نشریه پژوهش هنر
پیاپی 4 (پاییز و زمستان 1391)

Safavid era is one of the most brilliant eras in architectural history of Iran and Chaharbagh Avenue is one of the most valuable and important features of Isfahan’s identity in this era.The objective of this research is to recognize the physical structure of gardens and lost palaces situated in Chaharbagh Avenue in Safavid era and recreate a mental picture of their design. Since physical signs of these gardens and palaces still exist to some extent, an imaginary picture can be suggested based on available information in various texts and documents, especially travelogues. This research is based on studies and points mentioned in historical texts and documents and analyses their content through exploring these historical resources as well as the researches of contemporary researchers about the structure of architecture and urban planning in Safavid era.Accordingly, by using a descriptive-historical method and giving voice to the old illustrated documents and comparing these texts with written sources, the characteristics of gardens and palaces of Safavid era in Isfahan are elucidated. The results of this study show that the plans of all gardens of this avenue - except Khargah garden- are rectangular in two directions of northern-southern and eastern-western. Moreover, these gardens can be categorized in different types based on the number of their pavilions (from numerous pavilions to no central pavilion). The use of tent in Khargah garden and octagon pavilion (Hashtbehesht) in Bolbol garden and cages in Shirkhaneh and aviary indicate that there were different forms of built spaces in the gardens of this avenue.

One of the most famous types of carpet in some parts of Iran is brick-designed carpet. Weaving of such design still continues in the carpets of the regions like Birjand, Chalshotor, Qom and Tabriz. The main issue of this research is investigating the differences between geometrical-herbal designs of the carpets of Chalshotor and Birjand as the famous regions for producing this kind of carpet. Investigating the features of brick-designed carpets of these two regions for identifying their changes during the past fifty years –regarding climate conditions and subjective effects of weavers on the design of the carpets of the two regions- this research enumerates the differences between brick designs of the carpets of these two regions. The data of this study is gathered through library and field sources and the research method is descriptive-analytical. The results of this study show the originality and priority of brick-designed carpets of Chalshotor compared with the very carpets in Birjand. However, after half a century of imitation and production of such carpets in Birjand, the designs and colors have become somehow localized and being harmonized with environmental conditions of the region to the extent that these designs have gained a kind of independent identity.

Masnavi Ma’navi, by Molana Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Balkhi, is one of the most outstanding treasures of Persian literature which can be considered as a source for understanding the concept and function of beauty and art. This honorable book has stated the most important rudiments of Islamic art philosophy and aesthetics by proposing the most precise allegories. This philosophy, whose most fundamental doctrine is «forgetting the sensible beautiful appearances and discovering the truth of virtue and existence», makes the foundation of an art whose most important objective is purifying the soul from self-conceit and understanding the truth of Unity of Existence so that Molavi’s Masnavi, as one of the overt manifestations of such an approach, becomes an astrolable of the sun of divine beauty and a ladder towards the heaven of spiritual truths and beauties. The question in this study is how the principles of mystical art philosophy and aesthetics, discussed in Molavi’s Masnavi, can be recognized on the basis of concepts such as Epiphany, Virtue, Love and Imagination. Accordingly, by considering the mystical and enamoured view of Molana about Existence and the philosophy of Creation, the authors aim to study his aesthetic ideas about art and artistic status. The main objectives of this research are to understand the link between mystical literature and artistic creations in traditional cultures, and to realize the principles and criteria of Islamic art in order to give a more reasonable criticism and to avoid hasty and superficial prejudices. The library sources provide the data of this study and the method of research is descriptive and content analysis

Various ideas can be found about the date of construction and the function of portal and twin minarets of Abarkouh so that some researchers consider it as the door way of Nizamieh mosque whereas others consider it as a part of a great complex. However, there are ambiguities about the history and function of this monument. The main questions of this paper are about these two points. Afshar has attributed this monument to Nizam-ol-Molk-e Abarqui, a famous writer of Abarkooh in 14th century. Considering inscriptions of other monuments in the region and comparing with historical documents, this paper aims to reveal some points about the history and function of the destroyed monument to which this portal belongs. Moreover, the structure and decorations of the portal have been compared with other historical twin minarets. Regarding the lack of dated inscription on the portal, main evidence is the inscription of Biroon mosque near Abarkouh which has implications about the constructions near the portal. Finally, it has been revealed that the monument can be part of a mosque related to Tavousieh shrine. Comparing decorations and structure of this monument with other similar twin minarets in Persian architecture (like Qiyasiyeh in Qom and Oshtorgan mosque), it can be attributed to 14th century and to the son of Nizam-ol-Molk-e Abarqui who was a courtier of Shah Shoja’ (Muzaffarid dynasty) as his patron

