Reflection and analysis of dragon motifs in potteries & tiles of Iran in Islamic period

Dragon motif is one of mythological motifs that had a special place among other designs in Iran pottery art especially after Mongol period and according to the same subject, often thought this pattern is completely to be Chinese and imported.But being the examples of earthenware and tiles with similar motifs of dragon in collections which are maintained in different domesticand foreign museumsprovided the motivation of study ahead, in order to prove the existence andapplication of this pattern before the attacks of Mongols to Iran It is obvious that analyze of modality of Dragon pattern on the potteries and tiles of Iran in Islamic period can illustrate an important mythical part of Islamic and Iranian art and show modality of effect of pre-Islamic or far eastern patterns on Islamic pottery of Iran. Objects of this paper are identification of dragon symbolic meanings, process of its evolution, the oldest period of its application and its different kinds in Islamic period of Iran. Towards these objects, first selected typical examples of Islamic potteries and tiles with dragon pattern and then surveyed their technical and decorative aspects as quality of drawing and coloring. Towards findings of survey, the dragon pattern has long record in Islamic pottery of Iran before arrival of Mongols that its roots is in Old Iranian myths and literature, as well as astrological and Sufis contexts. Also this pattern was used in different figures sometimes in form of a panther with two horn, sometimes as a octopus with three head and etc. But after arrival of Mongols often has drawn as like as Chinese dragon with long body similar to snake, dense hair, flaky skin and mass of fire and clouds.