پژوهشنامه خراسان بزرگ
پیاپی 25 (زمستان 1395)

Having a policy of leniency and tolerance, Samanid Empire, ruling over Khorasan, and led to thought freedom atmosphere and the emergence of various schools of thought and religious sects. Conceptual-semantic matching of a branch of Shia, Ismailism, as one of the most dominant sects in Khorasan and Nishapur, (in comparison with the other contemporaneous religions) with concealed numerical-geometric forms at Nishapur pottery collection can be obviously seen after analysis and decoding of motifs in 4th century AH buffwares. Due to the presence of some veins of Zoroastrianism and Manichaean religion in Ismailism, Nishapur art from 4th century AH is directly impressed by Sassanid era designs. This paper with qualitative method and Analytical-descriptive approach studies hidden mysterious concepts in geometry, numbers and motifs present in one pottery relic. Among allegory varieties existing in Ismailism sect and specifically in Akhavan Al-Safa’s views, application and adaptation of numeral allegories and esoteric thinker’s usage of allegory processing capacity of religions such as Zoroastrianism, with mentioned relic designs and motifs will be addressed in present study. The main evaluation of this big bowl was, indeed, circular form and concentricity circles, triangular and especially number three’s quasi-triangular relations leading to triplex structures naming as “triads” reviewing and discussing under symbolic analysis of number three. After scrutinizing, numeral symbolic concepts, which was hidden inside of its designs and similar to the inward-oriented characteristic in Ismailism, were considered as infrastructural elements and a determination of fundamental motif of relic. Finally, taking Akhavan analysis of number and geometry into account, numbers primacy and secret geometry, resulting in detecting the quasi-triangular relations, can be considered as a basic for the movement from perceptibility to rationality and from the materiality to spirituality and hence connecting to Lord showing by a centric point and triangular in mentioned relic.

The wide array of decorations on the Nishapur ceramic vessels has instigated several analyses taking a variety of approaches. These studies mainly hinge on exploring the forms of the motifs, though some also seek to analyze their content. Those concerned with the formal analysis have focused on examining the visual origins of the motifs in ancient Iran and neighboring cultures as well as other religions and the like. As regards the content, decoding the underlying ideological import of the motifs has always been emphasized. The main concern of the present work was exploring painting or the function of the motifs on a piece of ceramic vessel from Nishapur .The results suggested that, granting that the Nishapur Animate Buff Ware postdated the inscribed variety or that its production witnessed an upsurge in the 4th century AH (10th century AD), the vessel under discussion, and also the painted type in general, may be viewed as a medium intended to promote the Iranian culture. This observation, also applying to the related examples of this ware, gives credence to the general scholarly conception of the motifs of Nishapur ware. However, their original function and stimulus are to be found in the second layer. The results from the analysis of the vessel in question suggested that in the dove and goat motifs one can find some details of the apocalyptic beliefs and astronomical prognostications. Here, dove and goat are probably something more than mere reflection of the pre-Islamic ideas. Rather, through a combination of apocalyptic beliefs and astronomic predictions, they convey the message of the resurrection of one or a group of redeemers at the conjunction of the earthly triplicity in the sign of Capricorn, which occurred at the beginning of the 5th century AH/11th century AD, and Abu Moslem Khorasani was probably one of those saviors.

Seljuk metal containers represent one of the most exclusive developments of inscription design in Iranian works of art. In this research, the metal containers with inscription belonging to early fourth to early seventh/tenth to thirteenth centuries, which the researcher has been able to gain access to their pictures, have been studied. All the inscriptions of these containers have been inscribed with Kufic and Thuluth scripts and with different types of ornaments. This article has been written with descriptive-analytical method and is aimed at identifying various Kufic and Thuluth inscriptions on metal containers of this period. In this research, the basis for categorization of the inscriptions has been the type of script, the design structure of the letters, and the decorative styles used in them. Two different styles are seen in the Kufic inscriptions that consist of more subsidiary decorative types. The first style includes scripts, in which variations of script thickness are not noticed and are more inscribed with inlay techniques on the metal containers of this period. This style of Kufic scripts includes three decorative types of foliated, foliated knotted and anthropomorphic knotted. The second style includes scripts in which the designing of each letter has a different form in respect to its position among other letters; in this style, some of the letters are designed with a different geometrical structure and more circles are seen in it. From a decorative point of view, these inscriptions are categorized in three modes of circular (plain), foliated, and knotted. The scripts that are mentioned as Thuluth in this research are the outcomes of the influence of Naskh and Kufic and are designed during the passage period to “developed Thuluth” scripts. In these inscriptions, the combination of script and image are varied from plain styles and without decorations to styles that show the full mastery of illustration of these periods. In plainer samples, only the “anthropomorphic-zoomorphic” forms are added to the end of the vertical letters; but in more complex samples, the intensity of intermingling of script and human and animal forms have gone so far as illustration borders and, in fact, reveal the meeting point of literature, illustration, and mystical ideas governing the society through inscription design on metal objects.

