Analytical Investigation of Lion's Motif on the Potteries of 5- 8th A.H. Centuries

The lion in the Iran’s plateau have used sometime as the symbol of bravery, majesty, power, light and fire. It has used sometime as symbol of evil force that should be hunted by king. The motif of lion in the ancient sometime have used as the raptor of other animal sprit and have used sometime as destruction agent of demonic powers. The companion of lion along with the sun in the ancient imply to the settlement of the power of sun in this beast. Sometime the lion is the symbol of sun in the earth and eagle is the symbol of the sun in the sky. The combination of lion with the eagle, cow, scorpion and etc. imply to mythic meanings. In the Islamic period artist sometime used lion’s motif in their works. This motif in the early periods refers to inter-est of Iranian – Islamic artists in the Iranian ancient legacy. But in the last periods, Safavid on-ward, artist have used lion’s motif as the symbol of Imam Ali and sometimes as the symbol of disobedient self. The pottery as first human artifact has played important role in his life. The creation of image on pottery has been symbol of lasting art of mankind in various periods and implied on religious conceptions, desires and wishes of any ages. Images present itself by com-pany of pottery in historical periods. Lion is one of the common images in 5-8th A.H. centuries. These centuries always were known as excellent periods in art. This writing attempt by the in-vestigation of lion’s image in theses ages, reply to these questions: what are the aesthetic char-acteristics of lion motif in the 5-8th A.H. centuries? Can we speak of equal characteristics in all centuries? What is direction of designing procedure in mentioned centuries? Progressive or re-gressive? replying these questions, we attempt by analytic method, which is the best known method in critic of artworks, investigate potteries in the 5-8th A.H. centuries and their compari-son. Structural analytic implies on the relationship of main image and other image, the rela-tionship of overall form of barrel and image, and harmony of main image. It seems that the works belonging to 5th and 6th A.H. centuries have best structure and more delicacy in compari-son with potteries of belonging to 7th and 8th A.H. centuries. Often all lion’s motifs in the pot-teries of 5 – 8th A.H. imply to abstract and nonrealistic lion.Abstract decorations on the lions in the potteries of 5-8th A.H. centuries prove this claim. In the 5th and 6th A.H. centuries the lion’s motif has allocated main part of potteries and have main role, but in the potteries of 7th and 8th. A.H. centuries the lion motives have appeared as decorative, spare and applied factor. It is ap-peared that in the works belonging to 6th and 7th A.H. centuries drawing has a strong style and is delicate. The type of intelligent drawing with accuracy in the drawing of head, hand, foot and claw prove this result. Almost all designs of 7th and 8th A.H. centuries in itself have mark of hurry scurry and superficial rendition, often these are vulgar. The relation of form and size with lion’s motif in the 5th and 6th A.H. centuries proportionate and accurate, but artists of 7th and 8th A.H. have applied the cursory and disharmonic horizontal form on the circle shape of potteries. In spite of our expectation, the subsistence of time and other factors such as awareness of for-eign artistic tradition, have not any influence in strong outlining, And its richness. The works belonging to 5th and 6th A.H. century in comparison with late works, have strong linear outlin-ing, emphasizing in organic relation of context and main subject, harmony in image.