دانشگاه شاهد فصلنامه نگره 2676-7244 21 79 2026 09 23 A Comparative Analysis of the Visual Elements, Symbolism, and School Influences in the Illustrations of Solomon and Bilqis in the Safavid Shiraz School (The David Collection and the Freer Gallery) تحلیل تطبیقی عناصر بصری، نمادپردازی و تأثیرات مکتبی در نگاره‌های سلیمان و بلقیس در مکتب شیراز صفوی (شاهنامه مجموعه داود و گالری فریر) 6 41 5275 10.22070/negareh.2025.20088.3500 FA فرحناز جلیلوند دانشجوی کارشناسی ارشد هنر اسلامی ، نقاشی ایرانی ، دانشکده هنر و معماری دانشگاه تربیت مدرس، تهران، ایران. 0009-0007-9470-7099 مهناز شایسته فر هیات علمی، دانشکده هنرو معماری ، دانشگاه تربیت مدرس، تهران، ایران. 0000-0001-9957-1214 Journal Article 2025 10 06 Introduction: The Safavid period marks a peak in Iranian visual arts, especially miniature painting, supported by political stability and royal patronage that produced numerous illustrated Shāhnāmeh manuscripts. Frontispiece illustrations, often double-page compositions with refined illumination, vibrant colors, and extensive gold, served beyond decoration as statements of royal authority and legitimacy. They frequently depicted battle, festivity, or mythological scenes affirming dynastic grandeur. The Qur’anic narrative of Solomon (Sulaymān) and Bilqīs became a favored frontispiece subject from the mid-ninth/fifteenth century. As a prophet-king commanding humans, jinn, animals, and winds, Solomon embodied the ideal of combined spiritual and temporal power. The Safavid Shiraz school, rooted in Inju and Timurid traditions, reached refinement in the sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. While absorbing influences from Tabriz, Mashhad, and Qazvin, it retained distinctive traits: naturalism, meticulous detail, vibrant costume, crowded compositions, ultramarine-gold palette, and a modular grid-based structure integrated with text. Many dispersed Shiraz manuscripts remain understudied. This article examines two anonymous frontispiece pairs of Solomon and Bilqīs: one from a Shāhnāmeh dated 940–950 AH / 1533–1543 CE in the David Collection, Copenhagen, and another from a Shāhnāmeh dated 990–1000 AH / 1582–1592 CE in the Freer Gallery of Art. These previously unexamined works illuminate the visual language, symbolism, and inter-school dynamics of Safavid Shiraz painting. Purposes & Questions: The principal aim is to identify shared features and distinctive differences in visual elements, symbolism, and school influences in the two frontispiece pairs. The study examines how Shiraz artists imaginatively reinterpreted the Solomon–Bilqīs narrative through visual and symbolic means, how compositional and iconographic choices evolved over the fifty-year interval, and how earlier traditions— Ilkhanid, Timurid, and early Safavid styles of Tabriz and Qazvin—shaped their formal and symbolic vocabulary. Three research questions guide the inquiry: (1) How is the artist’s imaginative interpretation of the Solomon and Bilqīs narrative manifested through visual and symbolic motifs in each pair? (2) What commonalities and unique differences appear in visual compositions, figural types, architectural settings, and treatment of supernatural beings? (3) In what ways have earlier painting traditions influenced the stylistic, structural, and symbolic qualities of these Shiraz works? Addressing these questions advances understanding of the Safavid Shiraz school’s identity within Persian manuscript painting and highlights frontispiece imagery as a vehicle for the intertwined ideals of kingship, prophecy, and divine favor. Methods: The research employs a descriptive-analytical methodology grounded in iconography and supported by library investigation. Iconographic analysis decodes layered meanings of motifs—thrones, angels, demons (dīv), animals, birds, architecture, and landscape—while comparative analysis identifies formal, compositional, and symbolic correspondences and divergences. Each pair is examined independently for composition, geometry (hidden frameworks, golden-section divisions, index-square placement of principal figures), figural typology, color symbolism, and fidelity to the Qur’anic account in Sūrat al-Naml. The pairs are then compared, and their relation to selected earlier and contemporary manuscripts (Shāhnāmeh of Shah Tahmasp, Khamsa of Shah Tahmasp, Shāhnāmeh of Shah Ismail II, and Shāhnāmeh of Qavam) is assessed to trace influence. Sampling was purposeful: the two double-page frontispieces were selected from a corpus of approximately twenty-five Solomon–Bilqīs illustrations for their shared Safavid Shiraz attribution, use of gold and silver, and status as opening pages of Shāhnāmeh manuscripts. Findings and Results: Comparative analysis reveals clear contrasts illuminating continuity and change within the Safavid Shiraz school. The David Collection frontispieces (ca. 1533–1543 CE) project Solomon’s regal power through a resplendent throne with arabesques and dragon heads, dense demons, rich animals and birds (hoopoe, simurgh, predator and prey at a silver pool), elaborate architecture with star-and-cross tiled floors, and a golden sky. These features echo Ilkhanid and Timurid conventions of lavish royal imagery. Bilqīs appears veiled and contemplative, emphasizing wisdom; demons around her suggest temptation. Silver marks water and gold marks celestial elements. By contrast, the Freer Gallery frontispieces (ca. 1582–1592 CE) adopt a restrained composition privileging Solomon’s spiritual authority and the ideal of the just ruler uniting religion and governance. The outdoor setting features spongy rocks, blue sky with swirling clouds, and paired Safavid carpets. Angels display naturalistic Iranian faces, some wearing börk headgear; one dances amid musicians, introducing Samā. Demons are fewer and distant; animals are largely omitted from Bilqīs’s page. Bilqīs reclines unveiled and relaxed, aligning with Shiraz naturalism. Solomon’s calm posture, Iranian features, and subdued palette underscore a spiritual ideal of kingship. Both pairs use Shiraz network composition, placing principal figures in index squares above the midline. Shared motifs—thrones, angels with golden flames or fruit, animal-headed demons, the simurgh, and gold-ultramarine symbolism—demonstrate iconographic continuity. Differences reflect chronological development: the earlier works retain stronger Mongol–Timurid traits and denser supernatural populations; the later works show greater naturalism, open space, and integration of Safavid courtly fashion. Inter-school analysis confirms that David Collection illustrations draw on dragon and rocky-landscape conventions of Aqa Mirak and Tabriz artists, while Freer illustrations affiliate more closely with later Shiraz and Qazvin works, including the Shāhnāmeh of Qavam. مقدمه: نگاره‌های پیش‌نمایش در شاهنامه‌های مصور مکتب شیراز صفوی، با طراحی دوصفحه‌ای، رنگ‌های زنده و تذهیب‌های دقیق، فراتر از تزیین، نماد اقتدار و مشروعیت حاکمان بودند و صحنه‌های رزم، بزم یا اساطیری را به تصویر می‌کشیدند. این پژوهش دو نگارۀ کمتر شناخته‌شده از سلیمان و بلقیس در شاهنامه‌های مجموعه داود (940-950 ه‍.ق) و گالری فریر (990-1000 ه‍.ق) را بررسی می‌کند و عناصر بصری، نمادپردازی و تأثیرات مکتبی را به‌صورت تطبیقی تحلیل می‌کند. اهداف و سؤال‌ها: هدف این پژوهش، شناسایی اشتراک‌ها و تفاوت‌ها در عناصر بصری، نمادپردازی و تأثیرات مکتبی این نگاره‌هاست. سؤالات پژوهش عبارت‌اند از: 1. خیال‌پردازی هنرمند در بازنمایی سلیمان و بلقیس چگونه از طریق عناصر بصری و نمادین تجلی یافته است؟ 2. وجوه اشتراک و افتراق عناصر بصری این نگاره‌ها چیست؟ 3. نگارگری مکاتب پیشین چگونه بر این نگاره‌ها اثر گذاشته‌ است؟ روش‌ها: روش پژوهش، توصیفی- تحلیلی با رویکرد شمایل‌نگاری و مبتنی بر منابع کتابخانه‌ای است. تحلیل شمایل‌نگاری برای بررسی عناصر بصری و نمادین و تحلیل تطبیقی برای شناسایی شباهت‌ها و تفاوت‌ها به‌کاررفته است. یافته‌ها و نتایج: نتایج نشان می‌دهد نگارۀ مجموعه داود با تخت مجلل، دیوان، حیوانات و معماری مفصل، بر شکوه و قدرت سلیمان تأکید دارد و متأثر از سنت‌های مغولی و تیموری است. در مقابل، نگاره گالری فریر با ترکیب‌بندی متعادل، حضور فرشتگان و طراحی آرام، جنبه معنوی و پیوند دین و حکومت را برجسته می‌کند و ویژگی‌های بومی مکتب شیراز، مانند طبیعت‌گرایی را نشان می‌دهد. بازنمایی بلقیس نیز متفاوت است: در مجموعه داود، محجبه و متفکرانه، نماد تعقل و در گالری فریر، لمیده و بدون حجاب، طبیعت‌گراست. این نگاره‌ها تحولات هنری و فکری صفوی را بازتاب می‌دهند.

