The Body Language in Sassanid Commemorative Works: The Behavior Code of carrying the sword and the Folded Hands in Front of the Body

Two features of Sassanid commemorative art are "realism" and "respect for hierarchy". Far from being an accurate portraiture, realism here refers to paying attention to signs (such as clothing, symbols, taking into account the hierarchy of positions), which together create a cryptic context in need of interpretation. The purpose of this essay is to assess the extent to which any sign can be interpreted in the symbolic language of Sassanid commemorative art, especially in the rock reliefs. To narrow it to one example, we are faced with two ways of representing “carrying the sword” by the figures in the presence of the king, which may raise the following question: why do they carry the sword differently in front of the king of kings?

Method and Research: 

The research approach is semiotics and research method is the comparative study of historical texts with archaeological evidence.

The central response of this paper is to show that the difference in sword-carrying is primarily due to the difference in the hierarchy of power. Regarding this matter, there might be two subsidiary hypotheses which can be put forward in the following way: First, carrying the sword vertically and/or placing the hands in front of the body can be interpreted as the respect for "superior lineage"; These representations are equivalent to the respectful movement of "raising the hand and bending the index finger." The second subsidiary hypothesis interprets the figures at stake, not as respect for "superior lineage" but as paying exclusive respect to "Shahanshah [the King of kings]", done by the royal family. It is clear that each of the hypotheses put forward can have an impact on the way to understand the characterology, genealogy, and position of the figures, and consequently, it can also be helpful in understanding the nature of the political system of the Sassanids.