The Typology of Plant Compositions in the Stucco Decorations from the Islamic Period of Iran to the Fourteenth Century

The plant decorations are considered as the most obvious designs that are used elaborately in different works of art. They are also used frequently in architectural decoration, particularly the ones made of stucco. The way these plant ornaments are composed characterizes the period in which they were created though many of these compositions have been repeated frequently over centuries. The goal of this research is to study the typology and classify the significant plant compositions in the stucco decorations from the Islamic period to the fourteenth century. In order to achieve this goal, the following questions should be answered: • What are the most popular plant compositions in the stucco decorations from the Islamic period to the fourteenth century? • Which compositions can be considered as the significant features of plant ornaments in a certain period?

The research method and tools used in this research are mostly historical-analytical because the research problem is based on the historical context around the characteristics of architectural works and the aim of the study is to identify the types of the stuccoworks of the Islamic period in Iran until the end of the eighth century AH. Therefore, in this research, the study of these formal properties in stucco works will be done in terms of composition with an inductive strategy. In this regard, it has been tried to use objective observations and field studies and library resources to distinguish the plant ornaments used in these works from other motifs (geometric motifs and inscriptions) referring to the Iranian stucco works of the Islamic period until the end of the eighth century AH, which enjoyed relative stability because according to preliminary findings, there was no independent hypothesis or research in this regard. Then the plant decorations were categorized and typified according to similarities in their composition, and in order to better understand it by the audience and to adapt the description provided for the composition of the samples, linear plans are mapped using the software Corel Draw and in the following, by comparing the samples, analyzes are provided.

The data was collected based upon written sources and field research (photography, linear print of the images) and analyzed through comparative-historical method. The results of this study suggest that the compositions existing in the samples can be classified into 9 groups some of which have been repeated in all historical periods, like the two and three-arabesque compositions in the margins and delicate joint/ stems with snail-shaped arches. But some of these compositions, including multi-layered plant compositions, delicate plant stems in the backgrounds, snail-shaped arches, etc., were evolved in some centuries, i.e. 13th and 14th centuries, or used more frequently.