https://negareh.shahed.ac.ir/article_5275_5e69fda38cda2060819766569fd93aa5.pdf

دانشگاه شاهد فصلنامه نگره 2676-7244 21 79 2026 09 23 Analysis and Investigation of Theme-Based Composition Types in the Miniatures of the Khavaran-nameh تحلیل و بررسی انواع ترکیب‌بندی مبتنی بر مضمون در نگاره‌های خاوران‌نامه 44 65 5274 10.22070/negareh.2025.20285.3526 FA مهدی ارجمند اینالو استادیار، گروه هنر، دانشکده هنر و معماری، دانشگاه شیراز، شیراز، ایران. 0000-0002-8745-021x Journal Article 2025 10 23 Introduction: The Khavaran-nameh, a poetic work by Ibn Hussam Khosfi Birjandi, is among the significant illustrated manuscripts of the Turkmen period in Iran. Its 115 illustrations preserved at Golestan Palace provide valuable material for examining the relationship between literary narrative and visual composition in Iranian painting. These miniatures suggest that the organization of the pictorial space is determined not only by geometric principles but also by narrative content, the roles of key characters and the dramatic structure of individual scenes. Previous studies of Iranian miniature painting have largely focused on geometric proportions and formal structures, while the relationship between narrative themes and recurring compositional patterns has received less systematic attention. In the Khavaran-nameh, the placement of figures and other pictorial elements is shaped by both the narrative themes and the geometric ruling system of the page. The correspondence between the arrangement of verses and the pictorial frame further points to a close relationship between text and image. Accordingly, this study examines the compositional structures of the Khavaran-nameh miniatures, focusing on battle and non-battle scenes, the distribution of pictorial space, the placement of principal characters, and hidden geometric relationships between text and image. Purposes & Questions: The main purpose of this research is to identify recurring compositional patterns in the illustrations of the Khavaran-nameh and examine their relationship with narrative themes and the geometric ruling system. It also seeks to determine how textual organization and narrative content contributed to relatively fixed compositional conventions. The study addresses two principal questions: 1) What is the relationship between the organization of pictorial elements, the narrative themes of the stories, and the geometric proportions of the ruling grid? 2) What recurring or fixed compositional patterns were employed by the illustrators of the Khavaran-nameh in different thematic situations? The study also considers whether battle and non-battle scenes follow distinct compositional principles and how these principles convey action, conflict, calmness, and narrative emphasis. Methods: This research employs a descriptive-analytical approach with a developmental orientation and a network-geometric method. The research corpus comprises all 115 illustrations of the Khavaran-nameh preserved at Golestan Palace. Data were obtained from the published edition of the Khavaran-nameh (1381 SH) and compared with the Golestan Palace manuscript. The illustrations were classified according to their dominant themes, particularly battle and non-battle (calm) scenes. Each miniature was analyzed in terms of the distribution and position of pictorial elements, the scale and location of principal characters, the horizon line, longitudinal and lateral bisectors, golden points, and the relationship between the pictorial frame and the arrangement of verses. Attention was also given to significant narrative moments and visual elements, including sword strikes and dramatic climaxes. Recurring compositional structures were identified and interpreted according to their thematic functions. Findings and Results: The findings show that composition in the Khavaran-nameh is shaped by two interconnected principles. The first is the ruling system that links text and image, through the vertical organization of verses and the geometric division of the pictorial frame. The second is the thematic arrangement of pictorial elements according to narrative content and the roles of principal characters. Of the 115 illustrations, 76 depict battle scenes and 39 represent non-battle or calm situations. Battle scenes follow a relatively stable pattern in which approximately three-quarters of the pictorial space is allocated to Imam Ali (PBUH), while the enemies are concentrated in the remaining lateral quarter. This distribution emphasizes the protagonist's power and narrative importance. Sword strikes and climactic moments are frequently positioned along vertical axes, while figures exiting the frame reinforce the sense of movement, flight, and defeat. In the 39 non-battle illustrations, a different compositional logic predominates. The principal character is often positioned in a corner of the frame and above the horizon line. Symmetrical or reversed compositions and arrangements based on central axes are especially common in dialogue and calm scenes, producing visual balance and stability. The analysis also reveals a hidden geometric system in which longitudinal and lateral bisectors function as visual axes. The arrangement of verses influences the geometric organization of the pictorial frame, demonstrating a systematic relationship between text and image. Thus, the composition of these miniatures cannot be explained solely through geometry; narrative themes also play a decisive role in shaping visual patterns. The research identifies recurring compositional conventions in the Khavaran-nameh and emphasizes the role of narrative themes in their formation. These findings provide a framework for analyzing composition in the Shiraz school and commercial styles of Iranian painting and contribute to understanding manuscript illustration practices during the Timurid and Turkmen periods. Overall, the miniatures reflect an interaction among narrative themes, hidden geometry, and the visual requirements of the manuscript, providing a basis for further development of a theory of composition in Iranian painting. مقدمه: خاواراننامه، داستان حماسی و منظوم ابن حسام خوسفی بیرجندی است. این کتاب علاوه بر ارزش ادبی، ازنظر بصری نیز غنی است. فرهاد نقاش شیرازی، نگارههای این کتاب را در قرن نهم هجری قمری ترسیم کرده است. نگاره‌های خاوران‌نامه سازوکار هندسی مشخصی در ترکیببندی و چینش عناصر درون تصویر دارند. شناخت و درک دقیق این ترکیبها، با توجه به فقدان شواهد و اسناد تاریخی در توضیح قالب‌بندی نگاره‌ها، نیازمند تحلیل ساختار هندسی و بصری آن‌هاست. اهداف و سؤال‌ها: هدف از این پژوهش کشف الگوهایی ثابت در چینش عناصر بصری است که احتمالاً نگارگر یا نگارگران خاوراننامه از آن بهره برده‌اند. بنابراین، سؤال‌های اصلی پژوهش عبارت‌اند از: ۱. شیوة ترکیب‌بندی عناصر اصلی در نگاره‌ها چه نسبتی با تناسبات جداول و مضامین داستان دارد؟ ۲. ترکیببندی عناصر نگاره‌ها از چه الگویی پیروی می‌کنند؟ روش‌ها: روش پژوهش مبتنی بر روش توصیفی-تحلیلی است. در این روش، با بررسی تمام ۱۱۵ نگارة خاوراننامه و طبقه‌بندی آنها، نظام شبکهبندی متن و تصویر تحلیل شد. یافته‌ها و نتایج: نتایج پژوهش نشان داد که نگاره‌های خاوران‌نامه با دو الگوی کلیِ صحنه‌های رزم و آرامش بازنمایی شده‌اند. در صحنه‌های رزم، بیشتر فضا- سه‌چهارم از کل قاب تصویر- به شخصیت اصلی (نماد پیروزی) و یک‌چهارم به دشمنان فشرده‌شده در گوشة قاب (نماد شکست) اختصاص‌یافته است. در صحنه‌های آرامش، برای تأکید بر شخصیت اصلی، یک‌چهارم گوشة قاب به ایشان و سه‌چهارم باقی‌مانده به عناصر فرعی اختصاص داده‌شده است. خطوط عمودی تفکیک‌کنندة مصرع‌ها و محورهای تقارن، نقاط کانونی ترکیب‌بندی را تعیین کرده و هماهنگی ساختاری بین متن و تصویر ایجاد نموده‌اند. همچنین انطباق ابیات مجاور تصویر و فضای نگاره، نقش مکملی این دو در بازتاب روایت را تائید می‌کند. یافته‌ها نشان‌دهندة کاربرد الگوهای ثابت در چینش عناصر بصری و کتابت ابیات است که بازتاب‌دهندة درک هنرمندان از مفاهیم نمادین پیروزی، شکست و مرکزیت گفتمان در روایت‌های تصویر است.

https://negareh.shahed.ac.ir/article_5274_59ab3ba90ae4b4ab84fe69de7b8e3f5f.pdf

دانشگاه شاهد فصلنامه نگره 2676-7244 21 79 2026 09 23 Semiotics of Women's Clothing in the Quranic and Religious Works of Mahmoud Farshchian نشانه‌شناسی پوشش زنان در آثار قرآنی و مذهبی محمود فرشچیان 68 91 5280 10.22070/negareh.2025.19894.3465 FA شکوفه ساتیاروند کارشناسی ارشد پژوهش هنر، دانشکده هنر، دانشگاه شاهد، تهران، ایران. 0009-0008-6615-5618 خشایار قاضی زاده دانشیار، دانشکده هنر، دانشگاه شاهد، تهران، ایران. Journal Article 2025 12 15 Introduction: Art in every era appears as a reflection of the thoughts, beliefs, and culture of a nation or ethnic group. Examining artworks from various historical periods provides important information about cultural achievements and the trends of development or decline in those eras, highlighting the significance of art in reflecting culture. Contemporary Persian painting has undergone significant transformations in recent years to preserve and revive earlier painting traditions. The presence of women in Iranian artworks throughout history is influenced by a general principle. The depiction of women in these works, from the perspective of natural, human, and imaginary elements, reflects the attitudes and perceptions of society and artists toward these elements. Scenes containing images of women are observed with various themes and in different forms within the realm of painting. One aspect that stands out in examining these images is the use of women's clothing in relation to their roles in artistic works. Women, as members of society, have always attracted considerable attention in literature and art, especially in visual arts like painting. Throughout all historical periods, women have been presented as significant elements in artworks, and artists have created remarkable pieces with particular attention to their representation. Mahmoud Farshchian, a Muslim and Shia artist, incorporates Quranic and religious themes into his works. His method showcases his unique interpretation of the world through symbols and images from a religious perspective. He is a prominent artist who has significantly influenced the people and artistic atmosphere of his time through the depth and breadth of his oeuvre. He has not limited himself to traditional methods, but has created a new and personal style through numerous innovations. Among his important innovations are more realistic portrayals in his paintings. On the other hand, many of his works are not dependent on texts like those of his predecessors, as he has strived to create an independent visual expression. Farshchian also addresses Shia and religious themes with characteristics rarely seen in earlier works. In depicting these themes, he pays great attention to symbolism, and in some of these works, women occupy prominent roles. In Farshchian's works, women are depicted at the height of power and grandeur, yet accompanied by modesty and appropriate attire. This research explores the cultural, social, and even political characteristics reflected in women's clothing in relation to the characters portrayed, and how these factors manifest in the form of symbols in women's garments. The necessity and importance of this paper lie in identifying how symbols and signs are utilized in the works of one of the great artists in the field of painting, and understanding their connection to the Islamic-Shia thought that emerges through the symbols and signs associated with women in Farshchian's works. This study can provide an interpretation of the artist's work through the language of symbols and artistic codes derived from Quranic and religious texts. This function is subtly and intelligently reflected in the visual signs of his paintings, such as garment design, colors, and patterns, which this analysis decodes using Roland Barthes' semiotic approach. Purposes & Questions: The aim of this study is to conduct a semiotic analysis of women's clothing in the Quranic and religious paintings of Mahmoud Farshchian, based on Roland Barthes' semiotic approach, to uncover the hidden layers of meaning in the works of this prominent artist. This research seeks to answer the following questions: 1. What symbolic and semiotic characteristics does women's clothing in Mahmoud Farshchian's Quranic and religious paintings possess? 2. How does clothing in Farshchian's Quranic and religious paintings relate to the depiction of female characters? Methods: This research is fundamental and theoretical in purpose and descriptive-analytical in nature. The study draws on visual and textual data collected through library and documentary research. Images of women appear in 271 of Farshchian's paintings, which account for 50.37% of his total works. The study sample comprises four paintings by Mahmoud Farshchian with Quranic and religious themes that have been purposively selected. In this study, visual elements such as color, form, pattern, composition, and clothing decorations in the paintings are analyzed and decoded as cultural signs. This approach helps uncover hidden dimensions of meaning in women's clothing in the examined works and allows for a multi-layered interpretation of the visual structure of the paintings. Findings & Results: The research findings indicate that in depictions with Quranic themes, the forms and patterns of clothing are very luxurious and diverse, emphasizing the social status and personality traits of women. In contrast, in depictions with Shia themes, depending on the character portrayed, women’s clothing is depicted simply yet elegantly, reflecting their human dignity. The design of the clothing, along with the use of cuts and the depiction of attractive and fluid patterns on it, emphasizes the spiritual character of women. مقدمه: هنرهای تجسمی یکی از عرصه‌های بازنمود پوشش زنان به‌مثابه نشانه‌ای فرهنگی است. در نگارگری معاصر ایران، به‌ویژه در آثار محمود فرشچیان، پوشاک زنان نمودی از مفاهیم فرهنگی، دینی و اجتماعی را بازتاب داده است. اهداف و سؤال‌ها: پژوهش حاضر باهدف نشانه‌شناسانة پوشش زنان در چهار نگارة قرآنی و مذهبی فرشچیان، تلاش دارد تا لایه‌های پنهان معنایی در اجزای پوشاک، رنگ‌ها و نمادهای تصویری این آثار را رمزگشایی کند. ازاین‌رو، سؤال‌های این پژوهش عبارت‌اند از: 1. پوشش زنان در نگاره‌های قرآنی و مذهبی محمود فرشچیان واجد کدام ویژگی‌های نمادین و نشانه‌شناسانه است؟ 2. پوشش در نگاره‌های استاد فرشچیان چه نسبتی با ترسیم شخصیت زنان دارد؟ روش‌ها: پژوهش حاضر از نوع بنیادی و ازلحاظ ماهیت توصیفی-تحلیلی‌است. شیوۀ تجزیه‌وتحلیل داده‌ها کیفی و گردآوری اطلاعات، بر مبنای داده‌های تصویری و متنی، به روش کتابخانه‌ای و با بررسی اسناد، مقالات، کتب و پایان‌نامه‌ها صورت گرفته است. مبنای نظری پژوهش مبتنی بر رویکرد نشانه‌شناسی رولان بارت است که در تحلیل چهار نگارۀ‌ قرآنی و مذهبی-شیعی به‌کاررفته است. یافته‌ها و نتایج: نتایج پژوهش بیانگر آن است که در نگاره‌های با مضامین قرآنی، شکل و نقوش لباس بسیار فاخر و متنوع است و بر موقعیت اجتماعی و ویژگی‌های شخصیتی زن تأکید می‌کند و در نگاره‌های با مضامین شیعی، با توجه به شخصیت ترسیم‌شده، پوشش بر پیکر زنان در راستای عنایت به کرامت انسانی آنان، به‌سادگی و آمیخته با ظرافت ترسیم‌شده و با استفاده از برش لباس، طراحی آن و ترسیم نقوش جذاب و سیال روی آن، بر شخصیت معنوی زنان تأکید شده است.

