Comparative Study of Animal and Plant Motifs on Glass Works of Iran, Egypt, and Ottoman Lands (13th–15th Centuries AD)

Iran, Egypt, and the Ottoman Empire, early leaders in art and knowledge within the Islamic world, engaged in significant artistic and cultural exchanges, deeply influencing one another’s art. Despite the many ups and downs visible in the political, artistic, and cultural fields of Iran, Egypt, and Ottoman lands, these lands continuously strive for the progress and prosperity of their science, culture, and art. They have made a lot of effort. The art of glassmaking has remained prominent in these regions after the advent of Islam, with artists creating innovative and creative glass containers that have yet to be thoroughly studied. Therefore, the current research aims to study and compare animal and plant motifs in the remaining glass works from the 13th-15th centuries AD from Iran, Egypt, and Ottoman lands to answer these questions: 1. What were the influences of Iranian, Egyptian, and Ottoman glassmaking in the mentioned centuries? And 2. What are the commonalities and differences between the animal and plant motifs of the glass works? The research method is descriptive-analytical with a comparative approach, where information is collected through library sources and reliable sites, and 103 works are selected as a statistical population, based on the works available in books and museums, and analyzed qualitatively. This research, with the comparative study of the art of glassmaking in the three mentioned lands, will contribute significantly to the history of this art, and in this sense, it is important and necessary. The art of glass-making, which received limited attention in the 13th to 15th centuries AD in the mentioned regions, was notable for its pioneering contributions to the craft. This understanding is essential for uncovering the history of this remarkable art, highlighting the necessity of the present research. The research results indicate that several factors such as migration and the exchange of artistic and cultural works and knowledge, have caused the lands of Iran, the Egyptian Mamluks, and the Ottoman Empire to be influenced and benefited from each other’s culture and art. The presence of some commonalities in the animal and plant decorations on the glassworks also shows the mutual effects of the art of glassmaking in the mentioned lands from each other.