نشریه هنرهای صناعی ایران
سال پنجم شماره 1 (پیاپی 8، بهار و تابستان 1401)

Iranian mystics have used the metaphor of ‘Reed’ (Ney) to express the story of human distance and humiliation from his/her origin. The story of Leili and Majnoon seems to have highlighted this meaning more than any other stories. Persian miniaturists have also tried to realize these themes  by recognizing mystical principles. One of these innovations has been the realization of metaphor of the reed in form of a shepherd as piper in the story of Leili and Majnoon. The use of this metaphor, as a reminder to man of the day of genesis, is for moving beyond the surface of a love story. The purpose of this article is to identify the connection between mystical concepts and Persian miniatures as well as to show a new visual identity in miniatures to express mystical themes visually. The method of collecting information was library-documentary. In this article, the miniatures of schools of Herat and Second Tabriz are considered, among which four miniatures with similar themes to the story of Leili and Majnoon have been selected as statistical samples. Deploying an analytical-descriptive method, this research has sought to answer the following questions: What are the mystical meanings of reed (Ney) in Rumi's Ney-Namey? How is the visual expression of metaphor of reed(Ney) in Leili and Majnoon's miniatures? Findings have shown that miniaturists by means of a visual expression of various scenes of Leili and Majnoon and through use of metaphor of ‘a shepherd as piper’ has given expressions to themes such as the status of love, lover, beloved, survival, destruction, and so on through frameworks of shapes, colors and composition.

From the beginning of the formation of human civilization, handicrafts, as the most vital possibility for the preservation and continuation of human living conditions, have been at the service of human beings.  To this day, their presence has served as an opportunity to explain the identity and culture of all civilizations. Handicrafts also adopt a new approach in each period in accordance with the changing living conditions and the needs of society. Meanwhile, such an approach is affected by the response it should show to the material and spiritual needs of the audience. The combination of these features, on the one hand, has made handicrafts as efficient and effective examples in the field of creative and cultural industries. On the other hand, their technical diversity and climatic extent have provided numerous (and sometimes ambiguous) definitions for handicrafts. In the meantime and according to the concepts and components of future research, none of these definitions seem to have addressed the nature of this art industry (contemporary aspect) and its impact on sustainable development. Therefore, in this fundamental research, with the approach of exploratory futures research, an attempt is made to provide a scientific, modern, and strategic definition for saving the position of contemporary handicrafts by reviewing conceptual impulses. In this way, data collected through studying the documents and library resources alongside the field method (that is, in-depth interview). The result of this research has shown that the difference between contemporary definition of handicrafts and the traditional one is based on the significant relationship they have with creative industries. In a world where the passage of time is so fast that its value cannot be understood, the control and creation of time is a gift that turns contemporary handicrafts into a solution for cultural and economic development by designing futuristic scenarios. In this case, today's generation, viewing the support devoted to the rich culture and to the value of their traditions, will be able to shape the sustainable development of this art and turn this part of the creative industry into an identity worthy of the future.

Carpet weaving is one of the significant arts in the history of the Iranian plateau. The Qajar period was one of the most eventful periods in terms of political and trading relations. During this period, Iran witnessed not only the travel of courtiers to abroad but also the arrival of visiting tourists from various countries to gather information about Iranian culture, customs, arts, and so on. The outcome of their journeys was those travelogues having been used as references to identify not only the social and political situation of Iran at that time but also to obtain information about more detailed issues such as Iranian’s carpet weaving. This study attempts to discuss how the topic of carpets has been reflected in the travelogues of western travelers. Furthermore, it aims to employ these western travelogues to realize the issues related to Iranian carpets, to identify the types of hand-woven carpets, to determine the status of carpet weaving, and to reflect the events related to carpet weaving in the Qajar era. In this research, the information related to carpet weaving was examined for the first time based on the opinions of those western travelers in the Qajar era. This research tried to answer these questions: a) in which areas was carpet weaving practiced in this period? b) What was the function and status of carpet weaving in this period? c) Which were the features of carpet weaving in this period? The current research deployed a historical-descriptive method. The collected information is based on library study. During the reign of Naser al-Din Shah and Muzaffar al-Din Shah, due to the favorable conditions of the country, many tourists came to Iran. Tourists wrote everything they had observed in their notebooks.  Among them were a number of tourists who had enough information about carpet weaving and the related issues that they wrote about features such as the design, the role of coloring, and dyeing along others.