https://negareh.shahed.ac.ir/article_5280_5b658d2a925565f0755e035597f8d22f.pdf

دانشگاه شاهد فصلنامه نگره 2676-7244 21 79 2026 09 23 Recognition and Reading of Eight Qajar-Era Paintings on the Theme of ‘Yusuf and Zulaikha’ at Bonhams, UK بازشناسی و خوانش هشت نقاشی با موضوع «یوسف و زلیخا» دورۀ قاجار در حراج بونامز انگلستان 94 131 4771 10.22070/negareh.2025.18752.3329 FA الهه پنجه باشی دانشیار گروه نقاشی دانشکده هنر الزهرا تهران ایران 0000-0001-5631-8622 Journal Article 2025 08 14 Introduction: Paintings inspired by literature, beyond their historical significance, constitute one of the important manifestations of the relationship between visual art and literature in the history of Iranian painting. The present research examines eight rare and relatively complete paintings depicting the story of Yusuf and Zulaikha during the Qajar period. These works are influenced by the characteristics of courtly painting and portraiture of the period and are analyzed from visual and stylistic perspectives. The selected collection consists of eight paintings that form a relatively continuous narrative sequence based on the story of Yusuf and Zulaikha, one of the classical narratives of Iranian literature, which has been repeatedly represented by artists across different historical periods. These paintings reflect characteristics of early Qajar court painting in the representation of figures, costumes, ornaments, decorative motifs, and architectural spaces, while drawing upon two major sources of inspiration: religious narratives and literary traditions. The examination of this collection is significant because it provides an opportunity to identify the characteristics of early Qajar court painting and to investigate the principles by which literary narratives were transformed into visual representations. Studying these works can therefore contribute to a better understanding of the interaction between literature and painting during the early Qajar period. Purposes & Questions: The main objective of this research is to examine eight paintings depicting Yusuf and Zulaikha that display the characteristics of courtly portrait painting and constitute a relatively complete and continuous narrative sequence. As a lesser-known example of the representation of this narrative in early Qajar painting, the collection has not previously been the subject of an independent and comprehensive study. Another objective is to investigate the possible identification of the artists responsible for these works. The research addresses the following questions: What are the visual characteristics through which the story of Yusuf and Zulaikha is represented in these paintings in comparison with the literary accounts of Jami and the Qur'an? What are the visual and stylistic characteristics of the works? The significance and originality of the research lie in the fact that this collection appears to have been influenced by the literary tradition of Jami, while the identities of its artists remain uncertain. Therefore, examining the stylistic characteristics of the paintings and comparing their visual elements with Jami's poetry is important and has not previously been undertaken in an independent study. The artists appear to have sought to represent Yusuf's legitimacy and spiritual authority, as well as Zulaikha's beauty, with considerable visual precision and emphasis. Methods: This study employs a descriptive-analytical research method. Data were collected through library research and the examination of eight paintings depicting Yusuf and Zulaikha. The works were analyzed in terms of their visual, stylistic, compositional, and iconographic characteristics, with particular attention to the representation of the main figures, costumes, ornaments, architectural settings, and landscape elements. The paintings were also compared with the narrative of Yusuf and Zulaikha in the Qur'an and Jami's literary account. Findings and Results: The findings indicate that the continuity of the religious narrative is combined with royal representation, particularly through the visual association of Yusuf with the status and authority of Qajar rulers. In two or three of the paintings, Yusuf is depicted wearing royal attire richly decorated with jewelry and a crown encrusted with pearls and jewels. He is also shown on horseback in a manner reminiscent of representations of Qajar kings. At the same time, he is portrayed without a beard, and his idealized facial features emphasize his youth, purity, and exceptional status. The form of Yusuf's crown can be compared with those depicted in portraits of Qajar rulers, suggesting a visual relationship between the representation of Yusuf and contemporary conventions of royal portraiture. According to the auction documentation, the works have been attributed to Mohammad Hasan and Ahmad Naqqash; however, this attribution requires further stylistic and comparative investigation. Throughout the paintings, Yusuf is consistently represented with an idealized, youthful, and beardless face, emphasizing his purity and distinguishing him from the other figures. His figure is generally presented with greater visual emphasis and idealization than the other figures. Five of the eight paintings include extensive landscape settings, with broad natural scenery occupying the upper sections of the compositions. These landscapes contain wide grassy areas, relatively low mountains and hills, green trees, and blue skies. The varied treatment of foliage, particularly through different shades of green, reflects the continuity of Iranian landscape painting traditions influenced by the Safavid period. Overall, examination of the collection indicates that Mohammad Hasan and Ahmad possessed considerable experience in both narrative and portrait painting. Their treatment of figures, costumes, ornaments, architectural spaces, and landscapes demonstrates familiarity with the visual characteristics and artistic conventions of the early Qajar period. The collection consequently provides significant evidence for understanding the interaction of religious narrative, classical Persian literature, and royal visual culture in early Qajar painting. مقدمه: در این پژوهش، هشت اثر نادر و کامل پیکرنگاری با تأثیر از داستان یوسف و زلیخا در دورۀ قاجار تصویر شده است که متأثر از ویژگی‌های هنر پیکرنگاری درباری در این دوره بوده‌اند، مورد واکاوی بصری قرار می‌گیرند. این مجموعۀ پیوسته، دارای هشت نقاشی کامل از داستان یوسف و زلیخاست که از داستان‌های کلاسیک ادبیات ایرانی بوده و بارها در دوره‌های مختلف توسط هنرمندان مورد بازنمایی و نقاشی شده است. اهداف و سؤال‌ها: اهداف اصلی این پژوهش، مطالعۀ هشت نقاشی یوسف و زلیخا با ویژگی‌های نقاشی پیکرنگاری درباری، به‌صورت مجموعه‌ای کامل و پیوسته در توالی داستان، شناخت هنرمندان این آثار با توجه به نبود امضای مشخص و تحلیل و ویژگی‌های ساختاری و بصری آثار در تطبیق با قرآن و اشعار جامی، شاعر قرن نهم ه.ق.، است. سؤال‌های پژوهش عبارت‌اند از: 1. خوانش نقاشی‌های داستان یوسف و زلیخا دارای چه ویژگی‌های بصری در تطبیق با اشعار ادبی جامی و قرآن است؟ 2. ویژگی‌های بصری و سبک‌شناسی آثار چگونه است؟ روش‌ها: روش پژوهش، توصیفی- تحلیلی و شیوۀ جمع‌آوری اطلاعات، با استفاده از منابع کتابخانه‌ای و بررسی هشت نمونه نقاشی از یوسف و زلیخا انجام‌شده است. یافته‌ها و نتایج: نتایج این پژوهش نشان می‌دهد که این نقاشی‌ها با موضوع یوسف و زلیخا، با تأثیرپذیری از سورۀ یوسف در قرآن و اشعار جامی و با بهره‌گیری از ویژگی‌های ساختاری و بصری نقاشی پیکرنگاری درباری دورۀ اول قاجار شکل‌گرفته‌اند. ترکیب‌بندی‌ها پویا و شخصیت محور بوده و با تأکید بر سورۀ حضرت یوسف(ع) تصویر شده‌اند و تلاش بر نمایش داستانی تصویری با موضوعی عاشقانه و تغزلی است. هنرمندان این آثار نامعلوم‌اند، اما احتمال می‌رود محمدحسن، احمد یا شاگردان آن‌ها باشند که با این سبک کار می‌کرده‌اند و از ویژگی‌های نقاشی پیکرنگاری درباری و قوانین تصویری آن شناخت کامل داشته‌اند.

