پژوهشنامه گرافیک و نقاشی
پیاپی 7 (پاییز و زمستان 1400)

Monographs have been used in the art of book design in the Islamic Era, which, in addition to decorating the pages of books, have helped the audience to better understand the story. This method has also been used in decorating epic stories such as Shahnameh. During the Safavid era, due to the government's attention to art, especially carpet weaving, the images of these paintings were also used in the design of carpet maps. Due to the fact that hunting among prehistoric peoples has been mixed with human life, it had a ritualistic aspect and rituals and ceremonies were arranged for it, This is evident in the works left by the art of different prehistoric peoples. In the recent centuries, hunting became more ceremonial and turned into a ceremony for the war-making practice of kings and courtiers. Due to the importance of the subject of hunting, its related scenes have been depicted in the art of different Eras. Among the early examples of the role of the hunting ground in Iranian art, we can mention the rock paintings of Koohdasht region in Lorestan, which show hunting scenes with bows and arrows and animals, such as horses, deer, mountain goats, and dogs. However, in pre-Islamic Iran, the peak of the importance of hunting can be found in the hunting stories of Bahram, the Sassanid king. In this Era, hunting scenes are one of the special cultural characteristics of the royal class, because most of the works obtained from hunting scenes belong to kings, and the quality of the scenes also speaks for it. In Iran after Islam, the study of the history of the hunting motives shows that the Safavid Era was the era of the revival of this motif, especially in the art of carpet weaving. The Design Hunting Graound (Shekargah) appeared in the Safavid era, In addition to painting in carpet weaving, which was under the special support of the court during this Era, the weaving of Shekargah carpets became popular since this time. It is obvious that such carpets were exclusive to royal palaces and buildings, such as Aali-Qapu and Chehelsotoon. In the current research, which was carried out using a descriptive-analytical method, information was obtained about the hunting ground carpets first by library research and then by museum research of the remaining samples of this Era. One of the examples of the hunting ground carpets from the Safavid Era is the hunting ground carpet, which is kept in the Poldi Pezzoli Museum in Milan, Italy. This carpet can convey useful information about the features of the hunting scene image and the traditions hidden in it. The purpose of the current research is to answer this basic question about the Safavid Era rug of the Milan Museum: how can the narration of the visual system in the mentioned carpet be explained? The current research is based on the purpose of development, the research method is descriptive-analytical and the method of collecting information is library. The analysis of the research data was done qualitatively using the carpet map structure analysis method. The results of the research show that the designer has used two writing and visual methods in designing the map of this carpet for narration: the writing style of narration is used in the inscription of this carpet and the story of the history of the weave and the name of the weaver. However, the phrase "made from the efforts of Ghiyath-ol-Din Jaami - this is how well this work is famous" is not clear enough, and it is not clear whether Ghiyath-ol-Din Jaami was the designer of the carpet, or the weaver or the person who ordered it. This brings about the diversity of narratives in this regard among which the Pope's narrative can be mentioned in particular. Pope (2008) believes: from the above statement, it is clear that "this carpet was designed and supervised by a man who came from the city of Jaam in Khorasan, and there is no other city named Jaam in Iran. Of course, this relation of Jaami is not the proof that this Ghiyath-ol-din himself was born in Jaam or even that his place of work was in Jaam. However, this ratio clearly indicates that his family lived in this city at that time or at a time before that. Ghiyath- ol-Din or perhaps his father was probably one of the artists who migrated from Khorasan in the early 10th century of Hijri to take advantage of the new opportunities and facilities that were available after the Safavid renaissance and newness in the court of Shah Ismail had begun". "Regarding the reading [number] of the inscription of this carpet, there is also a difference of opinion among carpet experts, and due to the illegibility of the middle digit, there are two different narrations in this regard. Pope put the date included in the inscription as 929 (A.H.) and some other researchers, including Malool, have been diagnosed 949 (A.H.). Regarding the visual method of narration and the use of images of hunting and combat scenes in this rug, two narratives can be considered: One is rooted in the mythological history of these motifs and the other can have a cultural and social origin. The first narrative, which considers the pre-text of these images to be related to the mythological history of the motifs, can be found in the ritual and ancient rituals of Iran. Because the fighting of animals with each other, in addition to providing entertainment for the people and the king, also had a ritual aspect. For example, the battle of lion and bull, which is also considered in the art of ancient Iran, was considered in this era in the carpets of the Safavid hunting ground. The origin of this ritual can be found in the ceremony of fighting between the lion and the cow that Chardin Visiting Isfahan has reported recycling. It is also possible to refer to the images of Bahram, the Sassanid king's battle with two lions, in which Bahram faces two hungry lions and destroys them in order to regain the crown. The second narrative has paid attention to the cultural and social records of this ceremony. This ceremony itself can have a mythological pre-text. In the Islamic Era, the mythological function of these motifs was no longer intended, but rather they were an attempt to show the power to raise wars of kings and princes. This narration tells that the hunting ceremony was held in the times when the country was not at war in order to practice bravery and fighting and to strengthen the morale of the soldiers in the presence of the Shah himself. What can be obtained from the study of the cultural and social situation of the Safavid Era is that the designers of carpet maps used what they saw with their own eyes in the hunting ceremony by using imaginary images in an artistic way in the design of carpet maps. They have used and made hunting scenes manifest in carpet designs. For this purpose, the battle of animals with each other, one of the most important of which is the battle of the lion with the bull, has been included in the carpet map as a motif. These motifs in carpet design are referred to as Combat. Additionally, the attack of falcon on hunting animals is another pattern that has become a motif. Most of the animals depicted in these carpets are real animals that were found in the hunting grounds of that Era. Due to the fact that during the Safavid era, carpets were used to decorate the palaces of kings and were also prepared as gifts to ambassadors and kings of foreign countries, especially Europeans, in this era, carpets were used as a visual medium. It is natural that these images also narrated the beliefs and the beliefs of the government. They also showed the authority of the kings in this Era. Therefore, the scenes of hunting and combat in the map of this carpet can represent two narratives, one of which is rooted in the mythological history of these motifs, and the other can be formed based on the cultural and social conditions prevailing in the Safavid Era. These scenes are mostly narrative and as a visual document of the social and cultural conditions of the Safavid Era. They are one of the first examples of narratives in the map of Iran's carpets during the Safavid Era. The use of hunting grounds in these carpets shows the authority of the Safavid kings and has become the basis for depictions in carpet weaving in later Eras.