Since a long time ago, the Iranian carpet has been considered as a manifestation of the Iranian art and civilization and a display of Persian artists’ imaginations and creativity. Prayer design is among the designs originated in an old and ancient tradition which has been particularly considered after Islam. In Iran, prayer design has been woven in different forms and inside the main design has been ornamented in many different manners. The theme in creation of prayer carpets, as a ritual-traditional art, has been always invariant, despite various implementation styles; on the other hand, ornaments and embellishments which are considered as the primary and necessary elements of prayer design have caused the diversity and emergence of various types in this design. The present research is a descriptive-analytical study and the data have been collected using a library method. According to the results obtained from the present research, it was identified that characteristics of the Safavid prayer carpets have been generally influenced by the art of carpet weaving during this period, and the general framework of the Safavid art of carpet weaving has been preserved. Also, after the Safavid era, during the Qajar period, weaving of prayer carpets was still continued while preserving the general structure of the Safavid prayer carpets. Comparison and contrast of prayer designs during the Safavid and Qajar periods indicate further diversity in supplementary designs, forms, and patters in the context of Qajar prayer carpets. Moreover, during the Qajar dynasty, new naturalistic trends in carpet designing led in emergence of new themes and diverse motifs in Iranian carpets and resulted in a diversity of prayer designs during this era. 1. Identification of Safavid and Qajar prayer carpets and study of their structural elements and motifs. 2. Analyzing and comparing the design structure in prayer carpets of the Safavid and Qajar periods. Research questions: 1. How are the designs and patterns of prayer carpets during two periods of Safavid and Qajar? 2. Can common and different criteria be defined for Safavid and Qajar prayer carpets in terms of design and pattern?

According to the Shiite, Justice and Imamate are two of the pillars of Islamic anthology. These two are behind the secrets hidden in decorative motifs particularly in architecture. The value of Justice and Imamate in Islamic decorative motifs of Persian Architecture looks more to the eye after the Timurid period. This research tried to depict the existence of Justice and Imamate concepts in the different decorative motifs including plant derived, geometric and inscriptions, focusing on the motifs of the Goharshad mosque in Mashad in Timurid era and comparing it to Imam Mosque in Isfahan during the Safavid period. The goal of the study is to investigate the Shiite notions in the decorative motifs of the Islamic Iranian architecture in Goharshad mosque, as a mosque commissioned by the sunnit and the existence of the same motifs in Imam mosque of Isfahan, as a mosque ruled by the Shiite. To achieve this goal, library and field studies have been conducted. Meanwhile, historical, analytical and comparative methods have been used as well. The results demonstrate that the inscriptions had a considerable role in promoting Shiite beliefs in both Timurid and Safavid periods. Utilizing Quranic verses, prophetic traditions(Hadith) and supplications (prayers) on Justice and Imamate in the inscriptions of Goharshad mosque shows how Timurid Sunni rulers supported the Shiite beliefs and the Safavid rulers considered it a religious duty to support those beliefs.

Quhistan, a major part of it is located in the South Khorasan province now, is of special importance in the political and geographical history of the region. The historic Quhistan comprised several towns and large districts that distinguished this region geopolitically from other areas of the East of Iran. The great migrations to this region were noted in historical sources. Arab immigration in the first and second centuries AD, and great migration of Zoroastrians in the early Islamic centuries are the most significant of these immigrations in the early Islamic centuries.Apart from political migration of Arabs to this region for further dominance on Khorasan province, this region has always been a safe refuge for minorities throughout history, who continued their living in the light of security and geographical isolation of Quhistan. According to the studies carried out and by a review of the history of Quhistan, this region can be recognized as a safe refuge for political and religious minorities throughout history. Social tolerance within communities should not be neglected, because this region has always been a place for settlement of the followers of different religions and ethnicities. In this paper, part of the history Quhistan and the importance of this region in absorption of different immigrants are addressed.This study will answer these questions that: First, what is the reason for the selection of Quhistan as the migration destination? And Secondly, how can we generalize choosing Quhistan as a haven for Zoroastrians to other migrations to this territory? This research clarifies the significance of Quhistan in this historical selection through an overview of these migrations by an emphasis on locating and determining the path of the Zoroastrian immigrants on their journey to India using the existing resources. In addition to religious and historical tolerance of its people, finds originality and geographical isolation of this land in history as an important factor in choosing destination of religious immigrations in order to refuge

Timurid era, is the efflorescence and prevalence era of kinds of the art branches. The investment and patronage by Timurid commander to calligraphy, is one of the growth factors of this art in the lunar ninth century and future periods. In the era of Sultan Hossein Bayqara (911-875A.H) and his minister, Amir Ali-shir Navaii, the art developed to the extent that historians called this period "East Renaissance". They created the field of creativity of these artists, and as a result, the development of this art in Khorasan by reducing the economic concerns of artists such as calligraphy and also financial support, and providing job security and political support. So that, according to the most researchers, the emergence of an artist like Sultan Ali Mashhadi who is the greatest calligraphers of the Timurid period and one of the prominent artists in the Iran history, is proof of this. This article aims to investigate Conditions of calligraphy and famous artists of khorasan in the Timurid period by the descriptive-analytical method and based on historical resources. The present study attempts to answer the questions what conditions caused the development of calligraphy in the Timurid period, and how many of these artists were Khorasani? The Data show that due to the Timurid rulers’ attention to calligraphy, scientific and practical steps were removed in the field of calligraphy, and a few Khorasani artists were known in this field.