Mosques are the most important symbols of religious architecture in Islamic civilization. They have been a manifestation of the thought and spirit that have always governed the environment and occupied a place in the heart of the city. For that reason, mosques have always benefited from the best materials and arrays. In the thirteenth century A.H., mosque construction took place in two forms; one was the restoration of comprehensive mosques, and the other the construction of new mosques. The evolution of decorative arts affected mosques so that they underwent changes in appearance. One of these changes was sash making which appeared in urban mosques and consisted of inlaying, Chinese knotting, glass cutting, and carving. As a result, decorations in forms of inlays and Chinese knots on the wooden doors and arches of Tehran mosques became popular. Therefore, master artists, with the help of carving and inlaying, turned the inanimate wood into a scene of eye-catching shapes in a number of religious buildings. Measuring and adapting the style and design of two samples of wooden arrays in Sultani Mosques and Sheikh Abdul Hussein Mosque in Tehran, illustrate unsaid points about the evolution of woodworking art and carving in contemporary Iranian architecture. The nature of this research is both theoretical and practical; in terms of methodology, it has adopted a qualitative approach. The objective of the study is to discuss the cognitive stylistic features of the wooden arrays of Qajar period mosques while comparing the wooden decorations of these mosques. According to the findings of the research, it can be concluded that the doors of these two mosques have three stylistic characteristics: traditional, eclectic, and western. Besides, in both examples, the characteristic of wooden art consists of a creative combination of traditional inlay symbols and an addition of oval and tangerine designs on innovative works. Such results are indicative of the transformation in the art of woodworking in the Qajar period, during which decorating the surface of wood with geometric shapes-- such as the arranging of walls with plaster and tiles-- became common in the decorative architecture of Iran.

For people having lived with the palm tree throughout history, this tree has gained symbolic values and meanings. Therefore, the products obtained from this tree have always been considered valuable and practical. This ancient coexistence along with the sanctity attributed to the palm tree is one of the reasons why the Arab basketry weavers based in Khuzestan use low-quality part of the palm tree rather than its "heart" (the high-quality part of the tree as named by local people) in their mat weaves. As a result, the main wicker products of these people are items that are obtained from the poor or discarded part of the palm tree. Such sanctity has been attributed to Eliade theory. This research, accordingly, attempts to discuss how Eliade theory has affected the production and the method of mat weaving by the Arab people of Khuzestan. The purpose of this study is to expand a better understanding of the textures derived from natural materials from different regions of Iran. This research is a descriptive and analytical one, deploying a quantitative-qualitative approach, which includes field studies as well as library investigation. The findings of this article have depicted that due to various reasons, including those of sanctity of the palm tree and proximity to some sanctuaries, Khuzestan’s Arab people have widely used their wicker products and basketries in their lives in the recent past. And the undergarment hat and fan have been among the products derived from that weaving method.

Choosing a right teaching method is essential in increasing the quality of the teaching process and has a profound impact on learners' understanding. Due to the nature of art and handicraft courses, it is necessary to choose methods that along learning pay attention to what is important in art. The present study aimed to assess the level of learning and teaching satisfaction of undergraduate students of handicraft entering Arak University in 1397. It tried to investigate the methods of direct and exploratory education guided in the course called ‘Geometry of patterns in Iranian Handicrafts 1’. The research tries to answer questions: a) what effect does the guided exploratory teaching method have on the learning rate of students in the course of Geometry of Patterns in Iranian handicrafts? b) how much satisfaction of learning does the studentsdraw from a guided exploratory teaching method? The research method has been quasi-experimental using two experimental and control groups randomly selected. The data collection tool is a joint final practical test as well as a researcher-made questionnaire on the Likert scale and consists of 20 questions and 4subscales to assess the level of learning satisfaction. In order to analyze the data obtained from the practical test, three qualitative components--‘discovery of drawing method’, ‘ideation and drawing of original designs’ and ‘time’ as well as the average scores obtained by both groups—were measured, and for the data obtained on learning satisfaction questionnaire, the mean of responses was used. The findings indicate that the guided exploratory teaching method has a greater impact on the students' deep learning process in this course. Also, the rate of students' acquired grades and their satisfaction with teaching in the guided exploratory method were higher. In general, such a method will be able to increase the creativity of students in this course.