Whenever there is a talk about children and adolescents’ literature, the role of pictures and depictions of books is propounded as an important element. Because of special aspects of their age, children and adolescents need pictures to provide them with a better understanding of concepts and subjects propounded in their books. Children and adolescents limited experiences, and vocabulary treasure, and lack of ability to receive various phenomena at the same time, and etc. all are factors that make it a necessary task to put pictures beside the text in the books of this age group. Of course, we should notice that these limitations will drop in numbers as children grow up, and in the books of adolescents we see fewer picture elements and more dominance of text. Valuable illustrated literary works of children and adolescents, in addition to help mental and intellectual growth, cause transfer of original and excellent social and ethical values to them and has effective role in acquainting them with fundamental issues of national identity of the land they live in. In today's age, whenever it comes to the national identity of any country, undoubtedly, the most significant challenge against national identities, is the phenomenon of globalization and necessities and requirements resulting from it. It is obvious that globalization age, by emergence of phenomena like internet and global media that has surrounded Iran like other countries for about two decades, can be influential phenomenon in changing method and content of adolescents’ depictions. According to this introduction and the importance of education from a younger age, that is a very fundamental time period in formation of adolescents' identity, performing such researches seems necessary. The purpose of this research is investigating the method of representing national identity in the depictions of research sample according to globalization phenomenon. The main question of this research includes this issue that how is the national identity represented in the depictions of this age group's books with regard to globalization phenomenon? The hypothesis of this research is based on this principle that Iranian illustrators, according to rich history of depiction in Iran, have used traditions of Iranian depictions in their pictures. Also, due to influences of globalization that has also surrounded Iran like other countries, they have also used global popular trends both in contents and in depictions. In this research that is extracted from the Ph.D. thesis of first author entitled "studying national identity representation in adolescent's illustrated books (case study: story books participated in four biennials of best books held by cultural association of children and adolescents’ publishers in the 90s)". After considering important concepts of research which includes globalization phenomenon from viewpoint of transformationalists, concept of national identity and its main components in Iran, research samples are investigated so that the method of representing national identity in depictions of adolescents’ books is determined. About research background, it should be told that there are different books and researches in the field of globalization and its influence on culture and art in which impacts of globalization on culture or other branches of figurative connection like poster, picture, and etc. have been discussed; but, a research on illustrated story books for adolescent age group that comprehensively considers issue of encountering globalization and national identity in Iran hasn't been performed yet. In this research, according to high number of research samples and that all these samples have participated in one of the most important conferences of publishers of children and adolescents’ book in Iran, an extended perspective of status of publishing book in this age group can be given to its addressees. Today, book illustration like other artistic fields, is influenced by globalization phenomenon. Influence of this issue besides contents, can be seen in implementing style of these works.The method of this research is descriptive and analytic. In this research, for considering dimensions of globalization phenomenon, opinions of researchers in the field of globalization especially transformationalists have been used and the influence of this phenomenon on contents and book pictures of research sample is considered. Information was collected through library resources. Access to versions of studied books has been by field method and direct observation and photography. Study sample of this research is 170 story books written for adolescent and participated in biennial of cultural association of publishers of books for children and adolescents in 2017. This group of books is suitable for age group of A, B, C and overall age group of adolescents (almost 10 – 15 years old). Individuals of this age group, are in a period of their life that can understand more fundamental issues like national identity and its importance in the land where they live in. This biennial is one of the most important conferences hold for publishers of books specific to children and adolescents in Iran. Research approach is also globalization approach and particularly school of transformationalists, because, among different approaches toward globalization phenomenon, transformationalists' theories have the most overlap according to research question and hypothesis. This approach believes that globalization has caused a change of power relation within national and transnational levels. However, globalization has not caused the end of governments-nations as main political and cultural units. Yet, it is likely to cause global convergence in culture; a viewpoint that we will also observe as a result of considering samples of this research.The results showed that books of research sample have been under influence of global flows beside influences they got in contents. In the subject of contents, cases like family relation and issues, human's relation with environment, social problems like migration and identity crisis were from significant contents propounded in the books. Propounding such contents isn't related to a specific geographical point, and adolescents from all over the world can understand them. In the subject of form, the use of perspective in depictions and schools of thought, influence of west painting schools and flows (Cubism, expressionism, surrealism and …),the use of colorful combinations under influence of web and digital space, influence of used spaces in prominent animes at the world level, were from significant attributes that illustrators have used in their depictions under influence of global flow impacts. On the other hand, we saw that globalization encouraged individualism and identity and increased minority movements and other forms of identification. On this side of globalization, we saw that global general culture did not try to eliminate differences, but, recognized differences and encouraged nations to manifest themselves. These nations can take a step in direction of globalization through engaging with themselves and utilizing common global flows; and indeed, influence of globalization projects according to local extension to social media and system that deliver cultural messages, has caused nationalism projects to have a more and better domain for presenting themselves and pull out themselves from margin. Also, we determined the most fundamental components that make identity and unite Iran's people in four categories: local identity or collective land; cultural identity; religious identity; historical identity. The study of pictorial features of research sample indicated that beside using these components in contents of books, identity-forming attributes of Iranian illustration have been considered in the form and style of illustrations, and as we mentioned in theoretical literature, the most important identified attributes were using traditional plans, influence of Iranian miniature and traditional schools in design, coloring and finally objectivist view point. We have also observed that transformationalists insist that the governments which have applied closed cultural politics for minimizing foreign influence, are more exposed to threat of cultural globalization in contemporary age and believe that national cultural politics and innovation should be determined in line with new global conditions. This will be realized when governments and policy makers in the field of children and adolescents, besides accepting and identifying manifestations of globalization, consider recognizing and introducing components of national identity.

