Studying the Motifs of the Flags in Shahnameh Tahmasebi based on Semiotic Approach

Due to its connection with national, religious and mythological beliefs, flag (Derafsh) has many forms and patterns that can act as a factor in identifying the identity and way of thinking of a particular nation and period. Among these, the manuscripts of Ferdowsi's Shahnameh, due to their epic and national nature, are valuable sources in the field of study of patterns, forms and colors used in Iranian flags. Shahnameh Tahmasebi, as one of the masterpieces of Iranian painting, has the most magnificent paintings of the Safavid period and there are numerous and varied maps of Iranian flags in its paintings that can provide valuable information to researchers. The two main questions of the present study are: What are the symbolic meanings of the flags depicted in the Shahnameh Tahmasebi in terms of motifs? What is the degree of connection between the Shahnameh Tahmasebi and its text as well as the Safavid Shiite government? Now, this research intends to study and examine the motifs of the flags in Shahnameh Tahmasebi in a descriptive-analytical way and with a symbolic approach, using library studies. Among the 258 illustrations in Shahnameh Tahmasebi, 64 of which represent the total of 165 motifs of flags. Based on this study, it was concluded that the motifs in the Shahnameh Tahmasebi are divided into categories of plant motifs (including Khatai and arabesque motifs), animal motifs (including dragon motifs, Simorgh, lion, fox and duck), and inscriptions, all of which are in line with the Shiite doctrinal concepts of the Safavid period. Also, based on this study, it was found out that the motifs of some of the flags in Shahnameh Tahmasebi are related to the texts in the Shahnameh, and in a way, the artist has visualized the texts of the Shahnameh in his work. The motifs most in line with the text include several examples of animal motifs, while inscriptions mostly serve the religion of the time. The flag was one of the most important and the oldest symbols of government and was mostly used in wars to establish order, and to create excitement and stability. The flags of each nation, in accordance with their beliefs and ideas, have a specific form, role, color and gender, and have been a symbol of the culture and national identity of that nation. Accordingly, the images and maps on the flags include a set of symbolic signs and symbols that can be studied to examine the beliefs and convictions of a community. Meanwhile, Iran with its long history, due to the formation of governments with different beliefs during different periods has different types of flags, all of which are outside the scope of this study. Therefore, in this article, only the flags that are preserved in the drawings of Shahnameh Tahmasebi will be studied. It should be noted that in the Safavid period, the revival of national characters and religious tendencies, also led to the development of art and industry. Therefore, religious and national symbolic concepts are more prominent in works of art. The society in the Safavid period centered on the intellectual principles of the king and the holy man, whose rulers were considered the king and the holy man who received the kingship from Jamshid and the holiness from Imam Ali (AS). Thus, the art of this period is full of symbolic motifs related to national and religious concepts. Shahnameh Tahmasebi, which is one of the masterpieces of Iranian painting in the early Safavid period, is illustrated in this political, social and cultural context, and its drawings contain many of these symbolic concepts. The illustrations in this book represent the theme of flags with various designs and colors that are a reflection of the culture and beliefs of this period, and can be used as important references in the field of study of flags of this period. Since these flags have been used in each of the scenes and events with a variety of colors and patterns, they have the quality to be studied in their original context. The purpose of this study is to identify all the flags in Shahnameh Tahmasebi, and to study the motifs used in them with a semiotic approach that examines their relationship with the Safavid Shiite government as well as the text of Shahnameh. Considering the importance of the flags which are depicted in Shahnameh Tahmasebi, and the limited studies that have been carried out on them and related to the selected images, conducting a more extensive research on them seems necessary. Since, as mentioned earlier in the text, the flag is a specific symbol of a particular nation or land, the depiction of which is rooted in the national, religious and political beliefs of that nation or land in a particular period of time.