Peacock motifs with various visual features have appeared in the exterior of some religious and non-religious monuments of Isfahan in various or repetitive patterns. The appearance of these icons with various mythological implications, ancient meanings, and Islamic beliefs in the context of a few hundred years reveal the skills of Iranian artists and architects. This study first examines the background of the peacock and its positive and negative position in the art and literature of ancient Iran and, then, the Islamic period. afterwards, for the first time it studies the characteristics and visual structures of peacock motifs used in the exterior of Isfahan monuments, In this study, field study and library study have been undertaken, and descriptive-analytical method has been deployed. A total of eighteen peacock-motif specimens were selected, from the oldest surviving specimen (Jorjir Mosque belonging to Dailami era) to the contemporary period which mainly belong to the Safavid, Qajar, and Pahlavi eras. The present study intends to evaluate the morphology, the execution method, the color, and the framing of peacock motifs along with an evolution of its use in the facade of the building. Based on the studies performed and analysis done on the visual structure of the peacock motifs in the exterior of Isfahan monuments, it has been found out that certain shapes and color features in peacock motifs have varied or repeated over centuries, mainly from Safavid to Pahlavi eras. Different forms of peacocks have often been a combination of iconic and abstract methods. Most peacocks are paired, and in a small number of specimens they are just one with an open fan-like tail. In all of these peacock motifs, the designing is two-dimensional and profiled. Peacock motifs are mostly presented in the form of triangles (body, wings and tail of paired peacocks) and circles (fan-like trailheads and feathers of individual peacocks) which are framed in geometric shapes, round arces, and pointed arches. The most commonly used colors are green, azure, turquoise, green, and ochre imitating somewhat the natural colors of the peacock. Also, in some samples from Qajar and Pahlavi, new colors such as pink and red have been used in tiles. The colors in the background of these tiles are mainly seven colors-mosaics and the technique of execution and sometimes the technique of patterns are discreet and simple in non-religious buildings (residential and shops) and magnificent and outstanding in religious buildings.

Iranian-Islamic art has a mystical and spiritual nature. Light, color, and geometry have always had a special place in mysticism and art, especially in architectural and decorative arts-- as t main component of architectural art. Decorative arts, despite their enchanting and beautiful appearance, are not limited to a decorative aspect. To understand them, one should be familiar with the mystical concepts of light, color, and geometry as well. The Iranian artist is aware of these features and his intelligent use of them in creating works of art has made him create lasting and impressive works. The main goal of this research is to introduce the art of stained glass with a regard to the influence of the mysticism of light and color. Furthermore, it tries to discuss how the glass design of the sashes used in the Western Shabestan of the Nasir al-Molk Mosque can be used in interior decorations and handcrafts can ooze relaxation and positive feeling.  . To this end, ancient Iran's optical wisdom, illumination wisdom, colors and their mystical meanings, glass, its history, and the way it was made were discussed. Besides, the art of sash-making in Nasir-ul-Molk Mosque, and its sashes were studied. The deployed method was descriptive-analytical, and data were collected through library and field study.  The findings of the present research showthat by combination of Iranian mystical attitudes and trends with the knowledge and of making, designing, and using glass and related arts, one can preserve the national material and spiritual heritage and devote himself to the revival of this Iranian art, which is a combination of art, science, and mysticism. Furthermore, the knowledge obtained from mysticism of light and color as well as from the analysis and study of motifs and colors used in the sashes of Nasir al-Mulk Mosque can contribute to  creation of  meaningful and impressive works making the viewer relax.