In the belief of the ancient Iranians and sources, such as Bondeheshn, Mashi and Mashianeh are the first human couple in the first creation and have human-plant characteristics. In the text of Shahnameh, have been quoted poems from a talking tree with human-plant characteristics in the story of Alexander in Conversation with Wak Wak Tree and a painting is illustrated with the same subject. The importance of human-plant property in both cases necessitates the present study. The purposes are to identify the characteristics of Mashi and Mashianeh in Persian mythology and ancient sources and to identify the characteristics of Wak Wak Tree in the poems and painting of Alexander in Conversation with Wak Wak Tree in the Demot Shahnameh and their similarities and differences.Research questions include: 1- What are the visual and structural features of Mashi and Mashianeh in the Persian mythology and the Wak Wak Tree in the poems and painting of the Shahnameh of Demot? 2- What are the similarities and differences in their form and meaning of them?In order to answer the questions raised, first the myth of the first creation and the characteristics of Mashi and Mashianeh have been studied and then the talking (Wak Wak) tree is analyzed. Then the painting of Alexander and the talking (Wak Wak) tree in Demot's Shahnameh and the characteristics of this tree have been studied, and finally, the characteristics of Mashi and Mashianeh and the talking (Wak Wak) tree are compared to the painting of Alexander and the talking (Wak Wak) tree. In the present research, library information and documentary and visual data have been studied and compared with a descriptive-analytical and comparative approach, and the cases studies studied in the research include the painting of Alexander and the talking (Wak Wak) tree in the Shahnameh of Demot, which has the characteristics of Mashi and Mashianeh in mythological and Iran ancient sources. The results of the research show that Mashi and Mashianeh in mythology and the talking (Wak Wak) tree illustrated in Demot's Shahnameh painting, both have human-plant characteristics.However, Mashi and Mashianeh have a plant identity of the type of rhubarb plant with broad leaves, while the talking (Wak Wak) tree in the painting and in the poems of the Shahnameh has the characteristics of a tree and does not have the characteristics of a bush. The tree in the painting has long leaves. Moreover, they have the power of speech in both humans-plants, Mashi and Mashianeh and talking (Wak Wak) trees and the appearance of both cases are described with two separate roots and twisted stems.  The gender identity of none is clear and this feature is common in the painting and poems of the Shahnameh and ancient texts. In the painting, the gender identity of the faces is not clear and the elegance of the faces is almost the same.  Mashi and Mashianeh are a human couple and two fruits of the same plant and in the poems of the Shahnameh, the talking (Wak Wak) tree has the identity of a human woman and a human man, while in the painting, the tree is depicted with human male and female heads and male and female animal headsbecause Mashi and Mashianeh had one female face and the other male face and the words female and male are used in the poems and the multitude of these faces has not been mentioned. Furtheremore,, in the Bondaheshn, Mashi and Mashianeh are described as standing with their hands on their ears and this situation is not seen in the poems of the Shahnameh and in painting of the Demut's Shahnameh. In general, from this comparison, it can be concluded that the talking tree originated from the ancient creation myths of Mashi and Mashianeh and it is another form of the first human couple.  It has appeared in the form of a talking (Wak Wak) tree in the poems of Shahnameh and Iranian art over time.

Metaphor is one of the expressive methods for understanding unfamiliar concepts or inner layers and a method of cognition. Linguistic studies in the last few decades have defined a new nature for metaphor, according to which metaphor is not just a literary technique or aspect of speech, but an active process in the human cognitive system. Metaphor is defined as understanding one conceptual domain in terms of another conceptual domain. In this view, the metaphorical function of concepts helps unfamiliar concepts and abstract ideas to be understood and touched. Theorists believe that metaphor is a kind of "way of thinking" and so it can be used in other media and areas of expression, including images, cinema, politics, etc. Metaphor can also be used in non-verbal fields, which is specifically called "visual metaphor" in this sense. In recent decades, the argument of visual metaphors has entered the field of cognitive metaphor theory. Converting verbal metaphors into visual metaphors is possible, but complicated. Many verbal metaphors created by words and phrases can be translated into image language. Visual metaphors are much more difficult to be understood and recognized than verbal metaphors. The comparison of the image and the text can define images as  three-dimensional expressions of the world.Meanwhile, Persian painting is one of the branches of art in which the expressive ability of metaphor is used a lot.  Persian painting is the manifestation of the imaginary world. Discovering and displaying imageries, artists of this type of painting intuit the world of imagination. Since it is neither completely close to nature nor pure abstraction, it has found an intermediate aspect, which has both abstract and imaginary characteristics. On the other hand, not only can artists use the tangible nature, but they can also pass it and gave it an abstract aspect. From this point of view, painters have turned to the language of metaphor to show imaginary images and use facilities that have the capability of associating meanings. The principle of association of meanings, which is particularly evident in metaphor, is of special importance in art, especially in Persian literature. Metaphor in words and accordingly in images is a form that invites the audience from the outside to the inside,  in other words, from something familiar to something strange.  