that the common knowledge of the two images should be considered in the study of the cognitive layer of images. It seems that though the works have been pictured in two separate periods with different stylistic knowledge and skills, both of the artists had been successful in the tragic, yet the eternal and mythical representation of death.

In the Safavid period, along the growth of other arts, carpet was manufactured as a valuable product, by support of the patrons, while the period was known as the golden age of design, pattern, color and carpet production. Above all, the Persian painting, applying the illustration of dominant literary subjects, is constantly known as one of the fields, suitable for an artistic challenge. Shah Tahmasb’s Shahnameh is a highly influential issue in the realm of painting of Iranian historical periods which has been performed by the most professional artists. The present illustrated versions of Persian painting embody different concepts that have been elaborated by taking advantage of prevalent elements of the daily life. Shah Tahmasb’s Shahnameh which is known as one of the jewels of Persian painting of the mentioned period, having an expanded variety of unique features, is a proper domain to represent the artistic issues in a gorgeous way, and besides, the carpets play an important role in the composition and decoration. As a conclusion, the Persian carpets in the different versions of shahnameh, are considered as part of subjects, applied by artists in order to make relevant illustrations and are alike the elements of their own periods. However, it seems that illustrations of some existent illustrated carpets in the Shah Tahmasb’s Shahameh have their own principles in Iranian paintings.Shah Tahmasb’s Shahnameh is considered as a magnificent art work of early Safavid Miniature School (Tabriz II).  Interwoven by the two main miniature schools of Herat and Turkmens, this masterpiece includes 258 illustrations. The main design elements of each illustration in Shah Tahmasb’s Shahnameh include natural scenery, battle and festivity scenes, mythical tales, Iranian architectural buildings and carpets.Abundance of the carpets that are figured and illustrated in the mentioned version of Shahnameh, and also the historical period of it, which are supreme factors in the production of handmade carpets, demonstrate the importance of them. Therefore, the main issue in the present research is to conduct a study on the total pattern of illustrated carpets in Shah Tahmasb’s Shahnameh and to scrutinize on the figures and elements used in it which have been performed in order to reach a collection of categorized data about the carpets in terms of the structural aspects of design and illustration in Iranian carpets. At last, it will present a possibility to have a comparison on the outcomes of this research, on the carpets of the Safavid period. Thus, these are the main questions of the research:What are the features of illustrations and elements in the represented carpets of Shah Tahmasb’s Shahnameh?How are the diversities and categorizations of designs in the represented carpets of Shah Tahmasb’s Shahnameh?The research method is descriptive-analytical with the pattern and design morphology approach and the data are analyzed qualitatively. The information about the identification and historical background of the illustrations of Shahnameh is gathered through library research. The study cases totally include 80 samples, out of which 14 samples in five categories (3 samples in the category of Overall Flower carpets, 2 samples in the category of Lachak Medallion, 3 samples in the category of Medallion, 3 samples in the category of Panel patterns and 3 samples in the category of patternless field designs) have been purposively selected for the analysis.   According to the general categorization and features of each rank, the details and compounds have been considered and analyzed in the whole studies, and analyses are based upon the rules and principles of Iranian carpet which is adherent to the traditional designing principles of Iranian art. To have more understanding and observation about the mentioned carpets, the linear patterns of all the samples have been prepared and all the analyses are based upon them. The results demonstrate that the carpets available in the Shah Tahmasb’s Shahnameh are under the effect of a desire to fantasy and enthusiasm of the Turkmens school (which appears in Overall Flower carpets) and the original and meticulous style of Herat (demonstrated itself in framed carpets and Kufic margins). Generally, the carpets illustrated in the Shah Tahmasb’s Shahnameh are the fruits of imagination of the artists who their main concern was to represent the chief concept that they were focusing on, which is to illustrate different topics of Shahnameh beside the reflection of magnificence of the art protectors. Above all, the general construction of carpets conforms to those that remained from that period. The value of the carpets is so predominant, beside the other arts like music, architecture, handicrafts and etc. The illustrations are committed to the carpet weaving traditions of Iran and they construct significant parts of the illustrations, related to the dexterity of the artist, as if they have a decorative function and they cannot be assumed as remained carpets from the Safavid era.

