Study and Analysis of Discrete Geometric Patterns in Metal Vessels of the Seljuk Era (Case Study of Four Metal Works in the Hermitage Museum)

One of the artistic features of Islamic arts is geometric patterns in decorative elements of Muslim artworks. These geometric patterns are one of the most widely used patterns in Islamic art and architecture, created by the combination of geometric forms such as triangles, squares, rectangles and circles. Geometric patterns existed before Islam, but they get a lot of attention during of Islamic period. On the other hand, the development of these patterns in architecture and handicrafts can be considered as the achievement of the Seljuks. This period is considered as one of the brilliant periods of Islamic civilization in historical, cultural, artistic, and scientific developments. That not only has vastly developed in the field of artistic decorations, also accounted as the golden age of technological and industrial progress. One of the industries that has reached its peak of prosperity in this period is the art of metalworking, which is evidenced by the metal vessels remaining from this period. The metal works of the Seljuk period show the change and evolution of metalworking art from the Sassanid period onwards. They express the special features of the Khorasan school, which included the cities of Great Khorasan, Neishabour, Herat, Balkh, and Merv. There is significant variation in the metalwork patterns of the Seljuk period, such as geometrical patterns. These motifs are sometimes spread over the field of work and are sometimes enclosed within a circular framework. But, most of them include rosettes. Since it resembles a flower or rosette we call this pattern a geometric rosette with an outer ring that forms a central star by a variable number of "petals" that are encircled. Their geometric structure shows that these patterns have a special drawing method. The purpose of this study was achieving the geometric patterns and proportions and drawing methods of these patterns. According to that, studies on rosette patterns in this period were very few. Recognition of available patterns on the metal vessels of this period and drawing patterns can be effective in expanding them. This research is exploring to answer these questions that what geometric patterns and geometric proportions have been used in the geometric patterns of metal works in the Seljuk period? And how can that geometric pattern be achieved? According to that, in this article, an attempt has been made to use descriptive-analytical methods, and by using library studies and providing step-by-step models, the drawing methods of geometric patterns be presented in the four Seljuk metal works in the Hermitage Museum. Hermitage Museum is one of the largest museums in the world and there are many Islamic works in it that part of them belongs to the Seljuk period. Its metal works include geometric patterns, especially rosettes that the knowledge of them can lead to more variety and newer geometric pattern drawing. According to that, four samples of Seljuk metal works in the Hermitage Museum were analyzed in this study. It includes a bronze plate from the 11th century, an expanse of silver in the late 11th and the early 12th centuries, a bronze pot from the 12th century, and a bronze pottery dating back to the late 12th and the early 13th centuries. The proposed drawing method of this research is based on six-pointed star divisions that are written in the book "Geometric Concepts in Islamic Art (Illustrated collections of the International Islamic Festival) by Assam Al-Saeed and Aisha Parman. In this book, two methods of dividing six-pointed stars are explained. There are different divisions in six-pointed stars; one, concentric stars drawn from hexagonal hemispheres, and the other from hexagonal corners. In this research, the desired geometrical design has been drawn according to the points derived from those divisions. In this study by drawing the geometric patterns of four Seljuk metal works in the Hermitage Museum, it was concluded that discrete geometric patterns in these works are based on a six-pointed star that is combined with polygons and circles. The composition of these patterns is based on hexagons, and according to the hexagonal divisions based on the six-pointed star, it can be understood how the existing geometric patterns on these four Seljuk metal works can be drawn. This analysis indicated that despite its simplicity, the practical geometry applied to designing such geometric patterns in the four Seljuk works in the Hermitage Museum can be interpreted according to the divisions of the six-pointed star. Based on this study, it was found that these designs have a circular shape that can be seen in the decoration space independently of other designs, and angular and curved forms were used in drawing them. These patterns are sometimes seen independently and sometimes in combination with Islamic patterns.