Therefore, through defamiliarization, the artist tries to separate the audience from ordinary and everyday things and introduced another world and truth.The art of painting is full of visual metaphors in various animal, human, plant, and inanimate forms. Human forms are one of the main and fundamental elements of Iranian painting in terms of visual and spiritual aspects as well as semantic associations. Some of the human figures depicted in paintings are directly relevant to the story or theme, and these humans play a specific role. For example, in the stories of Shahnameh or Khamseh of Nizami, kings, companions, warriors, and special characters mentioned in the story are depicted directly. Nevertheless, sometimes in the same pictures, it seems that the painter has put the body and face of the king of his time instead of the king's face of the story; hence they have created a visual metaphor. In this way, they immortalized their contemporary king by recording it in a work of art. On the other hand, they reveal the qualities of justice, valor, and authority of that legendary king in the existence of the king of their time. However, another type of metaphorical expression through human forms is related to "body states" and their role in associating meanings. In Persian painting, many mental and emotional states and some human behaviors are shown through "various body states". In other words, states and body movements are the source area,  mental and emotional states, and behavioral performance are the target area in visual metaphors. This use of metaphor in the human figure can invite the audience from the exterior of the painting to the interior in the process of reading the text.The present research seeks to answer the question: What is the expression of visual metaphor in human forms of miniature painting? The purpose of the research is to explain visual metaphors and identify their expressive aspects in human characters used in paintings and also to study how to express metaphorical states and emotions through the human body and face. Since Persian painting is a symbolic and metaphorical art, it can discover the meaning and inner layers, and provide special expressive capabilities to artists to create artworks.This article has been done on the descriptive-analytical method and by collecting library information and images, the role and position of metaphor, especially conceptual metaphor, and visual metaphor have been studied from the perspective of metaphor in human forms, and present a new analysis of miniature paintings.By examining Persian paintings, which are full of metaphors, it is clear that this art has a layered and complex expression, and therefore, discovering the inner layers and hidden meanings helps better understanding the works. Persian painters have been able to use visual metaphors in various ways by knowing their capabilities and visual functions of them, so they could express inner and distant intentions. Therefore, in response to the research question, it should be mentioned that one of the painters' methods in the metaphorical representation of human figures is the replacement and visual adaptation of a special character instead of the main character of the story, such as using the character of the king of the time (such as Sultan Hossein Mirza, Shah Tahmasab, Humayun, Shah Abbas, and other Qajar kings) and scholars and elders (including Amir Alishir Nawai, Jami and Amir Kabir) and other people instead of the characters of literary stories, such as Iskandar, Anushirvan, Rostam, etc. in the illustrated version of Ferdowsi's Shahnameh or Khamseh of Nizami. They have tried to document the real events of their time in a metaphorical way, and in this way, they have considered these figures as visual metaphors for fictional characters.Additionally, through the type of depiction of body movements of human figures, they show some states and human emotions, such as surprise, conversation, shame and modesty, respect, etc., based on the subject and the need of the image. For example, in conversation mode, people are drawn with closed mouths, and usually, the expression of hands, bodies, eyes, and eyebrows are used to display conversation mode. In the state of surprise, the head is depicted slightly bent forward and the surprised person has put his finger on his lips. The other mode is "advice" which is the state perceived by the organ of the body. In this case, the person giving advice is shown leaning forward a little with affection, while the hand gesture and sometimes the palm of hands are stretched towards the opposite person. "Shame and modesty" is also usually one of the states that are understood in painting through body posture. The display of this state is usually shown in a person who is being advised and is holding one hand on the side of the face and usually, the head is shown downward with a high degree of bending. The mode of "respect" is another mode that is used a lot in paintings. Humans who are in front of important figures such as kings, elders, mystics, or lovers, usually show a state of respect combined with modesty. It is also shown in such a way that these people have placed their hands crossed on each other, and at the same time, the head is lowered as a sign of modesty, and the upper half of the body is also bent forward. In other words, in general, these body movements and postures have given a visual effect to show sensual and emotional states metaphorically, and in general, they have guided the viewer from the appearance of the work to its interior.

Research in the field of kilim and its different types have attracted specific position among academic studies and has been addressed from various perspectives in the last two decades. Meanwhile, studies have been done over Varni. Varni is a kind of kilim which is woven by the women and girls of Shahsavan tribe mentally and without any paper maps, using a Sumak technic in the north-west of Iran. Considering the prevalent nomadic lifestyle, these Varnies used to be used as rugs, salt bags, saddle bags, mafrash, and cover horse. There is little written information about the history of this weave due to the oral culture of the nomads and the lack of knowledge of weavers' theory information despite their practical skills.  Categories displayed in Table one represent the literature review in Varni. Analysis with this methodology is widespread in basic science and subjects that are related to handicraft, such as Varni have been less discussed in Iran. Research  similar to this article is an article titled "Study of  handi-crafts theses in Art university based on approved regulations of Art university: Case Study of Graduate theses from September 2012 to September 2017" that published in Journal of Visual & Applied Art by Samanian and Babaei in 2021. The discovery of the strengths and weaknesses of theses and improvement of the quality of the future works of research in the field of handicrafts was the aim of this article. The main aim of this study, however, is to analyze Varni's studies in the field of kilim's studies and classify the works of research  done in this field. Thus the researcher has analyzed and reviewed academic studies in the field of Varnies by identifying thirty-four dissertations, master's theses and articles.; Moreover , to introduce all research  done over this subject and avoid repetitive research, this study may pave the way for the researchers and can shed the light on the direction of future research in this field. This study  has been conducted by descriptive-analytical method and the data are collected based on library resources.Identifieing forty-nine sources about Varnies by researching in Various databases, such as National Library of Iran, Irandoc, Magiran and Civilica with keywords, including sumak, needle kilim, handwovens of Ardebil and shahsavan and Varni (Because everyone uses different names for this handwoven and different textiles are not classified appropriately). After reviewing the statistical population, thirty-four articles, master's theses, and dissertations resources were considered for the final analysis.Written sources are less than half a century old regarding the Varni feild, and the first published reference refers to Varni in 1985. It was Parvez Tanavoli (1985) who first discussed Shahsavan textile mentionining Varni among others shahsavan textile productions. He published a book in English called "Shahsavan Iranian Rugs and Textiles".  