Recognizing and Reading the Visual Components of Qalamdan Kiani in the Period of Naser al-Din Shah and Its Artist

Document Type : Research Paper

Author

Associate Professor, Department of Painting, Faculty of Art, Alzahra University, Tehran

10.22070/negareh.2023.17271.3166

Abstract

Apart from its historical aspects, works of art are one of the manifestations of art in the history of Iranian painting and calligraphy. Iranian calligraphies have delicate and beautiful motifs and have conceptual and symbolic features of their time. In this research, the study of Iranian calligraphy and Kiani calligraphy by an artist named Seyyed Mohammad is discussed. This exquisite and rare pen case, in the central picture on the frame, shows the pen case of Naser al-Din Shah on the Kiani throne, the images of ancient and legendary Iranian kings in the Shahnameh of Ferdowsi, Kikavus and Kikhusro, are depicted around the central frame, as well as prominent Iranian dervishes with an emphasis on Shiite writing. The purpose of this research is to introduce the Kiani pen case and to find out its characteristics, to study the images and their relationship with Iranian mythological literature, Shiite calligraphy and the painter's self-portrait inside the pen case. The questions of this research: 1- What are the structural, technical and content-oriented features of the Kiani pen case? 2- Who is the artist of Qalmadan Kiani and what are his artistic features (works)? The research method is descriptive and analytical, using library sources and examining the museum sample of exquisite Kiani pen case. The method of analysis of penmanship is based on the visual principles and rules used in the external features of Kiani pen case and its relationship with Iranian historical and mystical literature. The results of this research show that this pen case has been depicted with the influence of Iranian literature and mysticism combined with the art of court iconography of the Qajar period. The connection between the court of Naser al-Din Shah and the legendary kings named in the Shahnameh, the khamsa of Nizami in the section of the kings outside the Qalamdan, and the connection of Attar's poems with the Iranian Nematullahi dervishes, who were persecuted during the Zand period and the beginning of the Qajar period, are depicted and served as a memorial. This pen case has the signature of a person named Seyyed Mohammad, who depicted his self-portrait inside the pen case, and considering the picture of Mohammad Ismail in another pen case, it seems that these two people have a similar work style and are independent artists. Examining the relationship between Seyyed Mohammad and Mohammad Ismail is also one of the important issues in the analysis of the artist of this Qalamdan Kiani. Despite the importance of the connection between religion, literature and royal images, this exquisite and rare pen case has not been the subject of an independent research, and the necessity of the present research shows that it is an important work worthy of attention among the pen cases of the Qajar period.
The above-mentioned connections attribute to the legitimacy of the monarchy and the return of Naser al-Din Shah Qajar to the time of the legendary kings of Iran, as well as a new national history by relating it to the ancient history and the ancient narratives and mythological characters of the kings to accept the public's belief. The poems inside the Qalamdan refer to Shia writing and mystical themes while the poems outside the Qalamdan refer to the writing of the Shah and epic and romantic themes. The pictures of Nematullahi dervishes and Sufis suggest the legitimacy of the court of Naser al-Din Shah and the support for dervishes and Sufism. The pictures of the kings on the pen case are the emphasis on the material world while the pictures of dervishes on it reflect the importance of the spiritual world. Also, the important point is the image and the year of the artist's work, which is depicted as Seyyed Mohammad in the pen case along with an unknown young boy. Considering the existing image of Mohammad Ismail and the lack of similarity with his image, the lack of certainty that Mohammad Ismail is a master, the frequency of the name Mohammad among the artists of the Qajar period, and the lack of accurate documentation of them, these two people can be artists. Seyyed Mohammad was probably a member of this Sufic sect due to his knowledge and devotion to his dervishes and depiction of Sufi elders, also the history of Sufism from the early centuries to the Qajar has been illustrated in the Qalamdan symbolically, and the use of a self-portrait of the artist and a boy with an unknown identity indicates that he is a dervish. The pictures of this exquisite Kiani pen case depict the link between poetry and literature, Iranian Islamic mysticism, the link between religion and politics influenced by the art of the Sassanid era in various frames in connection with the court iconography of the court of Naser al-Din Shah Qajar. In general, this pen case can be considered as having the themes of nationalism, succession in the Nasserite court, martyrs of Sufism and the history of Nematullahi dervishes, connecting the Qajar Shah with ancient kings and supporting Sufism, representing the connection between nationalism and Islam, which was purposefully conveyed by an artist by the name of Seyyed Mohammad.

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Negareh Journal
Volume 20, Issue 73
April 2025
Pages 56-65

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  • Receive Date: 22 May 2023
  • Revise Date: 24 September 2023
  • Accept Date: 02 October 2023

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