https://negareh.shahed.ac.ir/article_4771_6a571fe98a2ba453e84923b447d79cff.pdf

دانشگاه شاهد فصلنامه نگره 2676-7244 21 79 2026 09 23 Analyzing the Role of Iranian Myths in Qajar Painting through the Lens of Cultural Policy تحلیل جایگاه اسطوره‌های ایرانی در نقاشی دورۀ قاجار با تأکید بر سیاست‌گذاری فرهنگی 134 157 4779 10.22070/negareh.2025.19247.3394 FA صدیقه پورمختار استادیار، گروه پژوهش هنر دانشکده هنر دانشگاه شاهد تهران ایران. 0000-0003-3048-9276 کاظم چلیپا استادیار، گروه پژوهش هنر، دانشکده هنر، دانشگاه شاهد، تهران، ایران. 0009-0003-1287-4688 سمیه آرزوفر استادیار، گروه ارتباط تصویری، دانشکده هنر، دانشگاه شاهد، تهران، ایران. 0000-0002-4160-5394 Journal Article 2025 09 12 Introduction: Myths represent the collective identity of nations and function as cultural narratives through which societies define and preserve their historical consciousness. Identity is a continuous process formed through the transmission, reconstruction, and reinterpretation of symbols and narratives across generations. Therefore, myths, as significant elements of cultural identity, have always played an important role in shaping artistic expressions. Iran, with its long historical and cultural background, has preserved its myths through various forms of literature and visual arts throughout different historical periods. The Qajar period (1789–1925) was characterized by significant political, social, and cultural transformations. Developments such as increasing interactions with the West, the emergence of modernization processes, and the Constitutional Revolution influenced different aspects of Iranian society, including artistic production. During this period, governmental cultural policies were largely directed toward modernization and the adoption of new artistic approaches, while traditional values continued to remain influential among different social groups. This duality was reflected in Qajar painting, where Western-inspired court painting developed alongside traditional forms such as religious and popular painting. In this context, the role of cultural policy is particularly important because governmental decisions can either support the continuity of inherited traditions or encourage their transformation in response to new political and social conditions. Since myths constitute one of the fundamental components of cultural identity, their preservation and representation through art can reveal the cultural orientations of a society. The present study examines the position of Iranian myths in Qajar painting by focusing on three major artistic and cultural discourses of this period: the court discourse, the modernist discourse, and the traditional-Islamic discourse. The primary focus of this research is to investigate how cultural policies of the Qajar period influenced the representation and preservation of myths in visual arts. Purposes & Questions: This research aims to provide a deeper understanding of Qajar cultural policies and their reflection in painting through the analysis of mythological representations. The study seeks to answer the following questions: 1. What were the main approaches and orientations of cultural policymaking during the Qajar period? 2. What position did the representation of myths, as symbols of Iranian-Islamic cultural identity, occupy in Qajar paintings? Methods: The research employs a descriptive-analytical method. Data were collected through library research and analyzed using a qualitative approach. The research population includes selected Qajar paintings, consisting of court paintings, naturalistic works, and coffeehouse paintings. The samples were selected purposively based on their relevance to the representation of myths and their connection with the cultural discourses of the Qajar era. The analysis was conducted by examining the visual characteristics, themes, and symbolic functions of mythological elements within the selected artworks. Findings & Results: The findings demonstrate that Qajar painting can be examined through three major discourses: courtly, modernist, and traditional-Islamic. Each discourse reflects a different approach toward the representation and preservation of myths. In the court discourse, myths were primarily employed as a means of legitimizing royal authority. By adapting narratives from the national epic tradition, particularly the Shahnameh, artists associated kings with heroic figures from Iranian mythology and used mythological references to strengthen the image and legitimacy of the ruler. In contrast, the traditional-Islamic discourse represented myths through both national and religious narratives. Figures such as Rostam and Sohrab from epic traditions, as well as religious figures associated with the events of Ashura, were depicted to reinforce collective memory and cultural values. In this discourse, myths were not merely decorative elements but functioned as symbols connected to religious beliefs, historical consciousness, and social identity. The modernist discourse, influenced by Western artistic approaches, introduced new visual methods and subjects into Iranian painting; however, it also contributed to the transformation of traditional representations. The findings indicate that despite these changes, mythological elements continued to maintain their cultural significance. Overall, Qajar painting reflects a dynamic interaction between modernity and tradition, demonstrating how visual arts became a field for negotiating cultural identity during a period of transition. The study concludes that myths in Qajar paintings served different purposes depending on the dominant discourse. While court paintings used myths to reinforce political authority, traditional-Islamic paintings employed them to preserve national and religious values. Therefore, Qajar painting can be considered an important medium through which Iranian society maintained and reconstructed its cultural identity during a period of major historical change. مقدمه: دورۀ قاجار در تاریخ ایران، دورهای پرفراز و نشیب ازلحاظ سیاسی، اجتماعی و فرهنگی است. سیاست‌ها و اقدامات فرهنگی حکومت قاجار در دوره‌های مختلف، تحت تأثیر هم‌زمان سنت‌های درباری، نیازهای سیاسی حکومت و جریان‌های تجددخواهانه و ارتباط با غرب قرار داشت. وضعیتی موازی در هنر این دوره نیز در حال شکلگیری بود. از یک‌سو شیوهای غربی در نقاشی ایران در حال ورود بود و در مقابل، نقاشی عامیانۀ مذهبی که در میان مردم رواج داشت. یکی از وظایف اصلی آثار هنری، حفظ و نگه‌داری هویت یک ملت و فرهنگ است. با توجه به شرایط این دوره، مسئله این پژوهش چگونگی حفظ و نگه‌داری هویت ایرانی با تأکید بر اسطوره‌های ملی و دینی در سیاست‌گذ‌ار‌ی‌های حکومتی دورۀ قاجار است. اهداف و سؤال‌ها: پژوهش حاضر با هدف شناخت بیشتر و عمیق‌تر سیاست‌گذاری‌های فرهنگی دورۀ قاجار و نمود آن در آثار نقاشی، به این پرسش‌ها پاسخ می‌دهد: 1. در دورۀ قاجار سیاست‌گذاری فرهنگی بر چه محورهایی استوار بوده است؟ 2. بازنمایی اسطوره‌ها به‌عنوان نمادی از فرهنگ و هویت ایرانی- اسلامی در نقاشی دورۀ قاجار چه جایگاهی دارند؟ روش‌ها: روش این پژوهش از نوع توصیفی تحلیلی است و گردآوری داده‌ها به شیوۀ کتابخانه‌ای و تجزیه‌وتحلیل آن‌ها به روش کیفی انجام‌شده است. جامعۀ پژوهش شامل آثار نقاشی دورۀ قاجار، پیکرنگاری دربار، نقاشی طبیعت‌گرایانه و قهوه‌خانه‌ای بوده و روش نمونه‌گیری هدفمند است. یافتهها و نتایج: هنر این دوره را میتوان در سه گفتمان درباری، تجددخواه و سنتی- اسلامی دسته‌بندی کرد. در دو گفتمان درباری و تجددخواه، حکومت و در گفتمان سنتی –اسلامی، مردم نقش پررنگی در سیاستگذاری داشتند. اسطورهها در دو گفتمان اول به‌صورت محدود و ابزاری برای حکومت بودند و در گفتمان سنتی – اسلامی، مردم با پیروی از سنت و قوانین وابسته به آن، از اسطورهها در جایگاه خود استفاده کردند.

https://negareh.shahed.ac.ir/article_4779_eafc8fe9c61d6760ae284c29840bbf0b.pdf

دانشگاه شاهد فصلنامه نگره 2676-7244 21 79 2026 09 23 Analyzing the Hypertextual Relationships Between the Safavid Kilim in the Louvre Museum and Persian Paintings from the 8th–10th Centuries AH تحلیل روابط بیش‌متنی میان گلیم صفویه محفوظ در موزۀ لوور با نگاره‌های قرون 8-10 ه.ق 160 185 4793 10.22070/negareh.2025.19666.3435 FA رضوان احمدی پیام استادیار، گروه فرش، دانشکده هنر، دانشگاه سمنان، سمنان،‌ایران. 0000-0002-9501-9534 مریم دارایی مدرس، گروه فرش، دانشکده هنر، دانشگاه سمنان، سمنان، ایران 0000-0002-9501-9534 Journal Article 2025 10 03 Introduction: The production of artworks across different historical periods often involves the adaptation and transformation of enduring cultural and artistic features. Examining similarities and differences among artworks as visual texts can reveal the relationship between source works and later adaptations. Gérard Genette’s theory of hypertextuality provides an appropriate framework for analyzing relationships between texts that belong to different temporal and spatial contexts. According to historical evidence, the Safavid era (907–1152 AH) represents the peak of Iranian carpet weaving. Among the surviving examples from this period is a handwoven semi-pictorial kilim fragment with a Lachak-Toranj (corner-and-medallion) design, attributed to Kashan and preserved in the Louvre Museum. The composition of this kilim appears to be associated with themes derived from Persian literary traditions. Considering the widespread artistic activities of Safavid designers across different fields, it can be suggested that illustrated manuscripts may have served as visual sources for carpet designers and weavers. This research examines the relationship between this Safavid kilim and Persian miniature paintings, focusing on the types of hypertextual relationships that connect the kilim as a hypertext to its possible visual hypotext. The significance of this study lies in understanding how previous literary and visual traditions contributed to the formation of a new artistic text through the transformation of motifs and compositional structures. Purposes & Questions: The purpose of this article is to identify the influence of earlier pictorial works, particularly Persian miniature paintings from the 8th–10th centuries AH, on the Safavid kilim based on Gérard Genette’s theory of hypertextuality. The study seeks to clarify the manner in which visual elements from Persian miniature paintings were adapted and transformed in the design of the kilim. The main research question is: What types of hypertextual relationships exist between the Safavid kilim (as the hypertext) and the Persian miniature paintings examined in this study (as the hypotext)? Methods: This research employs an analytical-comparative method based on Genette’s theory of hypertextuality. Data were collected through library research. The research population consists of Safavid pictorial kilims with thematic and visual relationships to earlier artworks. A semi-pictorial Lachak-Toranj kilim from the Safavid period preserved in the Louvre Museum was selected as the main sample through purposive sampling. To identify possible hypotext, illustrated Iranian literary manuscripts produced before the probable date of the kilim’s creation and containing related themes were examined. Accordingly, nine illustrations from manuscripts of Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh and the Nizami’s Khamsa and Jami’s works were selected. These illustrations include narratives related to Bahram-Gur and Rostam’s dragon-slaying episodes, as well as the meeting of Layla and Majnun, dating from the 8th to the 10th centuries AH. Data analysis was conducted through thematic analysis. First, the selected works were examined according to their themes, motifs, and compositions. Then, based on Genette’s theory, the relationships between the Safavid kilim and the selected hypotext were analyzed, and the dominant types of hypertextual relations were identified. Findings & Results: The findings indicate that three of Genette’s six types of hypertextual relationships—transposition, parody (transformation), and forgery (serious imitation)—can be identified between the Safavid kilim as the hypertext and the nine selected hypotext. Transformational processes are more evident in the central Toranj than in the Lachaks, whereas visual similarities are stronger in the four Lachak sections than in the central medallion. The Lachaks of the studied kilim clearly refer to the romantic meeting of Layla and Majnun. In contrast, the central Toranj demonstrates greater distance from the selected hypotext because of the changes introduced by the designer and does not correspond to a single narrative source. Instead, it combines elements such as a mounted warrior, a dragon, and their interaction to suggest the coexistence of good and evil. Through the symbolic association of two Iranian mythological and heroic figures, the composition emphasizes a nationalistic dimension related to the ideological context of the Safavid period. The results further demonstrate that the relationship between the Safavid kilim and Persian miniature paintings is not limited to direct visual imitation. Rather, it represents a process of reinterpretation in which inherited motifs and narrative elements are reorganized according to the requirements of a different artistic medium. This process highlights the creative role of the designer in selecting, modifying, and combining previous visual patterns to create a new composition. Therefore, the Safavid kilim can be understood as a visual text formed through a dialogue between earlier pictorial traditions and the artistic language of carpet weaving. مقدمه: تولید آثار هنری جدید در ادوار مختلف، با الگوبرداری از شاخصه‌های پایدار فرهنگی و هنری در حوزه‌های مختلف هنر امکانپذیر است. شناسایی اقتباس‌ها و تمایزها میان حوزههای مختلف هنر، مبتنی بر یک نگاه علمی قابلفهم، میتواند جایگاه متون مرجع و متون اقتباس‌شده از آن‌ها را نسبت به یکدیگر تعیین نماید. با اتکا بر نظریه بیش‌متنیت ژرار ژنت، می‌توان کیفیت برگرفتگی متون با موقعیت‌های مکانی و زمانی مختلف نسبت به یکدیگر را ارزیابی کرد. اهداف و سؤال‌ها: هدف مقاله حاضر، شناسایی وجوه بصری گلیم نیمه‌تصویری (قرن یازدهم ه.ق) در تعامل با آثار تصویری مبتنی بر نگارگری‌ها (قرون 8-10ه.ق) با اتکا به نظریه بیش‌متنیت ژنت است و به این پرسش پاسخ می‌دهد: چه روابط بیش‌متنی میان گلیم صفوی و نگاره‌های موردپژوهش وجود دارد؟ روش‌ها: این پژوهش تحلیلی- تطبیقی، مبتنی بر اطلاعات کتابخانه‌ای است. تبیین و طبقه‌بندی یافته‌ها نیز به روش تحلیل مضمون و نمونه‌گیری هدفمند است؛ بیش‌متن (لچک و ترنج گلیم صفویه) و پیش‌متن‌های نُه‌گانه از نگارگری با مضامین نبرد بهرام گور و رستم با اژدها و دیدار لیلی و مجنون معرفی و مقایسه شدند. یافته‌ها و نتایج: نتیجه آن‌که از شش گونه برگرفتگی مطرح‌شده از سوی ژنت، گونه‌های تراسپوزیسون، تراوستیسمان، پارودی (تراگونگی) و فورژری (همانگونگی) در میان بیش‌متن و پیش‌متن‌ها مشهود است. تراگونگی‌ها عمدتاً در ترنج مرکزی دیده شد و همانگونگی در لچک‌ بیش از ترنج مشهود بود. براین اساس، لچک گلیم متنی است که آشکارا به دیدار عاشقانه لیلی و مجنون اشاره دارد. اما ترنج متنی است که به‌واسطۀ تغییرات اعمال‌شده از سوی طراح، صرفاً به یک پیش‌متن با مضمون مشخص اشاره ندارد. طراح با استفاده از مؤلفۀ سوار جنگجو، اژدها و درآمیختگی آن‌ها، مفهوم تقابل خیر و شر را القا کرده و از شاخصه‌های دو شخصیت اساطیری و پهلوانی ایرانی (بهرام گور و رستم) به‌منظور تأکید بر ساحت ملی‌گرایانه صفویان بهره‌برداری کرده است.

