نشریه رهپویه هنرهای صناعی
سال سوم شماره 4 (پیاپی 10، زمستان 1402)

Iran, Egypt, and the Ottoman Empire, early leaders in art and knowledge within the Islamic world, engaged in significant artistic and cultural exchanges, deeply influencing one another’s art. Despite the many ups and downs visible in the political, artistic, and cultural fields of Iran, Egypt, and Ottoman lands, these lands continuously strive for the progress and prosperity of their science, culture, and art. They have made a lot of effort. The art of glassmaking has remained prominent in these regions after the advent of Islam, with artists creating innovative and creative glass containers that have yet to be thoroughly studied. Therefore, the current research aims to study and compare animal and plant motifs in the remaining glass works from the 13th-15th centuries AD from Iran, Egypt, and Ottoman lands to answer these questions: 1. What were the influences of Iranian, Egyptian, and Ottoman glassmaking in the mentioned centuries? And 2. What are the commonalities and differences between the animal and plant motifs of the glass works? The research method is descriptive-analytical with a comparative approach, where information is collected through library sources and reliable sites, and 103 works are selected as a statistical population, based on the works available in books and museums, and analyzed qualitatively. This research, with the comparative study of the art of glassmaking in the three mentioned lands, will contribute significantly to the history of this art, and in this sense, it is important and necessary. The art of glass-making, which received limited attention in the 13th to 15th centuries AD in the mentioned regions, was notable for its pioneering contributions to the craft. This understanding is essential for uncovering the history of this remarkable art, highlighting the necessity of the present research. The research results indicate that several factors such as migration and the exchange of artistic and cultural works and knowledge, have caused the lands of Iran, the Egyptian Mamluks, and the Ottoman Empire to be influenced and benefited from each other’s culture and art. The presence of some commonalities in the animal and plant decorations on the glassworks also shows the mutual effects of the art of glassmaking in the mentioned lands from each other.

This article examines and reinterprets Giovanni di Paolo di Grazia’s paintings of Hell from Dante’s Divine Comedy through Gérard Genette’s hyper-textuality approach. Giovanni di Paolo, a renowned Italian medieval painter, utilized his strong imagination and artistic skills to create intriguing illustrations of Dante’s Inferno. These paintings are notable not only for their meticulous detail and unique artistic style but also for their profound and symbolic interpretation of the original text. Gérard Genette’s hyper-textuality approach allows us to analyze the intertextual connections and reciprocal influences between literary and artistic texts. This article examines the transfer and transformation of Dante’s infernal concepts in Giovanni di Paolo’s paintings using the outlined approach. This analysis demonstrates how di Paolo reinterpreted and expanded Dante’s literary concepts using his visual elements and distinctive style, giving them a new dimension. Conducted qualitatively and descriptively through literature review and documentary sources, this analysis addresses the similarities between existing visual works and Dante’s texts, as well as the changes based on their components. In this research, four works of illustration by the artist of the Siena School were analyzed as examples, and the research results showed that, in most of the examined images, there is a Hyper-textual aspect of the type of imitation.In some cases, the aspect of transformation is observed. This article aims to provide a novel and comprehensive perspective on the relationship between literary works and visual arts and explain how these fields influence each other. This study can contribute to a deeper understanding of creative processes and cultural interactions in different historical periods. In the first and second images, the hyper-textual relationship in the infernal elements is of the quantitative-reduction type of trigonums. In the third and fourth images, hellish elements exhibit slight contrast and bear similarities or imitations to the previous two images. According to these images and comparing them with the text of the book Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri, it was found that the visual artist changed the elements of the story based on his mental or imaginative perception, the most important of which can be the design of the main characters’ clothes and the selection of scenes. The artist followed medieval Gothic traditions, particularly those of the Siena school, focusing on detailed designs of human, animal, and natural forms.

The art of glassmaking has been a significant and valuable tradition in Iran throughout history. After the establishment of Islam in Iran, in the 3rd and 4th centuries AH, the art of glassmaking has undergone a period of development and prosperity, and many glassworks have been made and left by glassmakers during the given centuries. The author intends to study the morphology of Iranian glass cups by examining the components of each work, including fixed and variable elements. Thirty samples of Iranian glass cups have been studied to answer this basic question “What are the visual characteristics of glass cups of the 3rd-4th century AH of Iran in terms of fixed and variable form elements?” This research is based on library studies and descriptive-analytical methods. The results of this study show that glass cups are made of a fixed part of the body which can be divided into three general categories: simple cylindrical, horny, and narrow waist. Base, decorations, and motifs are among the variable elements of these works that have caused differences between these works. The base is also applied in three modes wide, narrow, and long by the glass artist on the bottom of the cup. The decorations and motifs of glass cups can be traced in two categories purely abstract and iconic-abstract, including geometric, non-geometric, written, plant, and animal motifs. Most of Iran’s glass cups are adorned with pure geometric abstract decorations. Geometric patterns often include circles, concentric circles, triangles, and rhombus, and horizontal lines are often visible in the upper margin of the body of Iranian glass cups. Non-geometric patterns are also used by the glassmaker not as abstract but as fillings of the empty space of the body, although these motifs have been used in two works alone. Two glass cups feature pure abstract ornaments in Kufic script, conveying themes of blessing for the vessel’s owner. Icon-abstract animal decorations on Iranian glass cups include bird, eagle, cow, and four-limbed animal motifs. Nine cases of glass cups were ornamented with animal motifs. In addition to being used alongside other motifs, plant-based iconic decorations are embossed on eight specimens of glass cups alone. It is worth mentioning that most of these works have a combination of motifs and geometric and non-geometric motifs, geometric and written motifs, plant and animal, etc. which have been used together toward the taste of the glass artist.

