A Comparative Study of the Decorations on the Door of Seyed Aminuddin Jibraeel's Tomb and the Chest of Shah Ismail Safavi's Tomb

Introduction: The lasting artworks from historical periods show the technique, skill, and mastery of the artists of those eras. These works of art, which have remained intact, and are preserved in museum collections, include the wooden works related to the tomb of Sheikh Safi al-Din Ardabili. In this collection, there are many doors and tomb chests from different periods decorated with various geometric, inscribed, arabesque (i.e. Slimi), and twisted Khatai (i.e. lotus motif with buds and leaves) designs. These patterns are executed with techniques such as mosaic, interlaced mesh, inlaid mesh, carving, inlay, Jovak, and lacquer painting. The materials used in these works include different woods such as teak, ebony, and walnut, as well as other materials such as bone, ivory, turquoise, brass wires, and silver threads. The two artworks, i.e., the chest of Shah Ismail's tomb and the door of Sheikh Jibraeel, despite their different uses, are technically similar and have differences in their patterns and execution methods. The chest is located at the end of Qandilkhane (i.e., house of candles) in the mausoleum of Sheikh Safi al-Din, next to his tomb in a small room, and the door of Sheikh Jibraeel is also kept in Janat Sara of the mausoleum.
Purposes & Questions: This research aimed to conduct a specialized study on the existing designs of these two artworks and their implementation techniques. Accordingly, the research question is: What are the differences and similarities in these works regarding motifs and techniques, and what has been the origin of the similarities? The current research requires an introduction of historical works and a formal and technical examination of motifs in a specialized way. Likewise, the authors aimed to examine and categorize the motifs and techniques in these artworks and to investigate the causes of these similarities.
Methods: This qualitative research employed a descriptive-analytical method with a comparative approach. Data were collected through documentary and field methods. The statistical population includes one of the doors in the mausoleum of Sheikh Safi al-Din Ardabili, located in the Janat Sara section, and related to the tomb of Sheikh Jibraeel, as well as the chest of Shah Ismail’s tomb. These artworks were selected to analyze the motifs and techniques used in them. They were analyzed visually, and then evaluated comparatively.
Findings & Results: The findings showed that these artworks must have been created by a group of artists in a workshop. Their motifs and implementation methods follow the same principles; however, there are differences between them. The execution techniques in these artworks are also very similar. There are four main motifs in these works. The geometric motifs executed on the second margin of the chest and on the border of the door lintels are made with the “eight and four double-eight lintels” knot, and the decoration type is also an inscribed double-eight pattern. The difference is that the inscriptions on the door are done on wood, while those on the tomb chest are on a bone background. Regarding the body of these artworks, the motifs on the door, which have been created on the background of geometric knots, have a rhombus network, and two shapes of firecrackers and six-banded patterns, which are repeated throughout the entire work. However, these figures and patterns on the grave chest were made in the form of "twelve, ten, and eight" knots, the six-banded and the cracker patterns, the motifs of twelve-pointed Shamseh, seven-pointed Shamseh, eight-pointed Shamseh, medallion, star, grain oak, digon, hexagon, piece, etc. have also been used. Inside these motifs were filled using the alternative mosaic methods. On the door, only two techniques – latticed and netted inlay – were used, probably along with Khatam. However, due to the loss of these works, we can refer to the netting and inlaying techniques, which were used in some patterns. The implementation techniques on Shah Ismail's tomb chest, in the designs created throughout the body of the box, were mostly carried out using the alternative mosaic method; secondarily, the sides of the designs were flattened, and a row of borders on their upper part was filled with inlays or a Jovak. In the center of the motifs, an inlaid mesh technique was applied on a red cloth background, or a carving was executed on a bone background. Some motifs, such as cracker and star, were occasionally replaced with Khatam or Jovak techniques. The techniques of lacquer painting and inlay were used in the upper part of the chest along with its base. The lacquer painting, in its similarity to the artwork designed on the chest, was decorated on the upper parts and the beveled sides of the motifs with azure and golden colors along with arabesque and Khatai designs.