Revival of Tradition or Innovation in Art:A Study of the Lithographs of Qajar Era in Hazrat-e Abdolazim Shrine Complex

The complex of Hazrat-e Abdolazim shrine, in the ancient city of Ray, is a precious architectural treasure which was founded in the third century of Hijra and has been under development since. Selection of Tehran as the capital of Iran in Qajar era, resulted in maximum development of this religious complex at this era. Regardless of architectural and stylistic characteristics of the buildings constructed in this complex, the associated decorations can be regarded as the most documented evidences usable in social archaeological studies. One of the most prominent decorations is the stone reliefs with human subject developed around the entrance gates and plinth of Atigh Court yard. Study of these works can provide valuable information about the characteristics of carving art and artistic developments in Qajar era and social position of those at service of this religious complex. Considering the prohibition of the use of human figures in religious buildings,how could presence of such figures in decoration of religious buildings be justified? It is assumed that artists in the Qajar era modelled the reliefs of the Qajar Kings to make perpetual, those involved in the shrine affairs.
The information presented in this article has been gathered through fieldwork and as a result, it has become evident that reliefs of Qajar kings, and the use of royal crown legend as well as ancient kings’images on religious monuments, paved the way for lithography of human images in the studied collection; and this innovation has turned into artistic tradition.