Analysis of the visual and conceptual patterns of Azadeh's death in Ancient Persia, Sassanid and Seljuk period based on Panofsky`s Iconology approach

Bahram V or Bahram Gur is a well-known just Sassanid king. Bahram same as Vərəθraγna is the great warrior god of Zoroastrianism, but his figure also contains a wealth of archaic, pre-Zoroastrian elements which clearly point to an Indo-Iranian era. Bahram has all the characteristics of an ancient warrior God, the personification of a force that shatters and overcomes any resistance or defense, an irresistible offensive force which displays its strength in attack. Bahram was revealed with symbolic features in Iranian art and literature. In Seljuk era, different stories of Bahram Gur are painted on potteries. The images of Seljuk potteries which are depicted on the surface of the plates are appropriated according to the Islamic atmosphere. Bahram Gur's hunting and Azadeh is one of the Iranian stories which is painted on some Seljuk potteries. Investigations on Seljuk illustrations show that some of the pictures depict Azadeh while playing harp and accompanying Bahram Gur in hunting. But the rare examples of Seljuk potteries display two scenes about Azadeh`s harp playing and her death underneath camel's feet with different clothes.This article attempts to answer this question: What are the hidden semantic meanings of Azadeh’s harp playing and her death underneath camel's feet with different cloths, illustrated on Seljuk potteries? The purpose of this research is to study the visual and conceptual patterns of human figures which were illustrated on the Seljuk potteries. In this research, the information is collected through documentary and library sources. The historical-analytical method is based on the iconography and iconology with Panofsky’s approach. Therefore, seven samples which belong to two historical periods (the Sassanid and the Seljuk) including three silver and golden Sassanid plates, a plaster Sassanid frame, a Sassanid seal and three Seljuk clay plates have been selected. The results show that Azadeh's symbolic death in Bahram Gour's hunting refers to the common literature in the Seljuk period, which is derived from an ancient Persian narration. Also based of Iranian mythical perspective Azadeh's symbolic death, illustrated with different cloths, centered on the romantic relationship between Vərəθraghna (Iranian God - Sun) and Venus (Morning Star) who promises the Sun’s rebirth or new day.