On the account of foreign resources, John.T.Wertim (1998), authored a book titled "Sumak Bags of Northwest Persian and Transcaucasia" and emphasized the importance of khorjin, salt bag and mafrash. Although the issue of Varni was neglected in the 60 decades (solar calender), it has received more academic studies in the 90s. From the whole sources of Varni that were analyzed and reviewed,  twenty- one articles, eleven master theses and two dissertations. Were chosen for further conteplation The articles have been published in various journals, and six journals have been evaluated in the fields of humanities, art & architecture by the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology. Quarterly Scientific-Research Goljaam Iran Carpet Scientific Association has dealt with this subject  more than other journals.Researchers have considered  general introduction of varnies, tools and techniques, economic contexts, socio-cultural contexts, and the design and motifs of Varnies. Most studies have been done in design and motif of Varni. The use of Varni motifs in modern life and decoration, a comparative study of these motifs (Shahsavan tribe) with the hand-woven motifs of other tribes, including the Qashqai and Caucasian tribes, the symbolic motifs, such as rain and life symbol in Varnies,  the structure of  Moharramat design and some motifs, such as the peacock and Swastika have been investigated.  Salt bags and rugs have been the most popular among the various Varni products.Moreover in his dissertation , Saadati (2021) utilized the structuralist approach and its most important component, binary opposition, in analysis of the Varnies (rugs, salt bags, saddle bags, mafrash and cover horse). The study of these works was done synchronously, and given that the human mind understands the structure of the world and the rules of action can be obtained by discovering the basic elements.The present research aims to extract the motifs and relationships between them as well as to develop a structural model of Varni products. Still more, Izadi.jeiran investigated from an anthropological perspective based on Howard Morphy theories the Varnis of Lome-Dara village.Researchers with different fields and from various universities worked in this field. Researchers studied in different majors, including handicrafts (4), art research (3), visual communication (3), illustration (1), carpet design (1) and sociology (1) and from the universities of Tehran ( 2), Al-Zahra (2), Science and Art of Yazd (2), Islamic Azad university (2), Sooreh, Art University of Isfahan, Tabriz  Islamic  Art  University, Tehran university of art and Semnan university graduated. Among sixty researchers, thirty-three women and twenty-seven men have worked in this field. Although, considering this subject as feminine art, men also care for that. As mentioned above, the use of the word Varni is less than half a century in the publishing discourse, but special attention has been paid to it in  academic fields in the last decade. The researchers of handicrafts major, then visual communication and art research more than other fields have addressed the subject of Varni in their master's theses and doctoral theses. This subject (Varni) has more capable and application in these disciplines apparently.In Varnies research, tools and techniques, economic field and socio-cultural field have recieved less attention. In contrast, designs and motifs have been considered widely. Thanks to its unique features of Varni, such as subjective and abstract motifs, it has occupied more than eighty percent of the studies. The symbolic study of these motifs, the structure of various design, the use of designs in other contemporary arts (graphic design, illustration, decoration, etc..( The researchers conducted the comparative study of these motifs with the handwoven motifs of other ethnic groups (Qashqai and Caucasus).However, it is possible to study the subject of design and the motif of Varnies from different and other theories such as anthropology and ethnography. Considering the limited sources of Varni, it is worth mentioning that Parviz Tanavoli's book, which was the first resource that refers to Varni, is available in English language and has not been translated into Persian language yet. Also the book about Khorjin, Mafarsh, and saltbags in the north-west of Iran and the Caucasus is also available in English language (not translated into Persian language).   The review of Shahsavan nomads' handwovens book is also witten in English language. This book contains a worthwhile  visual resource about different kind of Varnies, especially saltbags (Namakdan).  Cover horse (Jole- asb) was translated by Nazila Daryaei into Persian language, nevetheleess.  Various type of handwoven of Shahsavan tribe are appealing in an international area due to their unique features.

As a result of the establishment of the printing industry in Iran during the Qajar dynasty, more religiously significant works were made available to the general people. Most of the lithographic religious books focused on the Ashura event and the tragedy of Karbala. Dhakirs, Maddahs (religious singers), and Ta'zieh tellers used different texts and muqatils in Ashura ceremonies and rituals.The illustrators of religious literature also played a significant part in elucidating Ashura narratives, using various visual techniques; they provided the audience with a concrete and visual perspective of the Ashura description. Within the popular culture of the people, these books exhibited imagery inspired by religious beliefs, which drove the development of a distinctive style in lithography's design.The lithography in the preeminent scenes of these versions may be studied and explained using narrative sources. In the meantime, specific illustrations were made by made-up customs or widespread myths surrounding the Ashura incident, which frequently referred to lines from Safavid and Qajar