Characteristics of the Forms, Decorations, and Themes of the Seals of the Afshar Kings

The royal seals from the Afshari period represent significant artifacts of this historical era. Despite their importance, there has been a limited number of studies focusing on these seals, which aim to analyze their structural characteristics based on available documents and decrees. Often, the role of seals has been perceived merely as a procedural element within the documentation practices of the time. Furthermore, existing research on the royal seals tends to rely on broad generalizations rather than in-depth analysis. The central questions guiding this research are: What were the shapes and patterns of the seals utilized by the Afshar kings, and what themes and ideas were expressed in their writings? To gather more insights into the forms, motifs, and thematic significance of these seals and their inscriptions, a detailed examination has been carried out. The research encompasses a statistical population of 24 seals and seal impressions linked to the Afshar royal lineage. The present study examines the impact of the royal seals associated with the Afshar dynasty. To date, only a single seal attributed to the Afshar kings has been definitively identified, specifically that of Adel Shah, with no additional seals from other monarchs of this era having been discovered. The research methods encompasses both library and field data collection, employing a historical-descriptive and analytical approach. The selection of royal seals is justified by references in credible documents and literature that acknowledge their existence. Consequently, an analysis of the motifs and inscriptions found on the royal seals from the Afshari period has been conducted. The data utilized in this research are primarily derived from library sources, involving a thorough examination of historical texts and documents.  The analysis reveals that the primary designs of the seals belonging to the Afshar kings were characterized by square, crowned square, almond, crowned almond, and oval shapes. The inscriptions found on these seals predominantly encompass themes related to the identity of their owners, rituals for prayer to the Lord, supplications to Imam Ali (A.S.) and Imam Reza (A.S.), as well as expressions of praise directed towards the Afshar monarchs.