Zodiac Man: from idea to image

In the early Renaissance, some illustrations appeared in medical manuscripts, depicting constellations of the Zodiac associated with human body. Nowadays, these images are called the “Zodiac Man” or the “Homo Signorum”. Later, similar images emerged in Persia, which had no counterpart in the Islamic world. Being very few in number, researches on the Persian zodiac man have nothing much of interest, but a succinct and imperfect description. Thus, it is necessary to justify the abrupt emergence of the Persian one. For this purpose, social circumstances, court patronage, arts, and sciences should be investigated alongside an explanation for the theoretical and pictorial backgrounds of the zodiac man. In addition to pointing out these theoretical origins from the ancient Greek to the Islamic period, this paper investigates the idea of zodiac man during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Moreover, it indicates that in spite of the earlier background of the zodiac-man's theory in Persia, its visual representation was produced in imitation of the European version. Finally, by delving into the social, cultural, and political history of Persia, it is demonstrated that the portrayal of zodiac man is likely to be a transitory experience, which took place in the 2nd century of the Safavid sovereignty.