Typology of Throne Motifs and the Seating Elements In the The Shahnama of Shah Tahmasp Images

Throughout history, the throne has always been a symbol of power and a sign of the legitimacy of the ruler of the time, which is clearly reflected in illustrated manuscripts, including Shahnameh of Tahmasabi. The throne and the sitting position in Tahmasbi's Shahnameh include different and distinguishable types from the perspective of composition and the type of characters sitting on them. The illustrated Shahnamehs of Hakim Ferdowsi, especially the Shahnameh of Shah Tahmasab, contain more motifs related to thrones and thrones than other illustrated versions, due to the nature and type of literary work. By analyzing 256 images of this magnificent work, 145 thrones and sitting postures were counted out of 86 images. The aim is to identify the types of thrones and other seating elements depicted in Shahnameh Tahmasbi of the Safavid era. This essay is an attempt to answer this question: What are the types, structure, abundance and the characters sitting on them of the arrays of thrones and sitting devices in Shahnameh Tahmasabi? The research method is descriptive-analytical and the method of collecting library-documentary information. The number of statistical samples is 86 images from Tehamasbi's Shahnameh, which contains at least one motif of sitting elements. The results indicate that thrones, chairs, stools, and palanquin are among the types of sitting elements mentioned in the work, which painters have often associated with the use of imaginary aspects in the visualization of their structure and the use of gold color, metal material. Painters have combined imaginative aspects such as flaming, animal and plant bases with realistic elements such as static frames and bases. This trend towards realism is more visible in the characters whose historical and real aspects are more prominent. Among the limited parts that the painter has associated with wood in the structure of the thrones, the wooden fence is the wall of the long canopied thrones. Among the thrones, from the point of view of structure, long crowned thrones with 33 cases and short platform thrones with 8 cases have the highest and lowest frequency, respectively. Among the types of seating elements, the motif of types of thrones with 73 items is the most abundant, and the next ranks are types of chairs with 35 items, stools with 23 items, and palanquin with 14 items. In some cases, the thrones of the warriors are less wide than the kings. This species is mostly seen in battle scenes. From the perspective of the characters, Fereydoun throne as a mythological king has been repeated more than others. The king, as the main and central figure of power, always sits on thrones, which are seen in a higher position compared to other people. Among the wrestlers and braves, Zal has a similar feature with 4 flat motif items. Among the mythological characters, Persepolis and Kikavus have a reputation beyond the images compared to other similar ones. The beds are drawn with single and double people, but in a few cases, the painter has depicted the bed empty of people.