literature.The word narration in this context refers to communicatiON; however, because speech may be transmitted to others by narrating, the word narration is also used to refer to words and speech in its secondary definition (Porseman website, representative of supreme leader institutions in universities, 2018). The term "Islamic narrations" refers to written passages and quotations that have been passed down to us from reliable narrators throughout the history of Islam. These narrations are one of the study sources used in this research.For a deeper comprehension of the events of Ashura, we need to consult narrators with integrity and sensitivity. Without favoring popular citations, authentic Ashurai narratives serve as a foundation for enlightenment. These resources are worthwhile and practical for authors, poets, and artists working in the Ashura genre. The analysis of the images is based on two images from the book Asrar al-Shahadat, one from the book Tufan al-Boka and one from the book Vasilat al-Nejat.This study also aims to evaluate the images of Imam Hussein’s martyrdom and his encounter with Shemr as illustrated in three old and dated lithographic versions of the books “Toufan Al-Beka’” (1853), “Wasila Al-Nejat” (1867), and “Asrar Al-Shohada” (1851) available at national libraries. The research objective includes a thematic and visual review of related images in the three intended versions. Meanwhile, the research questions are: How do the images of these versions portray the Islamic concepts and narrations related to the martyrdom of Imam Hussein (PBUH)? Moreover, how are images characterized by the visual features that describe Imam Hussein's martyrdom in the versions?In order to obtain the description of the relevant events and the increase of historical and hadith sources, some of the mentioned sources have been referred to more because of their age, validity, comprehensiveness, and continuity, such as Akhbar al-Taval by Abu Hanifa Dinawari, Tarikh al-Tabari (History of the Prophets and Kings), al-Fotouh by Ibn A'tham, Al-Amali by Al-Shaykh al-Saduq, al-Ershad by al-Shaykh al-Mufid and I'lam al-Wara bi A'lam al-Huda by Shaykh Tabarsi.The present research does not suggest the methodology of hadith studies in the paintings. However, it focuses on how the paintings reflect the pertinent themes in various written sources and what visual techniques have been employed to portray the martyrdom of Husayn ibn Ali.Husayn ibn Ali's Martyrdom convention was one of the significant occasions that drew the attention of authors and illustrators. This issue is specifically addressed and frequently has more critical information and larger dimensions when viewed in the images of the Ashura manuscripts in the National Library of Iran. The names being considered, however, were designed differently from the pictures' subjects; for instance, the word "battle" was registered for the martyrdom scene. Therefore, it is evident that the titles were introduced by scribes, while the designers did not adhere to them and functioned autonomously. In defining and embellishing the story depicted in the painting, the artists used their imagination to add details or even to design additional narratives beyond the book's text.In images depicting the scene of Husayn ibn Ali Imam's martyrdom, several tales accompany the depiction of this event. The attack on Husayn ibn Ali, his falling to the ground and facing Shimr ibn Dhi 'l-Jawshan, has been the focus of the illustrators, and our study has also addressed this crucial incident.In the scenes depicting the Imam's martyrdom, his turban was covered with blood when an arrow struck his forehead. Most prior versions focus on the sword strike to Husayn ibn Ali's head and do not mention the arrow; however, these images emphasize the arrow to the forehead. Recent works like Rozatol Shohada and Bihar al-Anwar show this topic more. In Vasilat al-Nejat, Shimr attacks Imam from behind with a dagger, a spear pierces his chest, and three of his troops fall to the ground. Enemies surrounded Husayn ibn Ali, as recorded in numerous hadiths.The narrator-illustrator portrayed Imam Husayn as heavily arrowed and lying on the ground. According to the accounts, his body was covered with arrows, and his enemies stood before him. Imam Muhammad al-Baqir describes the frontal wounds of Husayn ibn Ali Imam, indicating that he never turned his back on the enemy.A teen boy who stands with Husayn ibn Ali and rushes to the battlefield to support the Imam is described in specific versions, including Tufan al-Boka and Vasilat al-Nejat. The phrase "teenager" appears in most sources, and the images show a handsome teen.In contrast to Husayn ibn Ali's facial covering, his foes are the most enraged and anxious. Their eyes are round and protruding; they have enlarged noses and unruly beards with clenched teeth. Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad's face is represented by a white beard, large ears, and anxiety. Long horizontal mustaches projecting from the face indicate enemies in a condition of breakdown or inflammation, similar to the visage of Qajar executioners with long mustaches and hostile expressions.Imam Husayn ibn Ali in full view, with head and body from the front and hands and feet from the sides, is the optimal design. One hand is raised to symbolize stance and determination, while the other holds a straight or angled spear. The direction of the Imam's spear is in opposition to the direction of the other lines in the painting, highlighting his static stature and larger size than the other figures.To symbolize Imam Husayn's distance from the war, he is depicted in most paintings without complete warfare equipment, such as a bow, arrow, shield, dagger, or sword. Unlike other characters, his weapons are placed on the ground or in sheaths. Zaynab bint Ali's hijab in Vasilat al-Nejat is a light-colored, long, fringed veil similar to the Qajar women's veil with loose, fringed leggings beneath and a short veil, but Qajar veils are long and narrowly laced. Zaynab bint Ali and other women, Sakina Bint Hossein and Umm Kulthum, wear full veils, and their faces are covered with cloth for their dignity.The results from this qualitative research, which uses a descriptive-analytical method and falls under documentary categories, refer to visual indicators and Islamic narrations about the martyrdom of Imam Hussein (PBUH), with some of which being credible and others taken from public beliefs of the Qajar era and the illustrator’s mind, without any credible narrations. These images have been shown to represent the narrations in agreement with the martyrdom and sacrifice in various visual forms, which are consistent with the Shia concepts and beliefs; the images are also represented by the design method, covering and tools, painting, structure and configuration and themes pertinent to the event.