https://negareh.shahed.ac.ir/article_4793_b28d8e3ccb1ff9d46fa2d9e70222c9e7.pdf

دانشگاه شاهد فصلنامه نگره 2676-7244 21 79 2026 09 23 The Manichaean Bēma Ceremony and the Identification of its Five Key Elements in the Fragment MIK III 4979 (Verso) جشن بِمای مانوی و بازیابی پنج ویژگی آن در قطعۀ MIK III 4979 (Verso) 188 205 4822 10.22070/negareh.2025.19803.3452 FA نریمان امینیان دانشجوی دکتری فلسفه هنر، دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی، واحد شاهرود، شاهرود، ایران. 0009-0009-3699-8638 اسماعیل بنی اردلان دانشیار، گروه پژوهش هنر، دانشگاه هنر، تهران، ایران. 0000-0002-5927-2356 Journal Article 2025 11 19 Introduction: Manichaeism, as a religious system, encompasses various traditions and rituals, among which the Bēma ceremony is one of the most significant. Elements of this ceremony, including customs, food, and ritual objects, are mentioned in several sources. The annual Bēma ceremony expresses fundamental Manichaean doctrines and serves to reaffirm the religious commitment of believers. However, the extensive loss of Manichaean texts and artifacts, together with the limited amount of scholarship on the subject, has left several questions concerning the ceremony unanswered. For example, scholars disagree as to whether the Bēma ceremony developed during Mani’s lifetime or after his death as a commemoration of his legacy. Moreover, Bēma ceremony appears to have received limited attention from a philosophical perspective. In this context, literal translations of the ceremony’s texts alone cannot reveal its deeper meanings and significance. Beyond its religious and philosophical content, Manichaean art influenced fields such as calligraphy, painting, manuscript illumination, bookbinding, and Persian literature. This influence was not confined to the artistic and cultural spheres of Iran. Manichaeism spread eastward and westward, particularly along the Silk Road and through its commercial and ideological networks, creating complex cultural connections among Asian, European, and North African societies. Manichaean studies should therefore be considered both international and intercultural. This context highlights the importance of surviving Manichaean artifacts, especially those from western China. Much of our current knowledge of Manichaean art is derived from artifacts preserved in this region. Among the most significant Manichaean artworks from western China, particularly Turpan, are representations of the Bēma ceremony, which further establishes the significance of this study. Turpan is an oasis in Xinjiang (Eastern Turkestan), the westernmost region of China. The arrival of Uyghur Turks and the establishment of their government in Qocho marked an important turning point in the region’s history. Subsequently, Mani’s followers replaced Buddhists in East Turkestan and Turpan, making the region the largest and last center of Manichaeism in the East. Previous studies, particularly those by Zsuzsanna Gulácsi, have examined the technical, codicological, and aesthetic dimensions of this fragment. However, the relationship between Fragment MIK III 4979 and the Bēma ceremony has not been examined in detail. Despite their contributions, however, neither work explores the relationship between the verso of Fragment MIK III 4979 and the Bēma ceremony. The significance of the present study lies in two aspects. First, the depth of wisdom and knowledge embodied in Manichaean artworks provides a valuable source for contemporary art. Second, it demonstrates how Iranian art and culture can be adapted by other indigenous cultures and transformed into an intercultural, or even universal, art form. Purposes & Questions: This article examines five elements of the Bēma ceremony—throne, table, consecrated food, hymns, and color symbolism—in selected Manichaean artifacts and paintings. Considering Bēma and the wide range of elements and signs represented in different works, the study takes their various indications and significations into account. Fragment MIK III 4979 (Verso), in the Asian Arts Museum in Berlin, has been purposefully selected as the central example to answer the following question: How, and under what circumstances, are these five elements represented in this artifact? Methods: This study employs a descriptive-analytical and iconographic approach. Data were collected through library research and field observations conducted by the researchers. A major challenge in such studies is the inaccessibility of some artifacts, particularly those damaged over time. The data obtained from the manuscript fragment were qualitatively examined and analyzed. The five elements discussed in this article have been identified in the relevant sources. Since Fragment MIK III 4979 (Verso) is the most intact example depicting rituals associated with the Bēma ceremony, it preserves major characteristics of Uyghur art as well as native artistic forms from Turpan, further underscoring its importance. Findings & Results: The findings show that Manichaean art creatively combines the ideological and unchanging tenets of Manichaeism with local beliefs and aesthetic traditions. More specifically, the analysis identifies visual correspondences between the ceremonial throne, ritual table, consecrated food, hymns, and color symbolism of the Bēma ceremony and the compositional and symbolic features of the fragment. Accordingly, the influence of both Buddhist and Uyghur artistic forms can be traced in Fragment MIK III 4979 (Verso). It can be argued that the Manichaean artist focused on the principles of Manichaeism while adapting local and cultural elements within the artwork. In this context, the Bēma ceremony, as a special gathering representing a substantial part of Manichaean ritual practice, provides a suitable example for examining the philosophical and aesthetic dimensions of Manichaean art. مقدمه: مانویت کیشی مملو از مناسک و آیین‌های گوناگون است که به رأی بیشتر پژوهشگران، جشن موسوم به «بِما» را می‌توان مشهورترین آن‌ها به شمار آورد. گواه این امر، ذکر عناصر مختلف این مراسم، از جمله نوع پوشش، خوراکی‏‌های موجود و حتی شکل و محل قرارگیری برخی لوازم آن، در منابع گوناگون است. ازاین‌رو، با توجه به اینکه برخی از مهم‌ترین آثار هنریِ به‏‌جامانده از مانویانِ ساکن در نواحیِ غربیِ چین، به‌ویژه در واحۀ تورفان، نیز صحنه‌هایی از این مراسم را به نمایش درآورده‌‏اند، اهمیت بررسی این آثار بیش‌ازپیش آشکار می‌شود. اهداف و سؤال‌ها: این پژوهش باهدف تبیین برخی عناصر و نشانه‌‏های موجود در جشن بِما، ابتدا به شرح و تفسیر پنج ویژگیِ این جشن، یعنی سریر، میز، غذای مقدس، سرودخوانی، و رمزپردازی ‏رنگ، در چند قطعه شعر و تصویر مانوی می‌پردازد و سپس قطعۀ MIK III 4979 (verso)، محفوظ در موزۀ هنرهای آسیایی برلین را به‌عنوان نمونۀ مطالعاتی بررسی می‌کند تا به این پرسش پاسخ دهد که بازنمود هریک از این ویژگی‌ها در اثر مذکور به چه‌ صورت و تحت تأثیر چه عواملی است؟ روش‌ها: این پژوهش با رویکردی کیفی و به روش توصیفی - تحلیلی انجام‌شده و شیوۀ جمع‌آوری اطلاعات آن ترکیبی از روش کتابخانه‌ای و مشاهدات عینی و میدانی است. یافته‌ها و نتایج: نتایج این مطالعه نشان می‌دهند که هنر مانوی، علاوه بر پایبندی به اصول ایدئولوژیک کیش خود، به‌طور مشخص از زیباشناسی‌های بومی و محلی نیز بهره برده است. تأثیر هنر بودایی و اویغوری در نمونۀ مذکور، مؤید این امر است. در این زمینه، جشن بِما به‌عنوان آوردگاهی ویژه که بخش اعظمی از مناسک مانوی را به نمایش می‌گذارد، نمونة مطالعاتی مناسبی برای بررسی ابعاد گوناگون فلسفی و زیبایی‌شناختی هنر مانوی به شمار می‌رود.