Hadith is the fundamental basis on which the tradition of Miraj Nameh was formed. This tradition flourished in interpretive texts and continued in independent prose texts and poetic introductions. Unlike the roughly known tradition of Miraj literature, the history of Miraj Miniatures is not clear.  The oldest Iranian-Islamic Miraj Miniature collections belong to the Mongol era.  Despite the existing knowledge about later Miraj poetry, the exact text that has been used by the painters in Miraj Miniatures still has not been found out. Therefore, this study tries to discuss the relationship existing between narrative and visual patterns of Miraj tradition. In other words, this text focuses on the relationship between literature and miniature of Miraj tradition and tries to categorize early Miraj Namehs according to different Miraj narratives in different historical eras. To identify the texts cited by the painters, the writer has tried to use the “earth" factor as a guide. Thus, this essay extracted three visual patterns from eighth- and ninth-century miniatures, each of which depicted a different viewpoint on the “earth" factor (soil, building, and so on.). To clarify the reasons for creating these visual patterns, the prosaic texts of Miraj Namehs were examined; the result was an illustration of the narrative patterns of Miraj and the recognition of the similarities existing between the visual and narrative patterns. The “earth” factor used in these textual and visual contexts made three visual patterns of Miraj meaningful. In these patterns, some have given the earth an essential role in the Miraj’s narration. In some others, the earth has entirely been removed, and finally in the rest a counter manner against the Miraj’s text has been observed, although they have illustrated the earth or earthly signs. This essay tries to recognize and define these patterns. This research adopted a descriptive and analytical method and was undertaken by library study.

Middle-century luster potteries of Kashan (during 6th and 7th Hijri-lunar centuries) are a reflection of different designs. Different drawings of the human, plants, slimes, inscriptions, and animal have been observed on luster potteries obtained from this city. Among them, one of the most beautiful manifestations of human creativity in the field of decorating luster potteries is the visually appealing designs of various animal motifs. Based on this, the main goal of the current research is to identify and classify the types of animal motifs available on luster potteries of Kashan available in the Glassware and Ceramic Museum of Iran. To this end, the main objective of the present research is to find out the meanings implied by animal elements in the luster pottery terracotta collection attributed to the 6th and 7th centuries. In the preliminary investigation, 20 Luster potteries were studied. Then, based on the similarities in the type of animal decorations, only 12 containers of different shapes-- including bowls, plates, and jugs-- which had higher image quality were selected. Afterwards, these animal motifs were divided, investigated, and described in terms of the symbolic meaning of each motif. The method of conducting this research has been a historical-descriptive one. The data were collected through field observation and library study. The findings of the research indicated that animal motifs had a significant presence in the decoration of Luster pottery vessels of the 6th and 7th Hijri-lunar centuries. They were often drawn as the main decorative element on the base of the dishes.

The interpretive study of Iranian traditional art, especially Persian carpets, is one of the most important methods of face and body analyses. In this way, the researchers can achieve the intentions of the artists who have designed and created a piece of art, including those of carpets, tiles, gildings, and so on. In this paper, the key role and place of medallions and head-medallions in Persian carpets, the way they create arabesque traceries and khatai patterns, and their relation with the eternal truth of Muhammadyah, as one of the most important pillars of Shiite thought--namely the genetic guardianship of imams-- are to be considered. This research has deployed a descriptive-analytic method, and library study to collect data along with the observation of Safavid's carpets. Afterwards, it has investigated genuine mystical layers of Iranian urban carpets and Shiite beliefs of the designers of the Safavid era. The findings will lead to the formation of innovative designs in the field of current Iranian carpet designing. In addition, it will change the attitude that the designs in Persian carpet are lacking in meaning and purpose.

Although the art of engraving such as engraving on metal ware is one of the methods of creating patterns, but a systematic study of its technical and artistic features has not been undertaken. This art, like many other arts in the Qajar era, has declined but has continued to this day. Despite such decline, the passage of time has granted the art of metalworking special dynamism and meaning. Outstanding cities in art of engraving in contemporary Iran are Tabriz, Zanjan, Tabas, Kerman, and Yazd. This article aims to explain the technical and artistic features of engraving in these cities and to elaborate on the technical and artistic characteristics of art of engraving in these cities. This research is fundamental in terms of purpose and descriptive-analytical in terms of method and nature. The method of data collection is library study as well as field study. The findings of this study indicate that the designs of Tabriz’s Kandak, Tabas’s pelicans and palms, Kerman’s simple designs, and Yazd’s flowers and chickens are unique. Mother steel rods, chisel, and shadow in Tabriz, single steel rod, pair, and delma in Zanjan, red rod, white rod, and single rod in Tabas and Roro rod in Kerman have been used for various users in design and motif.Electrolysis electroplating in Yazd has granted appealing appearance to the metal.Some of these motifs have turned into symbols in the aforementioned cities, while some others are going to be gradually forgotten. However, there are some others still practiced.