Francisco Jose de Goya Lucientes (1746-1828) a Spanish romantic painter and printmaker, is one of the most influential artists in the history of art. Goya is famous for his oil paintings and prints. Carlos IV of Spain and His Family (1800-1801; now in the Prado museum, Rome 032, Madrid, Spain) is one of the most famous of Goya's royal oil paintings. The 2nd of May 1808 in Madrid or The Fight against Mamelukes, (1814; now in the Prado museum, Rome 064, Madrid, Spain) and the 3rd of May 1808 in Madrid also known as The Executions (1814; now in the Prado museum, Rome 064, Madrid, Spain) are two of the most important Goya's artworks which depict two scenes of a gruesome and brutal massacre in Madrid, when the Spanish were resisting the attack of the French army. These two masterpieces revel Goya's sensitive and impressionable soul. Traces of the same qualities can also be found in Goya's prints.Francisco Goya is also known for several print collections in which some of the most important events of the painter's time are depicted. These collections were made in aquatint and etching that are traditionally the process of using strong acid or mordant to cut the unprotected parts of a metal surface to create a design. The first collection of Goya – based on its production date – is The Caprices or Los Caprichos in Spanish (1795-1800) that contains 80 artworks (now in the Prado museum) and illustrates immoral behaviors, including sexual abuse of women, theft , and domestic violence. The Caprices also display Goya's critical views about inquisition and prison system in Spain.The second print collection is named The Disaster of War, Los desastres de la guerra in Spanish (1808-1820) which is the most influential artwork condemning war in the history of art. Goya made this collection under the influence of the horrific results of Napoleon's attack to Spain. For this reason, the content of prints in The Disaster of War collection is very close to other Goya's masterpieces, The 2nd and The 3rd May 1808 in Madrid. This collection represents crime and murder, executions, hanging, piles of corpses, poverty, and horrors after attack. Art historians believe that The Disaster of War collection contains the most catastrophic scenes among Goya's works.The third print collection is The Proverbs, Los disparates in Spanish, (1813-1819) that demonstrates the consequences of illiteracy, superstition, and ignorance among the common class. The prints of this 18-piece collection represent historical and social issues in a more serious way and less comical concepts than The Caprices does. The Proverbs prints are the reversal of the ignorant traditions of their time.The fourth group of print works is The Bullfights collection also known as suerte de varas in Spanish (1815). Although this collection apparently represents the old customs and tradition of bullfighting in Spain, in its hidden layers of meaning, it is a representation of the Spanish people’s anger, resistance and fights against the domination and oppression of their government’s occupation. A symbol that has been repeated in many paintings, wall paintings, and statues presents concepts of the resistance and war with the enemy after Goya to the  contemporary days.The only Goya's work in Iran is a print from The Bullfights collection that is available in the Mostazafan Foundation's Cultural Institution of Museum, The World Art Collection (no. 3967) in Tehran. The present article focuses on this plate and tries to trace the most important features of Goya's works. Apart from presenting the results of above mentioned comparison, this study also provides a detailed description of Tehran's plate which is rarely seen. We compare the features of Tehran's plate with the features other Goya's works. In the same vein, this question is raised:  comparing Tehran's plate with the Caprices and the Disaster of War, which visual features are repeated and which ones are different? To answer this question, the characteristics of Tehran's print work were examined carefully examined and analyzed at the first.The approximate size of Tehran's print work is 20 in 30 cm. This print which has Goya's face in the form of a raised seal in its margin, is framed by a simple wooden frame with a 10-centimeter- passe-partout. Comparing Tehran's work with other prints of The Bullfights Collection reveals some differences and similarities. For instance, unlike the most of prints, the bullfight represented in Tehran's work does not have any audience. Therefore, compared to other prints in The Bullfights Collection, Tehran's work seems empty and simple at the first glance. However, if we take a closer look at it, we realize the complexities and subtleties of this work: the figures are at the golden point of the scene. The density of the visual elements on the left side of the scene is higher than on the right side because the path of movement of the bull is selected from left to right. The blankness of the right side of the scene (i.e., the path that the bull has in front of itself), induces a sense of the possibility of escape and attack to the right side and added a dynamic aspect to this image.In Tehran's work, especially in the surrounding space, the hatching is shadowy and soft. Maybe the lack of crowd and the quietness of the scene made the use of this form of hatching more suitable. It was pointed out earlier that based on this observation, the softness of the hatching greatly reduces in the space around the bullfighters in the center of the scene. The hatching in this print is a combination of the techniques used in The Disaster of War and The Caprices. In other words, it can be said that the artist has used methods which are seen in his prior works.In Tehran's print work, the artist has shown the body of the bullfighters much brighter than the body of the bull by changing the density of the hatching. As a result of this method, the visual value of the image elements and the concept conveyed to viewers indicate the positive and negative poles of the scene. Emphasizing this contrast, the two forces of good and evil are cleverly depicted. Among others prominent features of the Tehran's print work are centralism, unity of the subject, unique hatching, and variety of lines to promote displaying the form which especially reminds the artist's experiences in production of The Disaster of War collection.By comparing the two collections of The Bullfights and The Disaster of The War, it can be said that although both collections are narratives of events in Spain, in The Disaster of The War collection, Goya is the sole narrator of oppression, but in The Bullfights collection he wants to rise against this oppression. In The Bullfight collection, the artist wants to remind the resistance of the Spanish people and the possibility of taking back their country. He also portrays values and traditions that he worries are being forgotten. All the artistic features of two collections confirm the above statement.This study demonstrates that in the Bullfights collection and of course in the Tehran's print work that we have a special look at, Goya used fewer details and provided a holistic picture as a representative of Spanish customs and culture. This is unlike the other two collections in which the artist included more details to replicate the haunting images he saw in his nightmares, originated from horrendous external realities of his contemporary Spain. The Bullfight collection is the potential power of the Spanish people which Francisco Goya loudly announces the possibility of its actualization.