In Iranian architecture, Jame’ (congregational) mosques are considered as the most important and typical monuments in every city. Isfahan’s Jame’ mosque which reflects over 800 years of Iranian architecture is important in a variety of artistic and architectural aspects. Brick-ended plugs are amongst the most typical decorations in most parts of this monument which have remained of Buyid, Seljuqid and Ilkhanid eras. Since this decoration has not been studied enough, it needs to be studied more regarding its patterns and techniques.In this research, through visual observations and library studies, patterns of this decoration are categorized into four separated groups: geometrical patterns, plant patterns, sacred names and phrases patterns and chain patterns. Then, some of the most common patterns, drawn with AutoCAD 2008 software, and the characteristics of each group are discussed separately. Different materials and techniques of creating these decorations are identified through classic chemistry experiments and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) which includes using of casted seals and stucco technique. In this mosque, stucco technique was used more to create this kind of decoration and casted seals were mostly used for creating simple geometrical patterns. In samples made with casted seal method, all of them have been sealed before the final setting by adding glue to the paste of gypsum.

Light is one of the factors influencing the spatial value which has been always present in Islamic architecture as the most immaterial tangible element of nature. Light is not always used in Iranian-Islamic architecture for lighting up the space but sometimes it accepts a mystical and sacred aspect and affects other aspects of space like color, texture etc. Light rhythm has an important role in Islamic architecture for explaining the evolution and sequence of space to the extent that functional role of spatial sequence by light is explained through three factors of pause, motion and emphasis. Thus, it can be said that spatial sequence by light has been considered a lot in the context of Islamic art and this shows the significance of such notion in Islamic thought. This study uses descriptive-analytical method and in literature review section the status of light in Islamic sciences is discussed to elucidate its practical dimensions and aspects. Then, the role of light is explained according to triple elements of spatial sequence in Islamic architecture. The results of this study show that besides its normal functions in spaces of Islamic architecture, light has other functions such as its role in the sequence between material and spiritual worlds. This matter takes place in three temporal spectrums of Separation, Transmission and Union in the spaces of Islamic architecture.

Taking a good photograph aesthetically requires performing accurate and creative actions to control the result and take innovative decision about photograph subject and purpose. Meanwhile, the pre-visualization related to intuitive and intellectual process of photograph creation is one of the most important concepts of photography for achieving such goals. The pre-visualization is a conscious procedure of final print visualization in the mind before doing photography and the zone system is a practical and useful method to gain best result from photography materials and equipment as well as control and adjust photograph tonality (high light, gray tones, shadows) from exposure stage to print.This paper tries to offer an organized, systematic and accessible technique to different people with various visualization abilities in order to gain a favorable photograph and also provide an answer to what is the role of the regional system in pre-visualization of the final photograph. To do this, a descriptive method is used and the data is collected through library studies.The result of this research shows that because of having an organized goal-directed system and also having the special role to control and improve agents like “figure”, “contrast” and “details” which affect beauty and attractiveness of final print, the zone system has an especial position in pre-visualization and it can influence the management of photograph creation process and gaining of favorable results.

According to remained documents, the artists and craftsmen in traditional societies had their own guilds where they were trained in a particular system with a special relationship between the key members (i.e. teacher and student). Such relationship is different from the similar relationships in educational system of the modern world. This study tries to answer the following questions: 1) How was the structure of traditional educational system of arts and industries in Iran according to principles of chivalry? 2) How was the quality of relationship between members of such system with regard to believing principles of this tradition? The methodology used in this study is descriptive-analytical. Thus, the chivalry texts as well as Khaksari’s epistles, which are the important sources about the guilds in Islam, are used and evaluated via library method. It seems that Islamic principles and laws based on ethical values play a very important role in the framework of this system that distinguishes it from non-traditional educational system. In this system, the student used to learn not only the panache of doing a particular task and the vicissitude of a profession, but also the knowledge of that profession. Studying the chivalries and various aspects of this educational system such as Torghi Torbiye, the present study provides general and particular characteristics of teacher and student and their responsibilities in this tradition.