The glorious version of Shāhnāmeh of Shāh Tahmāsebi was written and illustrated in the Second Tabriz Safavid School (907-938 AH). According to the authors' research, out of 258 paintings in it, 74 have illustrated buildings that depict different areas of life, living spaces and interactions with different degrees of detail. The purpose of this study was to provide a way to quantify the complexity of the relationship between human figures and the architectural realm in terms of form in this version; For this purpose, after clarifying the concept of "complexity", the factors affecting it, including the number and variety of human figures in terms of gender and age, the number of components and area of the architectural realm and their relationship and interaction with the figures were considered and the function of the index "Complexity" was presented based on them. Calculating the value of the index in the drawings of this version, shows that the painting "Nightmare of Zahhāk" has the highest amount of complexity equal to 392, the painting "Isfandiyār’s Seven Labours" has the lowest value of 66, and the complexity index of 74% of the drawings is between 124 and 266.Following the approaches that have existed so far to understand the art of Persian painting, this method offers a new way to examine the drawings from a formal and structural point of view. By providing such indicators, it is possible to evaluate and categorize the paintings from various aspects, have a suitable solution for selecting, studying, as well as comparing them with paintings from other versions, and gain a better understanding of this precious heritage. This research is quantitative in terms of the nature of the data and is applied in terms of purpose, and data collection has been done by library method.

Due to its connection with national, religious and mythological beliefs, flag (Derafsh) has many forms and patterns that can act as a factor in identifying the identity and way of thinking of a particular nation and period. Among these, the manuscripts of Ferdowsi's Shahnameh, due to their epic and national nature, are valuable sources in the field of study of patterns, forms and colors used in Iranian flags. Shahnameh Tahmasebi, as one of the masterpieces of Iranian painting, has the most magnificent paintings of the Safavid period and there are numerous and varied maps of Iranian flags in its paintings that can provide valuable information to researchers. The two main questions of the present study are: What are the symbolic meanings of the flags depicted in the Shahnameh Tahmasebi in terms of motifs? What is the degree of connection between the Shahnameh Tahmasebi and its text as well as the Safavid Shiite government? Now, this research intends to study and examine the motifs of the flags in Shahnameh Tahmasebi in a descriptive-analytical way and with a symbolic approach, using library studies. Among the 258 illustrations in Shahnameh Tahmasebi, 64 of which represent the total of 165 motifs of flags. Based on this study, it was concluded that the motifs in the Shahnameh Tahmasebi are divided into categories of plant motifs (including Khatai and arabesque motifs), animal motifs (including dragon motifs, Simorgh, lion, fox and duck), and inscriptions, all of which are in line with the Shiite doctrinal concepts of the Safavid period. Also, based on this study, it was found out that the motifs of some of the flags in Shahnameh Tahmasebi are related to the texts in the Shahnameh, and in a way, the artist has visualized the texts of the Shahnameh in his work. The motifs most in line with the text include several examples of animal motifs, while inscriptions mostly serve the religion of the time. The flag was one of the most important and the oldest symbols of government and was mostly used in wars to establish order, and to create excitement and stability. The flags of each nation, in accordance with their beliefs and ideas, have a specific form, role, color and gender, and have been a symbol of the culture and national identity of that nation. Accordingly, the images and maps on the flags include a set of symbolic signs and symbols that can be studied to examine the beliefs and convictions of a community. Meanwhile, Iran with its long history, due to the formation of governments with different beliefs during different periods has different types of flags, all of which are outside the scope of this study. Therefore, in this article, only the flags that are preserved in the drawings of Shahnameh Tahmasebi will be studied. It should be noted that in the Safavid period, the revival of national characters and religious tendencies, also led to the development of art and industry. Therefore, religious and national symbolic concepts are more prominent in works of art. The society in the Safavid period centered on the intellectual principles of the king and the holy man, whose rulers were considered the king and the holy man who received the kingship from Jamshid and the holiness from Imam Ali (AS). Thus, the art of this period is full of symbolic motifs related to national and religious concepts. Shahnameh Tahmasebi, which is one of the masterpieces of Iranian painting in the early Safavid period, is illustrated in this political, social and cultural context, and its drawings contain many of these symbolic concepts. The illustrations in this book represent the theme of flags with various designs and colors that are a reflection of the culture and beliefs of this period, and can be used as important references in the field of study of flags of this period. Since these flags have been used in each of the scenes and events with a variety of colors and patterns, they have the quality to be studied in their original context. The purpose of this study is to identify all the flags in Shahnameh Tahmasebi, and to study the motifs used in them with a semiotic approach that examines their relationship with the Safavid Shiite government as well as the text of Shahnameh. Considering the importance of the flags which are depicted in Shahnameh Tahmasebi, and the limited studies that have been carried out on them and related to the selected images, conducting a more extensive research on them seems necessary. Since, as mentioned earlier in the text, the flag is a specific symbol of a particular nation or land, the depiction of which is rooted in the national, religious and political beliefs of that nation or land in a particular period of time.

