Analysis of form and Content and the Artistic Origin of Decorations in the Urban and Rural Houses of Guilan

Decoration and ornamentation are inseparable parts of architecture in every culture and land. This subject has a valuable position in native art. In native art, it has a meaning and concept beyond the embellishment and external cover. This is the reflection of cultural concepts and symbols along the historical lines which is used not to the purpose of self-expression, but to express an inner conception. Architectural decorations that express themselves in different shapes in facades, entrances, and interior spaces, display their identity and value. Ornament cannot be separated from architecture; but, historical signs, social identities, and cultural values could be found far more than architecture.  Decorations and ornamentations in urban and rural houses of Gilan are remained valuable heritages which have not received notable attention so far. The purpose of this paper is to describe and compare the architectural ornaments in rural and urban houses of Gilan in order to identify the differences and similarities of their forms and contents and examine the impact of social, cultural and historical context as the involved factors in the decoration patterns. This research is conducted by using descriptive-analytic approach and comparative study has collected data through studying library documents and field observations. After analyzing and summarizing, the differences and similarities of the form, content (plant, human and animal patterns, and geometric shapes), and the location of ornament have been determined. The way of the influence of the lifestyle and native culture on decorations and also the artistic origin of decorative motifs are among the important research findings.