Comparison of the Cow- head mace Motif in Scene of Zahak's Hanging painting in Tahmasp’s Shahnameh and the metallic Sample of the Metropolitan Museum (No. 36.25.1882)

Cow- head mace is one of the symbolic weapons in the mythological stories and the Punishment tool of Zahhak in the Ferdowsi's Shahnameh. This case is depicted in Tahmasp’s Shahnameh paintings and the Scene of Zahak's Hanging is one of the paintings that Seen in it the motif of Cow- head mace.There is a metal Cow- head mace with similar Specifications in the New York Metropolitan Museum. Formal and apparent similarity of the metal case and the image Illustrated has made the research necessary. The purpose of study is to identify the similarities and differences between the Cow- head mace in the Scene of Zahak's Hanging painting and the Metropolitan Museum metal case. The question in the study is: 1. what are the similarities and differences between Cow- head mace Motif in Scene of Zahak's Hanging painting in Tahmasp’s Shahnameh and the Sample No. 36.25.1882 in the Metropolitan Museum? This research has been done by analyzing library and documentary information with a descriptive-analytical and comparative approach. research Case Studies include the Cow- head mace Motif in Scene of Zahak's Hanging paintings of Tahmasp’s Shahnameh and the metal sample of Metropolitan Museum. The results show that the metal mace of Metropolitan Museum has a form similar to the motif of the Cow- head Fereydoun mace in the Scene of Zahak's Hanging painting and it has an iron color and is made of iron and it has golden ornamentation, while the painting mace is golden color.