The Baysonghory, Ibrahim Soltan and the Tahmasebi Shahnameh are among the most important illustrations of the Shahnameh, each of which is created with the principles of artistic quality and aesthetic taste of the time. Also, Serpent Zahhak's (King Zahhak with Snakes Protruding from His Shoulders) hanging scene was depicted in the three Shahnameh. This research answers these questions by comparing and reviewing the relationship between text and image in this Illustration and studying the similarities and differences using descriptive-analytical method with a comparative approach. A: What techniques have been used by painters for text and image loyalty in depicting Zahhak's hanging illustration? B: What are the similarities and differences between Zahhak's hanging illustrations in three versions of Baysonghory, Ibrahim Soltan and Shah Tahmasp Shahnameh? The data of this research have been collected through library resources and observation of works. The results indicate that the dualism of ancient Persians is the basis of the creation of images, but the way it appears in versions is different. The image qualities and the properties of the elements of the Tahmasebi Shahnameh illustration imply on an approximate loyalty to the original text. From the similarity of three illustrations, can be noted to loyalty to the principles of the arts of the time and from the clear differences of three illustrations can be noted to scenography, the composition and the number of elements.

Management styles are explicit ways of making decisions. These styles can vary depending on factors such as community culture, task expectancy, workforce diversity and personality features, and finally, the abilities of leaders. A number of ancient sources are a reflection of management styles of their period; in this regard, the Shah Tahmasebi Shahnameh which is written based on Ferdowsi Shahnameh is considered as such. There are three mythological, epic and historical periods in Ferdowsi's Shahnameh. Ferdowsi first applies the symbolic use of myth to express the management principles of kings and according to the epic atmosphere of such myths, he narrates the privileged views and superior management of the character. The method of conducting the present study is a descriptive-analytical method based on library data. The management styles studied in the present study are based on Tannbao and Schmidt (1973) theory of management styles, including: independent or authoritarian management style, sincere or paternal management style, democratic management style and free or non-intervention management style. The results indicate that Ferdowsi's poems create a new story by using figurative and symbolic language and through their political, social and cultural tendencies, have portrayed the management styles of kings and commanders.

1. The study of management styles in Shahnameh based on mythological and epic attitudes 2. The study of management styles in Shahnameh based on historical attitudes.

Research questions: 

1. What are the management styles based on mythological and epic attitudes in Ferdowsi's Shahnameh? 2. What are the management styles based on historical attitudes in Ferdowsi's Shahnameh?

Among the most important features of a artwork that can explain the conceptions having been used into it are composition and visual elements of that work. This research tries to answer the questions that which common visual elements (with what conceptual similarities and differences) are used in "Jamshid's court" and "Fereydoun's court" paintings in Tahmasp Shahnameh and in which painting, the painter has managed to illustrate a more magnificent court? In this research the aim is studying composition and visual elements including line, movement and rhythm in mentioned paintings and finding the artistic relation between these two paintings. It seems as the subject of both paintings is about the "court, the painter has applied much attempt in order to show the greatness of the kingdom. As the mentioned paintings in this research are belong to one school and historical age with common painters and two of them have been illustrated in Tahmasp Shahnameh with court concept, have been selected for comparing and studying in this research. The examination of the paintings shows Generally that the painter in Fereydoun's court painting has been more successful than Jamshid's in terms of composition, visualization of lines and related concepts with them, rhythm and expression of court greatness. on the contrary, Jamshid court painting has greater mobility in terms of human figures. This research is a descriptive -comparative one and the method of data collection is on the basis of library studies.

Iranian paintings in various periods have been mostly examined as single page illustrations and independent of the context. In this paper 13 successive paintings from the Tahmasbi Shahnameh، which are based on the story of Zahak، have been examined from the point of view of illustration. The goal of this paper is to evaluate the extent of the painters’ commitment to convey the fundamental idea of the context in the image، arrangement and succession of these works. This story has been painted by several painters. Their efforts to create harmonious and consistent images have been focused in this paper. The question is that how the painter’s commitment as an illustrator to express the text in image leads to the frames of the story being created harmoniously and consistently? The results of this study indicate that the Shahnameh’s painters، with respect to their contemporary tradition and aesthetics، found out that though each painting may seem an independent work، is part of a chain of illustrations that represent a specific text. Despite collaboration of numerous artists، the use of common visual elements lead to the conformity of the paintings and visual consistence and continuity of 13 paintings as an illustrated whole narrative. This research is based on library sources and uses descriptive- analytical method. The statistical population consists of 13 successive paintings from the Tahmasbi Shahnameh، which theme is the story of Zahak.