The tradition of endowing Quran manuscripts to mosques and holy shrines has been established since the early decades following the rise of Islam. In Iran, the Imam Reza shrine complex in Mashhad has consistently served as the primary center for receiving endowed Quran manuscripts. Since at least the beginning of the tenth century, numerous individuals have endowed thousands of exquisite manuscripts at this site. The motivations behind these donations can be classified along a spectrum that includes desires for spiritual rewards, the dissemination of knowledge and awareness, the preservation of personal and familial legacies, and the safeguarding of works from the ravages of time. Among these, the latter motivation has proven particularly valuable for the study of Islamic art history.During the Qajar period, which marks the transition from ancient to modern Iran, the Astan Quds Razavi underwent notable changes. The Shah himself assumed the role of custodian of the shrine, appointing his deputies from the capital. Additionally, government officials and aristocrats affiliated with the ruling class contributed their valuable Quran manuscripts, either as relics from their predecessors or commissioned by themselves, to Astan Quds Razavi.This article will first outline the definitions and concepts of endowment within the context of the Quran and Islamic tradition, followed by an overview of the motivations for such endowments. It will also provide a brief account of the management of endowments at the Razavi shrine during the Qajar period. Furthermore, it will examine the personal lives and social statuses of ten donors of Quran manuscripts from this era, elucidating the impact of their roles and motivations on preserving and enriching the Quran manuscript collection at Astan Quds Razavi.This inquiry aims to address the following questions:1. What is the historical background and significance of the Razavi shrine collection in preserving fine Quran manuscripts throughout history?2. How was the management system of Astan Quds Razavi structured during the Qajar period, and what changes were implemented compared to previous periods?3. What were the motivations behind the dedication of Quran manuscripts?4. Who were the donors of these Quran manuscripts during this period, what were their social positions, and what was their relationship with the shrine of Imam Reza?5. What processes were involved in the production and preservation of these Quran manuscripts, and what are their structural and aesthetic qualities? Additionally, which manuscripts can be identified as products of this period, and which are remnants from earlier periods?Ultimately, it becomes evident that the endowment of these works, regardless of the underlying motivations, has contributed to their preservation and facilitated their study within the context of art history.

In the contemporary era, many painters have attempted to revive the Iranian identity and release Iranian miniatures from the influence of the West on this art. Hadi Tajvidi is one of the most prominent painters who tried in this field. After several centuries of hiatus in Iranian miniature, he started to renew this art. He also founded the Tehran School of Miniature by using the characteristics of authentic and traditional Iranian art. The most prominent feature of Tajvidi’s works is adding perspective to the miniature and creating bright shadows in the facial parts. This resulted in a realistic evolution of face painting in Iran. Moreover, the face coloring in his works is uniquely modern Iranian, setting them apart from those of other artists. Many contemporary painters have clearly drawn influence from Master Tajevidi’s style in their works. This research studies Tajvidi’s works based on Gadamer’s philosophical hermeneutic point of view, which explores the questions of what, how, and the criteria for understanding cultural phenomena to read the works of this artist in a descriptive-analytical way. Hermeneutics is a science that deals with the process of understanding a work and examines how to receive meaning from various phenomena of existence, including speech, writing, and works of art. From Gadamer’s point of view, hermeneutics is to understand the issues that happened in the tradition, which covers a wide range and includes all the phenomena that do not have a linguistic nature and can be interpreted by language. In this way, in his opinion, art can also be considered a linguistic event, and the artwork can directly speak and communicate with the audience. This text explores how Hadi Tajvidi’s works align with Gadamer’s hermeneutic theories in contemporary times. The findings indicate that Tajvidi’s art resonates with Gadamer’s concepts, as he engages with the art of the past, dialogues with it, and integrates it with the contemporary semantic horizon. This interaction has resulted in a revival of authentic Iranian miniatures and a renewed focus on Iranian identity and culture.

In the Qajar period, the head covering was more important than its primary function, which was to protect against cold and heat. In fact, Qajar men wore hats in addition to a cover for protection, as a kind of habit according to their law, customs, and culture. Also, in this period, hats were always adorned with a front decoration crucial for the king, royal family, and nobles.During this period, hats were always adorned with a front decoration, essential for the king, royal family, and nobles.Based on this, the current research aims to investigate the types and evolution of the front hat in the royal headgear of the Qajar period. The front hat also includes all kinds of jewels, badges, and, most importantly jegheh, used by the kings of the Qajar period.The jeqheh in the front of the hat is a piece decorated with jewels installed on the hats of kings and court leaders. The collars of the royal hats differed in ornaments and decorations from other Jegheh. Historical studies show that ornaments in the front hat became common during the Sassanid period and after that. After the Sassanid period and the arrival of Islam in Iran, when the crown was no longer customary, the front hats were still used to decorate the dastar or turban of kings and rulers. This process continued until the Qajar era.The current research also addresses the following questions: What was the course of change and development in the appearance and use of the front hat in the royal headgear of the Qajar period? Did royal front hats in the Qajar period serve only a decorative purpose, or was there a deeper meaning behind their use? Relying on the descriptive-analytical method and citing library sources, historical documents, and field observations, the author has evaluated and analyzed the change and transformation process of this royal jewel on two historical and technical bases. This research reveals that royal hats in the Qajar period were not only crucial for the king’s status and served as the primary decorative element of his headdress but also evolved in manufacturing techniques, appearance, and usage due to the historical and cultural changes of the time. The front hat serves a purpose beyond decoration; its shape and design symbolize the king’s importance, strength, resilience, and divine connection.