Re-Identification of the Cultural Function of Glazed Ceramics in the Context of the Middle Elamite Beliefs and Rituals

The emerging of glazed ceramic technology in middle Elamite period provided an opportunity for reaching a special artistic language which resulted in a continuous tradition of architectural decoration in Iran. Understanding the true nature of these works of art requires serious study of the social life and traditions of their creators.This paper aims to provide a new field for historical and artistic analysis of Elamite pottery, especially glazed ceramic and its technical evolution while studying its place in the context of prehistoric ritual ceremonies through literature and material remains.Comparing the Elamite literature with the evidences of the ceramic figures locating in the temples and monumental complexes shows a profound belief in the ability of these objects in supporting and conceptualizing the architectural space, which is rooted in the epistemological approach of their creators towards the knowledge of materials. Linguistic analysis of the Untash-Napirisha’s inscriptions indicates the Elamite beliefs in the presence of the essence of life in glazed ceramics which is used by Shilhak-Inshushinak in strengthening an immortal picture of the royal family. On the other hand, the fact that the application of glazed ceramics was limited only to decoration of temples of Inshishushinak and his assisting goddesses in managing the afterlife journey indicates their function in the Elamite traditional practices. Interpreting the traditional function and semiotics of these cultural relics would require a broader and more sophisticated definition of the terms “applied arts” and “architectural decorations” than what is currently intended to be.