https://negareh.shahed.ac.ir/article_4822_af8d1eb220186400c494db7091e402b0.pdf

دانشگاه شاهد فصلنامه نگره 2676-7244 21 79 2026 09 23 Identifying Postmodern Characteristics in Contemporary Iranian Calligraphy-Painting Works شناسایی مشخصه‌های پست‌مدرنیسم در آثار نقاشی‌خط معاصر ایران 208 239 4912 10.22070/negareh.2025.17280.3461 FA سیده فرشته حسینی رشتخوار دانشجوی دکتری تاریخ تطبیقی و تحلیلی هنر اسلامی، دانشکده هنر، دانشگاه شاهد، ایران. 0009-0005-7248-9006 سیدرضا حسینی دانشیار دانشکده هنر، دانشگاه شاهد، تهران، ایران. 0000-0001-5520-2484 Journal Article 2025 09 16 Introduction: Postmodernism, as a major intellectual and artistic current since the latter half of the twentieth century, has brought significant changes to different fields of knowledge and art. By questioning fixed concepts and established boundaries, it has encouraged pluralistic and eclectic approaches. In art, postmodernism challenged the separation of genres, emphasized play, a return to the past (neo-traditionalism), and synthesis (eclecticism), and questioned modernist elitism through an interest in popular culture. In Iranian art, this movement contributed to the emergence of new approaches, among which “calligraphy-painting” (Naqqashi-Khat) is particularly prominent. Rooted in Iranian calligraphic traditions and the Saqqakhaneh school, calligraphy-painting brings together tradition and innovation. This style, while preserving the essence of Persian calligraphy, has transformed it into a tool for painterly and visual expression. Examining postmodern characteristics in calligraphy-painting is therefore important because this practice connects indigenous identity with a broader global visual language. The growing presence and appeal of calligraphy-painting make it necessary to examine the approaches of its artists from a postmodern perspective. This research therefore focuses on identifying and analyzing postmodern characteristics in the works of contemporary Iranian calligraphy-painting artists. Purposes & Questions: The study examines the works of three groups of active calligraphy-painting artists to identify forms of indigenous and local identity, the use of Iranian subcultures, and the relationship between the calligraphy-painting movement, tradition, and postmodernism. It addresses two questions: A) What creative methods have calligraphy-painting artists used to represent indigenous identity in their works? B) What postmodern characteristics can be identified in contemporary Iranian calligraphy-painting works? Methods: In terms of its objective, this research is fundamental-theoretical and employs a descriptive-analytical approach. Data were collected through documentary and library research and field observation based on direct examination of artworks. The research population consists of 150 calligraphy-painting works by Iranian artists whose works contain components associated with postmodern art. The selected works cover the period from the 1940s and 1950s to the 1979 Revolution and the period from 1979 to the present. From this population, 12 prominent works were purposefully selected as the statistical sample. These works belong to six active artists, with two works selected from each artist, representing three target groups of calligraphy-painting artists. To answer the research questions, the works were first examined and classified according to their themes. They were then categorized further according to their structural features and correspondence with postmodern components. Findings & Results: The findings indicate that contemporary Iranian calligraphy-painting, particularly in the works examined, contains a range of postmodern characteristics Regarding indigenous identity (Question A), the artists use neo-traditionalist and eclectic approaches by recreating Iranian calligraphic elements and visual forms within contemporary and global frameworks. These include drawing on traditional Nasta’liq and Shekasteh calligraphy in the works of Ahsaei, using authentic Iranian forms in the works of Jabari, reinterpreting ancient visual patterns in the works of Fathi, and combining Persian scripts with popular literature in the works of Rezaei. These approaches maintain a connection with Iranian artistic heritage while allowing the works to communicate beyond a purely local context, without simply imitating tradition or adopting imported modernity imitating tradition or adopting imported modernity regarding postmodern characteristics (Question B), the findings identify deconstruction through the separation of script from literal meaning and its use for visual and formal purposes, as seen in illegibility and abstraction; a return to the past through neo-traditionalism and eclecticism, combining calligraphic traditions with modern painting elements and new compositions; local and trans-local dimensions that combine indigenous identity with broader international communication; playfulness and humor through dynamic visual effects, humor, and colloquial language; attention to superficial and layered concepts, including kitsch and schlock, and the use of popular themes; discursivity, which allows continued dialogue among tradition, modernity, identity, and concept; and allegory and innuendo, which introduce ambiguity and multiple meanings by altering the function or legibility of script. Overall, the increasing presence of calligraphy-painting in global art markets and international art contexts has made these postmodern characteristics more evident. Such approaches bring different concepts together and help attract diverse audiences. The findings also show that a work does not need to contain all the characteristics of postmodernism to be considered postmodern; the presence of some of these characteristics may be sufficient. مقدمه: پست‌مدرنیسم، به‌عنوان یک جریان فکری و هنری، تحولات گسترده‌ای را در جهان معاصر به دنبال داشته و بر شناخت و تحلیل هنرهای اخیر تأثیر بسزایی گذاشته است. جنبش نقاشی‌خط در هنر معاصر ایران، با ریشه‌هایی در مکتب سقاخانه، در عین حفظ ویژگی‌های سنتی، با نوآوری هنرمندان دستخوش تحول و تنوع شده است. اهداف و سؤال‌ها: این پژوهش باهدف شناسایی و تحلیل ویژگی‌های پست‌مدرنیسم در آثار نقاشی‌خط هنرمندان معاصر ایران، به بررسی رویکردهای آن‌ها در بازنمایی هویت بومی و ارتباط جریان نقاشی‌خط با سنت و پست‌مدرنیسم می‌پردازد. برای این منظور، سه گروه هدف از میان هنرمندان حوزۀ نقاشی‌خط موردبررسی قرار داده است. سؤال‌های اصلی پژوهش عبارت‌اند از: 1. هنرمندان نقاشی‌خط از چه شیوه‌های خلاقانه‌ای برای بازنمایی هویت بومی در آثار خود بهره گرفته‌اند؟ 2. مشخصه‌های پست‌مدرنیسم در آثار نقاشی‌خط معاصر ایران کدام‌اند؟ روش‌ها: این پژوهش ازنظر هدف، بنیادی- نظری و ازنظر ماهیت، توصیفی- تحلیلی است. داده‌ها از طریق مطالعۀ اسنادی و کتابخانه‌ای و مشاهدۀ مستقیم آثار جمع‌آوری شده‌اند. یافته‌ها و نتایج: نتایج پژوهش نشان می‌دهد که تأثیرات پست‌مدرنیسم در آثار منتخب، مشابه سایر حوزه‌های هنری، با حضور جریان‌های کثرت‌گرا و پلورالیسم فرهنگی همراه بوده است. این امر که در پی تأثیرات رسانه‌ای نیز قابل مشاهده است، به رشد هنری متنوع و گاهی آکنده از تناقض منجر شده است. هنرمندان نقاشیخط به شیوه‌ای ظریف، از مؤلفه‌هایی چون شالوده‌شکنی، التقاط، طنز و گفت‌وگو با سنت، جلوه‌ای از پست‌مدرنیسم را در آثار خود ارائه داده و مخاطب را در فرایند خلق و تفسیر اثر مشارکت می‌دهند. بااین‌حال، یک اثر نقاشی‌خط با رویکرد پست‌مدرن لزوماً شامل تمام مؤلفه‌های این جریان نیست و وجود برخی از آن‌ها برای قرار گرفتن اثر در دستۀ آثار پست‌مدرن کفایت می‌کند.

https://negareh.shahed.ac.ir/article_4912_4a4526b1ec301744aba9526d78fcb2a6.pdf

دانشگاه شاهد فصلنامه نگره 2676-7244 21 79 2026 09 23 A Semiotic Analysis of Abbas Kiarostami’s International Film Posters in the 1990s with an Emphasis on Peirce’s Semiotic Approach تحلیل نشانه‌شناختی پوستر فیلم‌های اکران خارجی عباس کیارستمی در دهه ۱۳۷۰ شمسی با تأکید بر رویکرد نشانه‌شناسی پیرس 242 269 5245 10.22070/negareh.2025.19968.3481 FA الناز شاه پسندی دانشجوی کارشناسی ارشد، رشته گرافیک، دانشگاه تربیت مدرس، تهران، ایران. 0009-0007-8150-5439 سید ابوتراب احمدپناه دانشیار، گروه گرافیک (ارتباطات بصری)، دانشگاه تربیت مدرس، تهران، ایران. 0000-0002-6546-1401 Journal Article 2025 11 04 Introduction: The design of Iranian movie posters underwent significant transformations in the early 1990s, shifting away from the theme-based and director-centered approaches dominant in the 1980s. This shift marked a move toward a more conceptual and visually engaging approach to cinematic poster design. As one of the most influential filmmakers of this period, Abbas Kiarostami not only revolutionized Iranian cinema but also introduced a distinct style to the design of his film posters. These posters transcend their basic promotional function and serve as semiotic texts that establish a deeper connection between the films and their audiences. Purposes & Questions: This study investigates the semiotic structure of Abbas Kiarostami’s movie posters produced in the 1990s, employing Charles Sanders Peirce’s triadic model to analyze how visual and textual elements—specifically form, composition, typography, and color—construct meaning. The study identifies these semiotic features and examines their effectiveness in fulfilling communicative and promotional functions. Furthermore, it assesses the extent to which these design elements correspond to the thematic essence and content of the films they represent. By addressing the formal characteristics of the posters, their functional operation within an advertising context, and their correspondence to cinematic narratives, this study provides a comprehensive semiotic evaluation of Kiarostami’s promotional visual language. Methods: This study adopts a descriptive-analytical approach within the framework of Charles Sanders Peirce’s semiotic model. A library-documentary method was employed for data collection. The research sample consists of four movie posters from Abbas Kiarostami’s films produced in the 1990s, selected based on their visual distinctiveness and semiotic richness. The analysis was conducted using Peirce’s tripartite semiotic framework—Representamen, Object, and Interpretant—to decode the visual and textual signs embedded in the posters. Each poster was examined based on its dominant semiotic features, considering the interplay of iconic, indexical, and symbolic signs within the design. The study also compares the posters designed by Kiarostami himself with those designed by other artists, particularly Morteza Momayez, to highlight stylistic and conceptual differences. Findings and Results: The findings indicate that visual elements predominate over textual components in Kiarostami’s posters, with typography playing a secondary role. The posters primarily employ iconic, indexical, and symbolic signs, with indexical and symbolic signs playing a crucial role in meaning-making. In all cases, the posters’ visual elements are directly related to the films’ core themes rather than serving as explicit representations of their plots. For instance, in The Wind Will Carry Us, the winding road and the lone motorcyclist symbolize the film’s themes of journey and self-discovery. In Taste of Cherry, the solitary tree represents existential dilemmas and the choice between life and death. In Through the Olive Trees, the positioning of the characters reflects the tension and emotional distance in the film. In Life and Nothing More, the cracked wall serves as an indexical sign of destruction and resilience. The results suggest that Kiarostami’s posters function not merely as promotional materials but as semiotic bridges between the films and their audiences, reinforcing the philosophical and thematic essence of his cinematic works. These insights can help contemporary graphic designers refine their approaches to movie poster design, ensuring that promotional materials are not only effective marketing tools but also meaningful artistic expressions. The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of Iranian graphic design history and its evolution in cinematic poster design. They reveal that Kiarostami’s posters exhibit characteristics of the Polish school of design, emphasizing minimalism, painterly aesthetics, and conceptual storytelling. In contrast, the poster for Through the Olive Trees, designed by Morteza Momayez, reflects a more American-style approach, focusing on character depiction and direct audience engagement. The study highlights the unique role of semiotics in Iranian film posters and its impact on audience perception, cinematic branding, and artistic expression. Additionally, the findings emphasize the intersection of visual arts and film studies, suggesting that Kiarostami’s approach challenges traditional advertising paradigms by privileging artistic introspection over superficial commercial appeal. By demonstrating the usefulness of Peirce’s semiotic framework for interpreting non-Western visual narratives, this research connects classical semiotic theory with contemporary Iranian graphic design criticism. Ultimately, this study posits that such posters function as autonomous cultural artifacts that preserve the historical consciousness of 1990s Iranian cinema, thereby offering a framework for future scholarly inquiries into the evolution of cinematic branding and graphic semiotics within the Middle Eastern context. مقدمه: طراحی پوستر فیلم‌ها در ایران، از اوایل دهۀ ۱۳۷۰ شمسی، از شیوۀ افراطی دهۀ پیشین، مبتنی بر «مضمون‌محوری» و «کارگردان‌سالاری»، فاصله گرفت و به رویکردهای نوین، به‌عنوان یکی از شاخصه‌های سینمایی، گرایش پیدا کرد. عباس کیارستمی، به‌عنوان یکی از شاخص‌ترین سینماگران این دوران، علاوه بر کارگردانی، در طراحی پوسترهای سینمایی فیلم‌های خود نیز سبک و زبانی منحصربه‌فرد ارائه داد که فراتر از کارکرد تبلیغاتیِ صرف عمل می‌کند. اهداف و سؤال‌ها: این پژوهش باهدف تحلیل ساختار نشانه‌شناختی پوسترهای فیلم‌های عباس کیارستمی در دهۀ ۱۳۷۰ و بررسی میزان انطباق نشانه‌های بصری و نوشتاری با محتوای فیلم‌ها و کارکرد ارتباطی-تبلیغاتی آن‌ها بر پایۀ الگوی پیرس انجام‌شده است. پرسش‌های اصلی عبارت‌اند از: 1. ویژگی‌های فرم‌شناختی، نوشتاری، رنگی و ترکیب‌بندی این پوسترها از منظر نشانه‌شناسی چیست؟ 2. این نشانه‌ها چگونه در خدمت اهداف ارتباطی و تبلیغی اثر قرار می‌گیرند؟ 3. تا چه اندازه میان عناصر بصری پوسترها و درون‌مایۀ روایی فیلم‌ها با الگوی سه‌گانۀ پیرس انطباق وجود دارد؟ روش‌ها: پژوهش حاضر با رویکردی توصیفی-تحلیلی انجام‌شده و اطلاعات آن از طریق روش‌های کتابخانه‌ای و اسنادی گردآوری‌شده است. جامعۀ نمونه شامل چهار پوستر از فیلم‌های برجستۀ عباس کیارستمی در دهۀ ۱۳۷۰ شمسی است که بر مبنای غنای نشانه‌شناختی انتخاب‌شده و با کاربست چارچوب سه‌گانۀ پیرس (نمود، موضوع و تأویل) مورد واکاوی قرار گرفته‌اند. یافته‌ها و نتایج: یافته‌ها حاکی از آن است که در پوسترهای کیارستمی، تصویر بر نوشتار غلبه دارد و نشانه‌های نمایه‌ای و نمادین نقشی محوری در فرایند معناسازی ایفا می‌کنند. هماهنگی میان ترکیب‌بندی‌های پویا، حروف‌نگاری (تایپوگرافی) مهارشده و رنگ‌های هدفمند با فضای معنایی فیلم‌ها، موجب تقویت پیوند معنایی اثر با مخاطب شده است. همچنین، بهره‌گیری از رویکرد مینیمالیستی و عناصر استعاری، پوسترها را به واسطه‌ای مفهومی و زیبایی‌شناختی برای تعامل عمیق با تماشاگر تبدیل کرده است. درنهایت، ساختار بصری این آثار با اجزای مدل سه‌گانۀ پیرس هم‌پوشانی بالایی داشته و نقشی اساسی در بازنمایی مضامین فلسفی سینمای کیارستمی دارند.

