Iconography of Tile Decorations in Historical Qajar Houses of Shiraz

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Jundi-Shapur University of Technology, Dezful Iran

2 jundi-shapur university of technology

10.22070/negareh.2021.13709.2667

Abstract

Decorations in Iranian architecture refer to both aesthetic and infrastructural aspects such as social beliefs and religions. These sources have been effective in the way of decorations in Islamic architecture, so that the content of the image and the way of expressing that narrative are related to these tendencies. However, this process has undergone changes in different periods. Qajar period tiling is an important example of how to express the ideas and life of the people of that period. By recognizing these images, a clear and significant understanding of the cultural situation of that historical period can be obtained. It should be noted that these works of art are in danger of destruction and with their destruction an important part of Iran's cultural heritage will be lost. Iconography is that branch of the history of art which concerns itself with the subject matter or meaning of works of art, as opposed to their form. Originally, iconography referred to the description and classification of religious or artistic objects/images, while iconology referred to the interpretation of their meanings, but these two terms now tend to be used interchangeably or as closely interwoven. In order to systematise the process, Edwin Panofsky constructed an integrated frame of three levels of primary, secondary and tertiary analyses. Primary level (factual description of representations): the purpose of this is to enable the researcher to see all aspects of the object/image in order to prepare for the next level. Secondary level (iconographical analysis at a more abstract level): seeks the meanings of the signs/symbols/images presented. Tertiary level (iconological interpretation): involves seeking the deepest meaning through clarifying how the signs/symbols/images reflect the underlying principles or period in which the object/ image was created). Although Panofsky did not suggest this, an overall alternative analysis can often help by giving you another perspective through which to view the image. Topics such as feast, religious Quranic, epic, political figures, soldiers, martial themes, poetry, hunting scene, erotic, special motifs, single frame, daily life, battle, decorative motifs and Slimmi (arabesque) were examined in these images. Even as the new hybrid forms of Euro-Persian design grew more prominent in court circles, the older traditions of vegetal, geometric, and calligraphic ornament remained in use. The latter two types predominated in the decoration of Qajar religious architecture, and the arabesque was frequently engraved on metalwork during the 17th-19th centuries. In this age, this industry had unique features and characteristics. Moreover, the cities of Isfahan, Qashan, Yazid, Mashhad, Shiraz and Kerman were among the greatest ceramic centers in Iran during this period. The purpose of this study is to find the components affecting the image formation in the tiling of historical houses in Shiraz during the Qajar period. The main question of the research is to know what are the visual values ​​of iconographic designs of Shiraz’s tile decorations? The research method in this article is based on library and field methods and based on Panofsky's iconographic method. The method of collecting information is through field observation and personal perception of historical houses and library-documentary studies. In this study, 15 houses with intact tiling were examined. Image analysis was performed based on iconographic method. The houses names are Forough Al-Molk, Saadat, Tavalaee, Salehi, Modarressi, Tawhidi, Atrwash, Basiri, Owji, Tavakoli, Javaheri, Ardakani, Dokhanchi, Ziaeyan, Manteghinejad. The studied houses are located in the historical context of Shiraz and the researchers have done the research based on the photography and analysis of each photo. The study area includes a collection of eleven old neighborhoods. It can be seen that there is a clear method and a coherent narrative process in the pictures drawn on the tiles of the historical houses of the Qajar period in Shiraz. This shows that there are three trends in how the image is formed and expressed in these works. Adherence to public culture due to the use of national-lyrical and religious images, the tendency of the homeowner to modern thoughts such as images of European mansions or jobs centered on industrial technology as well as the inner desires of the individual are three major trends shaping these images. These three tendencies can be seen, not only in the general form of the image, but also in determining the color and type of expression of each narrative. Human paintings represent the highest percentage of the researched study pieces. They have been found to be highly varied and rich. In addition to including various age groups, the human paintings carried different body features, costumes and themes. Human images were used on the pieces represented by some tiling; while another tiling included portraits represented only general themes. The researched ceramic ones reflected distinguished paintings of birds, horses, fish and some animal like those which were depicted in paintings.

Keywords


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