A Study on the Designs of Kashan Star-Shaped Tilesfrom the 6th/12th to 8th/14th Centuries

Dating back to ancient times, tile-work is of greatsignificance in the art history of Iran. As a result of attainingsuccess in making different types, this craft has evolveddramatically. Luster-glazed tiles of Kashan constitute amajor part of this precious treasure. A great deal of suchtiles offers magnificent display in terms of developing visualelements and designs, and consequently has attracted artdilettantes’ attention. Contemporary artistic taste, commonaesthetic principles, diversity of motifs and meticulousattention to details are indicative of the basic, exceptionalcriteria applied in such tiles’ designs. A representation ofvisual elements used in the composition of Kashan starshaped tiles on the basis of Gestalt theory is the primaryobjective of the present essay. Gestalt theorists emphasizethat organisms perceive entire patterns or configurations,not merely individual components. Gestalt principles,proximity, similarity, continuity, closure, and connection,describe how humans perceive visuality in connection withdifferent objects and environments. These principles areunder a general law, called Prägnanz. The law says that wetend to experience things as regular, orderly, symmetrical,and simple. As theorists of this realm believe, it is of severalgeometrically possible organizations that one will actuallyoccur which possesses the best, simplest and most stableshape. Accordingly, the main questions to be answered in thisessay are as follows: What are the most important principlesin the formation of the designs and motifs in Kashan starshaped tiles? What visual features would be consideredon the basis of Gestalt theory in this respect? The resultsdemonstrate that Iranian tile makers gave serious attentionto structures and beauty of motifs. Choosing a basic frameis a significant factor in the arrangement of visual elementsof the composition. Such a frame provided artisans witha limited polygonal composition to execute the designsand motifs. To execute the desired designs, artists createdorganized structures the commonest of which could becategorized under radial, symmetrical, center-oriented andactive types. The way motifs arranged in the frames was inorder of importance. In most cases studied here, the designsand their distinctions were done according to contours.Incidentally, the main motif was placed in the center,usually in bigger size in comparison to others. The wayother visual elements are designed to emphasize the mainmotifs is another point to achieve balance and harmony,best manifested in the Kashan star-shaped tiles. Generally,with a view to evaluating the Gestalt laws in the mentionedtiles, we may claim that achieving the desired quality andcomposition in such works has been fulfilled with thehelp of a series of factors, including proximity, similarity,figure-ground, continuity, simplicity, and symmetry, allcontributing to lay emphasis on a certain motif. This fact isindicative of the total mastery of designers and painters ofthe artworks in developing the potentials of visual elements.Putting all these factors together, we can claim that suchprinciples would play a pivotal role in the study andevaluation of Kashan star-shaped tiles’ designs and themes.