A Research on the Works and Circumstances of Mirza Abd al-Razzaq Kashipaz: Pioneer of Shiraz Tile Painters in Qajar Era

The art of tiling in Iran during the Qajar period (especially from the Naser al-Din Shah onwards) was influenced by the archaic spirit of the court, its connection with the Western cultures and its artistic themes, the introduction of new media such as photography and printing, and finally the Persian Constitutional Movement. In some important cities of the country, such as Shiraz, tile paintings have gained such a status and prestige among the people that they have been referred to as the "folk movement of painting on tiles". The deep connection that was established between the tile-painters and the society during this period led to the creation of works that not only adorned the homes of ordinary people, but also were a mirror of their hidden and apparent tastes, beliefs and aspirations and a reflection of the thinking of the society of that time. The history of tile working in Shiraz during the Qajar era had various artists, among which "Mirza Abd al-Razzaq Kashipaz (1867-1937 or 38)" was one of the most prominent and was one of the few tile painters who have left a lasting and familial heritage. The aim of this study is to identify the circumstances, to classify the period of evolution of artistic life and finally to offer the typology of his works so that it can be a source for further comparative studies. Therefore, the key questions are 1- How many periods can Mirza Abd al-Razzaq's artistic life be divided into? And what were the factors affecting them? 2- Into what subjects and themes can the studied works be classified? And finally 3- What data can be historically deduced from other artistic figures of his time in these works? This research used historical method with the aim of achieving a monograph. In this regard, the necessary data have been collected in the field and with reference to published documents. Although a large number of tiles with the name of Mirza Abd al-Razzaq are expected to be available, many of these specimens are not available because they are either extinct or in private collections and private houses that could not be photographed. However, in this research, 10 works by Mirza Abd al-Razzaq are introduced, whose authenticities are not in doubt. What is known about Mirza Abd al-Razzaq's biography is the result of the first hand narrations by Rahim Gharbi (tile painter), Massoud and Ahmad Shishegar (tile painter) and Ismail Faghfouri (descendants of Mirza Abd al-Razzaq) in the writings of Hadi Seif (2013) and Atefeh Seyed Mousavi (2018).Mirzā Abd al-Razzaq was a "self-made" artist who, due to poverty, "had no master and instructor from the beginning" and "alone and helpless, learned the secret of the technique of tiling and tiling"; he was a "worthy, manager and resourceful" person. The findings of this research show that his artistic life can be divided into four periods: 1-Development (1877-1887), 2-Stabilization (1887-1892), 3-Pioneering (1892-1928), and 4-Lack of tile-projects (1928-1937). Most of his surviving works date from the third period, which spans more than three decades. In this research, works from 1897 to 1920 (from Mozaffar al-Din Shah to the Reza Shah Pahlavi’s period) were studied. The results of this study show that at least his works could be divided into five categories, including 1-tiles with flower and chicken designs, 2-tiles with epic themes, 3-tiles with religious themes, 4-tiles with icons and figures and 5-tiles with Vase and flowers. The tiles of Mirza Abd al-Razzaq also blended excellent examples of traditional themes of the Qajar era with the local taste of the people of Shiraz and created works that were mostly the decoration of houses and public places. For this reason, based on local taste, it has developed a tradition in Shiraz which, although similar in content to its contemporary counterparts, is unique in terms of aesthetics, composition, color and narrative style, which can be interpreted in the context of local culture and should be studied in the future. Sociologically, the study of the way in which titles are written on the tiles reveals interesting results that show to some extent how the social structure has shaped the relationship between the founder, the architect and the tile worker. In addition, a review of Mirza Abd al-Razzaq's works shows that there has been a kind of mutual cooperation between him and a number of prominent and well-known artists; "Ibrahim ibn Fereydoun" and "Abdul Ali Ashraf Al-Kottab Al-Yazdi" are two important examples. With the decrease in the use of tiles in the buildings in the Reza Shah Pahlavi’s era and the decline of the orders, it is important to consider the changes in his viewpoint. During this period, instead of "workshop", he used the word "industries" and words such as "repairs and restorations" and tended to restore the tiles of the city's landmarks; a trend that is later followed by his son (Karim).