Today, there is no doubt that many artists throughout human history have been able to frequently conceal special concepts in their works.  The following paper has addressed this issue adopting a comparative approach as well as quantitative and qualitative data mediation. This study aims at  distinguishing the existing secrets and symbols in the schools of art. Symbols can take on a new structure due to the valuable role of plants, including links to biological affairs.From this perspective, the discoveries of this work in an attempt to answer the question entitled "What is the role of sacred plants in the Shahnameh illustrations of the schools of Herat, Tabriz II and Qazvin?" shows that some of the visual features of the illustrations such as the plants’ counts, have transformed the function of their green and occasionally dry appearance. An action that is expected to take on the role of a new character to reach a wondrous anecdote.An event that seems to have been initially formed by the reduction of naturalistic notions, and subsequently made the mission of their decorative and non-decorative devices dependent on the understanding of the concealed message of the illustrations; for a call to occur and tell a different form of an ancient story with the idealism and imagination of the artists of the 9th to 11th centuries AH. Finally, by combining the existing narrative and imitating the common formats, becoming the unrivaled ruler of the audience.An emerging phenomenon that may not be found in the oldest examples of existing Shahnamehs. The meritorious choice, arising from the combination of sacred plant species, the distinct sciences, such as quantity (numbers) and statistics, the division of space, the placement of elements and other existing features that have been the basis for the evaluation of the modern narratives of each school.The duality that arose from the ancient representation of the patterns and epic literature of Iran; in line with its semantic order and linguistic units play a decisive role. Relations of companionships and successions who have spared no effort to convey a new identity.A social movement changed the artistic discourse of illustrating Shahnameh and created a stable tradition of beauty in minds during different eras. Images, according to Russian formalist experts, are expressed with the indicators of the author's mind, language, and thought and with an unconventional purpose. A format that the authors of this literature believe the current data similarities and differences in the charts and graphical tables, present the discussed plant format with the modern frameworks of the time and align it with Propp’s imitative theory of indicators and character building.The hypothesis is based on Harold Bloom's theory. The apprehension of impressionability (imitation) and then, influencing the traditions and justifying the artist's ideas play a significant role in it. Moreover, based on the substitution index and the sequence of Propp’s special roles, it requires similarities, structural alignment, and a specific number of fixed plant elements in monographs, so that it evaluates plants as having a new identity and a different narrative from the original story.An event that has placed the tradition and modernity of the time in proximity to each other; and we imagine the following reasons for it:Insignificant decrease in the number of paintings until the end of the 11th century AH.The number of illustrations with plant portrayals was counted as odd until the end of the 10th century and counting it as even after the aforementioned century.The similarity of the L-shaped linear proportions in the data obtained from curve number 2, according to the plant trilogy proportions of all the plants of the illustrations from the schools of Herat, Tabriz II, and Qazvin (deciduous, evergreen and fruits).The often identical structure of the linear form of X in curve number 3, is created in the direction of the main ratios (deciduousness and being evergreen) of sacred plants.Concealing sacred plants in the vicinity of other plants based on the relationship in diagrams numbers 2 and 3.The coordination of artists in the separation of dry plants in curve number 3, is in agreement with the mythical opportunities obtained from our ancestors.Adjusting the W-shaped data, located in curve number 4, shows the special symmetry of the locations of the plants placed in each illustrated book.Mutual structure in the balance of the visual frame and the position of the plants of most of the investigated periods based on symmetric, asymmetric, and radial balances.Evaluation of the ratio of 4 to 1 in the average ratio of deciduousness and being evergreen for all plants and 1 to 1.5 ratio in sacred plants.Counting the equivalent of 34 independent plant characters with dissimilar human characteristics in table number 1 in monographs.Thus, we believe that all the existing occurrences (similarities and differences) and the alignment formed in them were not unintentional and Propp's theory has strengthened in an Iranianized narrative. An interpretation that we believe has played a significant role in revealing the hidden culture of Pars and creating more identity for it. Moreover, assuming the acceptance of the scientific beliefs of the predecessors and Propp’s theory, we will witness the perversity or decent behavior of the new characters of Shahnameh.Nevertheless, the hierarchy of the process in the sacred plants of this literature expresses a different portrait from the incomplete and mere realistic view with principles, beliefs, and attitudes of painting, which can transform any content with the support of artistic movements and its inquisitive mind. A content that, according to the belief of Russian experts, can today take a different form of plant species and older days; At a particular time, its natural aspect is considered, or at older times as a human character observing the actions of the actors in the story, establishes its position. At times the partner of the protagonist, whilst other times turns out to be an unbridled enemy of him.Therefore, what emerges from this research is the horizon and new rules of an artist who, to transform the previous narratives of the Shahnameh, created a new conundrum scheme with new actors (plants) and considered the audience to be an ideal reader who understands his will to achieve high morals.With this description, we can admissibly accept that the epic poems of Shahnameh, despite the painter's accurate visual interpretation of the first anecdote, is a different linguistic occurrence that has a special meaning transformation based on the companionship of the existing items, and as various experts have suggested, the poetic translation in any form will be the result of the collector’s (herein the painter) interpretation of the work. Considering that the speculations indicate the instrumentality of flowers and sacred trees to help find content that justifies their function in the transition of thoughts or pursuit the communication between people, with this credit, some of the existing art forms will have the merit of re-interpreting and re-theorizing.Therefore, the authors of this piece of literary work believe that the inherent role or purpose of sacred plants in the depiction of Shahnamehs of the Timurid and Safavid dynasties is as follows:The plant arrays of the abovementioned eras, due to the cultural, social, and political geography of the time, have taken a dual role of a) decorative (in appearance) and b) non-decorative (implicit), which has spread onto the art of Pars at times with the motive of beautifying the space or temporal alteration of the narrative in the process of a fictional story and sometimes by novel characterization.In this regard, it seems that the plants of the present discussion, due to the formation of implicit characters concealed in them, have assumed the role of a silent or remonstrating witness of humankind’s behavioral history.Or, depending on the time and the recognition of the author and his ideal audience tells a new story in the heart of an old play.Or, due to the growth process of plants, the painter's religious attitude has been entrusted with the task of moving the linguistic boundaries relying on the endless life and a new narrative.A structure that is remarkably aligned with the opinions of other researchers, but so far, the ability to decipher it with such features in the solitude of paintings (monographs) did not exist, except by collecting data that has been clarified based on statistics in all paintings.Hence, it is expected that despite all the veiling of the artist, the plant-derived proportions (statistical events) caused a part of the classic effectiveness of the works (adherence to the preceding values); and the status of flowers and trees had undergone his fundamental and spiritual variations. He has placed his ideal audience before him in search of an unfamiliar truth and has taken a step in hope of a utopia that is yet to be seen.