https://negareh.shahed.ac.ir/article_5245_435d6ab1ba16ba7e05e09d9728bc36ca.pdf

دانشگاه شاهد فصلنامه نگره 2676-7244 21 79 2026 09 23 An Iconographic Study of the Northern Mural Painting at the Entrance of Qaisarieh Bazaar in Isfahan مطالعۀ شمایل‌نگارانۀ دیوارنگارۀ ضلع شمالی سردر بازار قیصریۀ اصفهان 272 291 5297 10.22070/negareh.2025.19300.3397 FA فرنوش شمیلی دانشیار، دانشکده هنرهای تجسمی، دانشگاه هنر اسلامی تبریز، تبریز، ایران 0000-0001-7858-4120 مریم منتظری دانش‌آموخته کارشناسی ارشد رشته نقاشی ایرانی، دانشگاه هنر اسلامی تبریز، تبریز، ایران. 0009-0004-0162-5309 رحیم چرخی استادیار، دانشکده هنرهای تجسمی، دانشگاه هنر اسلامی تبریز، تبریز، ایران. 0000-0001-5307-313x Journal Article 2026 01 26 Introduction: Mural painting, like other artistic disciplines, reached significant development during the Safavid period. One of the major concerns of Shah Abbas I was the expansion and beautification of urban spaces through architectural projects, decorative elements, and visual representations. The entrance of Qaisarieh Bazaar in Isfahan, as one of the most important economic and political centers of the Safavid capital and a passageway for domestic and foreign merchants, contains valuable examples of Safavid decorative arts. The entrance structure includes murals on its northern, western, and eastern facades, which belong to the reign of Shah Abbas I and represent important historical and cultural themes. Among these works, the mural on the northern side is particularly significant because it depicts the war against the Uzbeks and the Safavid victory over them. This mural, which has been affected by environmental conditions and prolonged exposure to sunlight, requires further investigation as a historical and artistic document. From the pre-Islamic period onward, symbolic motifs have occupied an important position in Iranian painting, functioning both as decorative elements and as carriers of cultural meaning. Iconography, introduced as a systematic method by Erwin Panofsky, provides a comprehensive approach for understanding the relationship between visual forms and their underlying cultural, political, and philosophical meanings. Unlike purely formal analysis, iconographic study examines the themes represented in artworks and interprets them within their historical context. Therefore, analyzing the northern mural of Qaisarieh Bazaar through Panofsky’s method can reveal the meanings embedded in its visual elements and provide a deeper understanding of Safavid political and social values. Purposes & Questions: The purpose of this research is to conduct an iconographic analysis of the northern mural at the entrance of Qaisarieh Bazaar in Isfahan based on Panofsky’s approach. The study aims to identify the visual characteristics of the mural and interpret the meanings and themes reflected in its motifs and composition. The research seeks to answer two main questions: First, what visual elements and formal characteristics can be identified through the pre-iconographical description of the northern mural of Qaisarieh Bazaar? Second, what themes and meanings can be revealed through the iconographic analysis of these visual elements in relation to the social, political, and cultural conditions of the Safavid period? Methods: This research employs a descriptive-analytical method with a case study approach. Data were collected through both library research and field observation. The mural was examined through direct visual analysis, and the collected information was interpreted based on Panofsky’s iconographic framework. In the first stage, the visible features of the mural, including lines, colors, figures, motifs, composition, and spatial organization, were described. In the second stage, these elements were analyzed in relation to the historical background, political circumstances, religious beliefs, and cultural conditions of the Safavid era. Relevant historical documents and written sources were also examined to support the interpretation of the mural’s visual components and symbolic meanings. Findings & Results: The findings indicate that the northern mural of Qaisarieh Bazaar represents the war between Shah Abbas I and the Uzbeks in the Khorasan region and depicts the Safavid victory over them. The analysis shows that the visual structure of the mural reflects political and religious concepts associated with the authority of the Safavid government and the strengthening of Shiite identity. The Uzbeks, who had long-standing conflicts with the Safavids and Shiite communities, were represented as opponents whose defeat reinforced the legitimacy and power of Shah Abbas I’s rule. The recovery of Khorasan and Herat, which held significant religious importance for Shiites, was presented as a symbol of the strength of the Safavid state and its role in protecting Shiite beliefs. Through the arrangement of figures and visual elements, the mural emphasizes victory, sovereignty, and justice as essential qualities of Shah Abbas I’s government. Therefore, this mural should not be considered merely a decorative work within an urban environment; rather, it functions as a visual narrative that communicates historical memory, political authority, and religious identity. The iconographic analysis demonstrates that Safavid mural painting served as a medium through which artistic expression and ideological representation were combined, transforming public spaces into platforms for conveying the values and achievements of the ruling system. مقدمه: در مدخل بازار قیصریه، در قسمت سردر، گنجینهای نفیس از هنرهای تزیینی وابسته به معماری که انتقال‌دهندۀ فرهنگ پیشینیان است و دارای اعتبار و ارزشی ویژه است، قرار دارد. این گنجینه شامل دیوارنگاره‌هایی بر سه جبهۀ شمالی، غربی و شرقی از دورۀ سلطنت شاه‌عباس اول است. این دیوارنگارهها بازتاب‌دهندۀ وقایع تاریخی بوده و یکی از بهترین اسناد موجود هستند. مطالعۀ دیوارنگارۀ جبهه شمالی، به لحاظ شکل ساختار بصری، ارزش‌های نمادین نهفته در آن، به جهت جایگاه این اثر، حائز اهمیت است. رویکرد مطالعاتی شمایل‌نگاری برای درک عمیق اثر هنری، به بیان ساده توسط پانوفسکی مطرح‌شده است. مطالعۀ آثار هنری به روش شمایل‌نگاری در دو مرحلۀ توصیف پیشا‌شمایل‌نگارانه و تحلیل شمایل‌نگارانه انجام می‌گیرد. اهداف و سؤال‌ها: هدف این پژوهش مطالعۀ شمایل‌نگارانۀ دیوارنگارۀ جبهۀ شمالی سردر بازار قیصریۀ اصفهان به روش پانوفسکی است. این پژوهش در پاسخ به این دو سؤال اساسی انجام‌یافته است: 1. بر اساس توصیف پیشاشمایل‌نگارانه، دیوارنگارۀ ضلع شمالی سردر بازار قیصریۀ اصفهان واجد چه ویژگی‌ها و عناصر بصری است؟ 2. تحلیل شمایل‌نگارانۀ این نقوش و عناصر بصری، در راستای شناسایی شرایط اجتماعی، سیاسی و فرهنگی آن دوره، چه مضامینی ارائه می‌کند؟ روش‌ها: روش این پژوهش توصیفی - تحلیلی بوده‌ و شیوۀ جمع‌آوری داده‌ها، بخشی به‌صورت کتابخانه‌ای و بخشی به‌صورت میدانی است و نمونه‌گیری به روش انتخاب موردی انجام‌شده است. از روش کیفی به‌منظور تجزیه‌وتحلیل داده‌ها بهره برده‌ شده است. یافته‌ها و نتایج: نتایج پژوهش حاکی از آن است که دیوارنگارۀ ضلع شمالی سردر بازار قیصریۀ اصفهان بازتابدهندۀ وقایع جنگ شاه‌عباس با ازبکان در منطقۀ خراسان و پیروزی بر آن‌هاست. ازبکان از گذشته نسبت به صفویان و شیعیان کینه داشته و قصد براندازی شیعیان را داشتند. بنابراین خراسان برای شیعیان مهم بوده، پیروزی بر ازبکان و بازپسگیری خراسان، اشاره به قدرت و حقانیت مذهب شیعه دارد. پیروزی شیعیان در خراسان نشان از صلابت و قدرت حکومت و تلاش برای حفظ مذهب شیعه است.

https://negareh.shahed.ac.ir/article_5297_bf5a1d9043100645b2067fa70d7a1ea6.pdf

دانشگاه شاهد فصلنامه نگره 2676-7244 21 79 2026 09 23 Semantic Analysis of Iranian Muqarnas Based on the Principles of Suhrawardi’s Hikmat al-Ishraq (The Philosophy of Illumination) تحلیل معنایی مقرنس ایرانی بر اساس مبانی اشراقی حکمت سهروردی 294 313 5276 10.22070/negareh.2025.19590.3426 FA بهزاد وثیق دانشیار، گروه معماری، دانشگاه صنعتی جندی شاپور دزفول، دزفول، ایران. 0000-0001-5708-7045 Journal Article 2026 01 08 Introduction: Decorations in Islamic architecture are rich in meanings and symbols. Muslim artists have sought to express the intellectual and spiritual concerns of their time, as well as the wishes of rulers and jurists, through architectural decoration. In doing so, they have drawn on mystical teachings, jurisprudence, and religious interpretations, using elements such as geometry, color, hierarchy, and motifs. Hikmat al-Ishraq (The Philosophy of Illumination), with its particular emphasis on the meanings and symbolism of light, offers a framework for understanding the representation of light in architecture. This approach can be observed in the use of light and geometry and in certain motifs derived from divine verses, such as mesh and glass. The term Ishraq literally means “rising,” particularly the rising of the sun, although “illumination” is its more common translation. Suhrawardi used the term in a broader sense to encompass mystical experience and different forms of knowledge, including Elham, or personal inspiration. Among the distinctive forms of Islamic architectural ornamentation, muqarnas is particularly important. Used in domes, half-domes, entrances, and niches, muqarnas consists of a complex three-dimensional arrangement of niche-like units organized in tiers. In addition to its decorative and structural functions, it creates transitions between architectural elements and contributes to the spiritual and aesthetic experience of space. Historically, muqarnas emerged in the tenth century in the Middle East, possibly in Iran or North Africa, and subsequently spread across the Islamic world, appearing in mosques, madrasas, palaces, and mausoleums from Morocco to India. It was constructed from materials such as plaster, wood, stone, and brick. Its intricate geometric patterns reflect the Islamic emphasis on geometry, unity, and the infinite nature of creation. Beyond its visual beauty, muqarnas symbolizes the connection between the earthly and the divine. Its layered, downward-pointing forms are often interpreted as a metaphysical descent of heavenly order into the material world, making muqarnas a hallmark of Islamic architectural identity in which art, faith, and geometry converge. Purposes & Questions: This research analyzes muqarnas as one of the significant structural and ornamental features of post-Islamic architecture. Beyond its aesthetic and geometric complexity, the study examines the symbolic meanings embedded in its form through the framework of Illuminationist philosophy developed by Shihab al-Din Suhrawardi. It explores how the layered, ascending arrangement of geometric units in muqarnas reflects metaphysical concepts such as the gradation of lights, the soul’s ascent toward the divine, and the manifestation of higher realities in material form. The interplay of light and shadow within the structure is also examined as a metaphor for the journey from darkness, understood as ignorance, toward light, understood as knowledge, a central theme in Illuminationist cosmology. The main research question is: How does the arrangement and geometric configuration of elements in muqarnas reflect the philosophical concepts of Suhrawardi’s Illuminationist philosophy? Methods: The research employs a comprehensive analytical and comparative approach, combining simulation-based methods, formal and geometric analysis, and case study discussions. A comparative framework is used to examine the relationship between theoretical concepts and their physical manifestation in architectural structures. Data were collected from primary and secondary sources. Primary data were obtained through direct field observations, allowing firsthand examination of architectural elements in their actual contexts. Secondary data were gathered through library research and the analysis of relevant documentary sources, including academic publications, historical texts, and architectural records. The collected material was analyzed to clarify the relationship between architectural form and the philosophical concepts associated with Illuminationist philosophy and to support the study’s objectives through qualitative and quantitative evidence. Findings & Results: The findings indicate that muqarnas possesses meanings and functions that extend far beyond its physical or decorative role in architecture. It is not merely an ornamental feature but a symbolic element carrying layers of philosophical and metaphysical significance. In particular, muqarnas resonates with the conceptual framework of light articulated in Ishraqi philosophy by Shihab al-Din Suhrawardi, in which light is regarded as the fundamental principle of existence and as the medium through which knowledge and divine presence are conveyed. Within this philosophical context, the structure of muqarnas can be interpreted as a spatial metaphor for the descent of light from the divine realm to the material world. Moreover, the symbolic form of muqarnas evokes the presence of a Nabi (prophet) and a Vāseṭ-e-Fayz (intermediary of divine grace), emphasizing its role as a bridge between the transcendent and the earthly. Thus, muqarnas is not only a geometric or decorative element but also a spiritually charged structure that embodies theological and cosmological meanings in Islamic thought. مقدمه: تزیینات معماری اسلامی حاوی معانی و نمادهایی است که هنرمند تلاش کرده است از طریق تولید این‌گونه آمودها، اندیشه‌های زمانه و یا خواست نهادهای متولی ابنیه را برآورده سازد. در این دیدگاه، هنرمند با تکیه بر آموزه‌های عرفانی یا حکمی، نمادها را در قالب‌های مادی و با استفاده از ابزارهایی مانند هندسه، رنگ، سلسله‌مراتب بیان، نگاره و ... به نمایش می‌گذارد. حکمت اشراقی، با توجه ویژه به معانی و نمادهای نور، دریچه‌ای برای بازنمود نور در معماری گشود؛ به‌گونه‌ای که می‌توان بروز آن را در نحوۀ به‌کارگیری نور و هندسه و نیز برخی نقوش برگرفته از آیات الهی، مانند مشکات و زجاجه، مشاهده کرد. اهداف و سؤال‌ها: هدف این پژوهش، بررسی مقرنس به‌عنوان یکی از مهم‌ترین تزیینات ساختاری معماری پس از اسلام و شناسایی برخی نمادهای آن از دیدگاه حکمت سهروردی است. این پژوهش در پی پاسخ‌گویی به این سؤال است که ترتیب و شکل آلات به‌کاررفته در مقرنس به چه مفاهیمی از حکمت سهروردی اشاره دارد؟ روش‌ها: روش پژوهش در این مقاله، ترکیبی از تحلیل و شبیه‌سازی، تحلیل شکلی و هندسی، بررسی نمونه موردی و مقایسۀ تطبیقی میان اندیشه و اثر است. اطلاعات مورد نیاز از طریق مشاهده میدانی و داده‌های کتابخانه‌ای و اسنادی به‌دست‌آمده است. یافته‌ها و نتایج: نتایج پژوهش نشان میدهد که مقرنس معانی فراتر از کاربندی در خود داشته و افزون بر مقدمات مفهومی نور در اندیشه سهروردی، ازجمله اشاره به نورالانوار و تجلیهای نورانی، به نماد معنایی نبی و واسطه فیض نیز اشاره دارد. به عبارتی شمسه کوچک نماد انسان کامل و آلت هندسی کوچکِ میان شمسه اصلی و شمسه کوچک‌تر، قوس نزول، معنا و وحی را نشان میدهد.

https://negareh.shahed.ac.ir/article_5276_ed383ec94720d62a939bfb6bdd98f50c.pdf

دانشگاه شاهد فصلنامه نگره 2676-7244 21 79 2026 09 28 A Study of the Wall Painting in Mawaddat House, Yazd, Through Gérard Genette’s Theories of Intertextuality and Hypertextuality تحلیل نقاشی دیواری خانه مودّت یزد بر اساس خوانش روابط بینامتنی و بیش متنی ژرار ژنت 316 343 4821 10.22070/negareh.2025.19901.3468 FA کوثر السادات مهرنیا کارشناسی ارشد پژوهش هنر، دانشکده هنر و معماری، دانشگاه یزد، یزد، ایران. 0009-0007-7909-4925 حنیف رحیمی پردنجانی استادیار، دانشکده هنر و معماری، دانشگاه یزد، یزد، ایران. 0000-0002-2516-8593 علی اکبر شریفی مهرجردی استادیار، دانشکده هنر و معماری، دانشگاه یزد، یزد، ایران. 0000-0002-0462-1600 Journal Article 2026 09 28 Introduction: The depiction of the Prophet Muhammad’s Miʿrāj (ascension to the heavens) has consistently inspired artists throughout the history of Islamic art and has been visualized in diverse media, ranging from illustrated manuscripts and architectural decoration to lithographic prints and murals. Among the notable examples is the mural painting of the Miʿrāj created by Farrokh Khan, a Qajar-period artist, in the Mawaddat House in Yazd, formerly a Niʿmatullāhī Sufi khānaqāh. The mural stands out not only for its scale and iconographic richness but also for its distinctive visual vocabulary which resonates with a wide range of historical and cultural references. This study examines how the mural engages with earlier textual and visual traditions of the Miʿrāj, and how this engagement shapes its narrative structure and symbolic content within the context of Qajar visual culture. The significance of the research lies in highlighting the role of intertextuality and creative adaptation in the production of Qajar religious visual culture. Rather than treating Qajar religious paintings as mere imitations of earlier models, the study considers works such the Mawaddat mural as reinterpretations that negotiate between inherited forms and new expressive needs. Purposes & Questions: This article examines the mural through the lens of Genette’s concept of transtextuality developed by Gérard Genette, which facilitates the analysis of relationships among texts and, by extension, images across time.. This approach seeks to identify the multiple layers of meaning embedded in the mural and to examine how Farrokh Khan navigated between continuity and innovation in constructing a visual narrative grounded in tradition while responding to the artistic currents of his time. The research questions are as follows: To what extent is the mural shaped by earlier representations of the Miʿrāj, from the Safavid period and onward? How does it incorporate visual cues from Qajar lithography and manuscript illustration? What semantic functions do these borrowings serve within the religious and cultural context of late Qajar Iran? Methods: The research adopted a descriptive-analytical approach that combined close visual analysis with historical contextualization. Field observations of the mural were supplemented by comparative studies of manuscript paintings, lithographic prints, and architectural programs from relevant periods. Particular attention was paid to iconographic elements, stylistic motifs, and compositional strategies as indicators of transtextual relations. The study also considered the broader cultural and religious milieu in which Farrokh Khan worked, including the prominence of Sufi patronage and the dissemination of popular religious imagery through lithographic publishing. Findings & Results: The findings reveal that Farrokh Khan’s mural draws extensively on iconographic motifs found in earlier Islamic depictions of the Miʿrāj, particularly those of the Timurid and Safavid periods. It also engages with the visual language of nineteenth-century lithographic prints, which had become an increasingly influential medium of religious and cultural expression during the Qajar period. The painting employs compositional strategies, including the arrangement of celestial realms and the depiction of prophetic encounters, that echo manuscript conventions while adapting them to the architectural surface and audience of a khānaqāh. Symbolic imagery, including animals, angels, and celestial spheres, reflects a continued emphasis on metaphysical meaning and allegorical narration, consistent with Islamic cosmological and esoteric thought. The mural also shares aesthetic and thematic affinities with similar Qajar-era wall paintings in Yazd, suggesting the presence of regional schools or workshops engaged in religious mural production. These connections underscore the collective dimension of Qajar artistic practice, in which individual creativity operated within shared visual repertoires and localized interpretive frameworks. Farrokh Khan’s mural thus exemplifies the agency of Qajar artists in mediating between earlier visual traditions and contemporary devotional and cultural concerns. Overall, the mural of the Prophet’s Miʿrāj in the Mawaddat House can be understood as an active site of transtextual engagement rather than a static reproduction of traditional themes. By integrating elements from earlier manuscripts, lithographs, and local mural traditions, the painting functions both as a repository of historical memory and as a vehicle for new forms of religious visual expression. It embodies a negotiation between continuity and transformation, offering insight into the visual culture and religious imagination of the Qajar era. Recognizing these transtextual dynamics allows for a more nuanced appreciation of Iranian Islamic art and underscores the importance of contextual and comparative approaches in the study of historical artworks. The analysis therefore clarifies how inherited visual forms were selectively incorporated, adapted, and reinterpreted within a specific religious and architectural setting. مقدمه: داستان معراج پیامبر(ص) در طول تاریخ اسلامی همواره موردتوجه هنرمندان قرار داشته و در آثار گوناگونی بازنمایی شده است. یکی از نمونه‌های برجسته، نقاشی دیواری معراج پیامبر(ص)، اثر فرخ‌خان، هنرمند دورة قاجار، در خانۀ مودّت یزد (خانقاه نعمت‌اللهی) است. این پژوهش با تکیه بر نظریة ترامتنیت ژرار ژنت، به بررسی چگونگی تأثیرپذیری و روابط بینامتنی این اثر با متون و تصاویر پیشین می‌پردازد. نظریة ترامتنیت چارچوبی برای تحلیل ارتباطات، اقتباس‌ها و حضور متون گذشته در خلق آثار جدید فراهم می‌آورد. اهداف و سؤال‌ها: هدف اصلی پژوهش، شناسایی تأثیرات، برگرفتگی‌ها و الهامات فرخ‌خان در خلق این اثر است. این پژوهش می‌کوشد به این پرسش پاسخ دهد که نقاشی دیواری معراج در خانۀ مودّت یزد چگونه و تا چه اندازه تحت تأثیر نمونه‌های پیشین و زمینه‌های تصویری عصر قاجار قرارگرفته و از طریق بهره‌گیری از عناصر تصویری و نشانه‌ها، چه معانی و مفاهیمی را منتقل می‌کند؟ روش‌ها: روش پژوهش توصیفی-تحلیلی و مبتنی بر مطالعات کتابخانه‌ای و میدانی است. یافته‌ها و نتایج: یافته‌ها نشان می‌دهد که این اثر در ترکیب و چیدمان عناصر تصویری، شباهت‌ها و تفاوت‌های قابل‌توجهی با نگاره‌های معراج پیامبر(ص) در دوره‌های مختلف دارد. همچنین، برخی روابط بینامتنی آن به دوران صفویه و پیش از آن بازمی‌گردد و درعین‌حال، با دیگر خانه‌های قاجاری یزد نیز در پیوند است. پیش‌متن‌های چاپ سنگی قاجار نقشی پررنگ در شکل‌گیری اثر داشته‌اند و فرخ‌خان با بهره‌گیری خلاقانه از آن‌ها، اثری متمایز خلق کرده است.

https://negareh.shahed.ac.ir/article_4821_85267d349a5e647ff0a9edcb5ffd1e02.pdf