Making Qur’an stand is an old type of Islamic art andIlkhanid Qur’an stand (attributed to Hassan Ibn Suleimanal-Isfahani) is a valuable and exquisite sample that is heldin the New York Metropolitan Museum. This art objecthas a lot of motifs rooted in Islamic and Iranian tradition.These motifs are very important in terms of mythologicalsymbols and Islamic concepts. The other significant Islamicart of Ilkhanid period is altar-making in the mosques. AlsoPlastering is one of the arts that Islamic artists and MuslimCraftsmen’s have used in decorating mosques and altars.Oljayto altar of Isfahan Jami’ Mosque is one of the Ilkhanidaltars which has excellent and beautiful decorative motifs.In other words, Ilkhanid architecture and handicraftsare very beautiful and full of magnificent and decorativeelements. Therefore, the purpose of this research is toidentify the decorative motifs of the Ilkhanid Qur’an standof Metropolitan Museum and the altar of Isfahan Jami’Mosque (Oljayto altar). Classifying the similarities anddifferences makes possible to acknowledge the influencesof the Oljayto altar decorative motifs in the making ofIlkhanid Qur’an stand. In other words, the present study isdone to answer these questions: 1- What kind of decorativemotifs are there in the ornamentation of two art works of theIlkhanid Qur’an stand and the Oljayto altar? 2- What are thesimilarities and differences between the decorative motifsof the Ilkhanid Qur’an stand and the Oljayto altar? It shouldbe noted that this research is based on descriptive-analyticalmethod while having a comparative approach. The resultsshow that the decorative motifs of Oljayto altar of theIsfahan Jami’ Mosque include the herbal motives (includingArabesque and Khatei motifs and elements), Geometricpatterns and Calligraphy motifs and the decorative motifsof the Ilkhanid Qur’an stand include the Cedar motif,vase design, Altar pattern, Arabesque and Khatei motifs,Geometric patterns, cross design and Calligraphy motifs.In short, the decorative motifs of the Ilkhanid Qur’anstand are more varied than the Oljayto altar, while theCalligraphy motifs in the Oljayto altar are more varied thanthe Calligraphy motifs of Ilkhanid Qur’an stand. Therefore,it seems that the design of Ilkhanid Qur’an stand motifs wasinfluenced by the decorative motifs of the Oljayto altar, andthis shows that the architecture and the art of wood carvingin the Ilkhanid period are significantly interrelated.

Iranian rural carpets are major sources for the study of Iranian rural art and culture. Applications of motifs and colors of these carpets reflect the culture, customs, art and lived experience of the local people. The presence of common aspects in frames of Kheshti rugs and their colors, indicate the presiding spirit of the works, inspired by their interaction with nature. There are differences in both theappearance and technique thus to better recognize the Kheshti rugs of different regions of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province it is essential to study the visual characteristics of motifs within the frames. The aim of this paper is to better recognize the Kheshti rugs’ motifs, describing and categorizing these motifs, and increasing the knowledge to distinguish the rugs coming from these regions and also besides exploring each and every motif theoretically, the visual components, color, size, abstraction or simplification of motifs, etc have been taken into account. The following questions have been focused on:1.What are the most frequent motifs in kheshti carpets coming from the different areas of the province? 2. What are the differences between the rug motifs of these areas? Drawing on published material and field research, the method in this article is comparatively analyzing documents, books and the Kheshti rugs’ motifs from different areas of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province leading to a comparative study of the Kheshti rugs’ motifs from different regions of the province. Kheshti rugs’ motifs vary greatly and change depending on the weavers’ taste, but the general theme and motifs within the frames mostly involve vegetation and trees while birds and beasts are less frequently depicted. Kheshtirug motifs coming from the villages ofSaman, Farrokhshahr,shalamzar, Sefieddasht and Ardalare abstractedbut inChalshotorand Shahrekordrugs are more realistic.

The relationship between various arts of a country and their influence on each other can be a valuable subject for researchers’ investigations. Produced potteries in the Kalporegan village, located at the Saravan city, and needleworks of different regions of Sistan and Balochestan are decorated today with designs which enjoy a geometric and unique structure by emphasizing the past originality of the art of this land. These designs which are drawn by women in the two mentioned arts are an inseparable part of Baloch art. Accordingly, aiming to study the relationship between pottery designs of Kalporegan and Baloch needlework which enjoy a common cultural context, this article considers the probable points of similarity and difference between the two arts. How to make connection between the designs of Kalporegan potteries and Baloch needlework is the major question of this study. What domains are comprised by such relationship? Using historical as well as descriptive-analytic method, this research investigates comparatively the designs of the two arts of Baloch people. The information collection was done via library method, field observations and interview with senior artists. The results of this investigation show that common aspects between the designs of these arts is due to both arts’ taking inspiration from nature as well as Baloch people’s beliefs and culture. Amongst the point of similarity between the two arts are geometric designs with symbolic and abstract expression derived from nature and Baloch beliefs, simple and combined designs, similar structure in nomenclature and designs’ selection based on Balochestan natural phenomena. Also, the study of Kalporegan pottery designs and Baloch needlework specifies presence of common visual elements such as repetition, rhythm, motion, order and symmetrical combinations that will foreground the relationship between the designs of these two arts in the form of geometric figures and similar structures. Due to diversity and variety of needlework designs, through grouping the designs into simple and combined, the researchers selected the more used designs of needlework at different areas of Sistan and Balochestan and refrained from investigating similar designs.

Flower pot is one of the frequently used motifs in Qajar period. This decoration is abundantly found in carvings and tiling decoration of the mosque-schools in Qajar period. There is also the flower pot in previous eras schools such as Safavid period schools , but the flower pots used in Safavid period schools differ from the flower pots used in the Qajar period mosque- schools. However, this study aims to investigate and compare flower pot motifs in mosques and schools of the Qajar and Safavid period, to evaluate the changes in these motifs which resulted from cultural developments, and to identify changes and innovations occurring on flower pot motifs in the Qajar period under the influence of western culture and art as well. This paper is a descriptive - analytic study. The library and field studies were used to investigate the flower pots motifs in mosques and schools of the Qajar period and compare them to flower pot motifs in schools of the Safavid period. The findings show that the flower pot motifs which were carved in Qajar period’s mosques and schools have more delicacy and intricacy than flower pot motifs in Safavid period’s schools and the realism and naturalism influenced by western culture and art were seen in them. Also, the main component of Qajar period’s mosques-schools tiling decoration is flowery flower pot motifs in various designs including plate, bowl, and motifs of birds. In addition, the new Sepahsalar (Shahid Motahari) mosque-school included abstract motifs combined with oval frame, geometric motifs, arabesque and plant motifs, and new motifs like candlesticks, which were innovative. Therefore, it may be said that none of schools and mosques in the Safavid and Qajar period, these motifs were included.

humans, plants, animals and geometric designs. Among them, animal schemes are prominent in terms of abundance, human creativity, artistic and ritual status. Accordingly, The main purpose of the article is to study and introduce animalistic motifs of civilization in the Halilrood ,Jiroft, based on the objects which discovered and obtained from this civilization in light of the theory of Totem, and seeks to response the question: What are meanings the animalistic motifs of the Halilrood (Jiroft) civilization? A totemic study of animalistic motifs in the Halilrood basin creates a new understanding for the audience, and human actors in the Halilrood basin could have approaches from respect for holiness, taboo and fear for the carve of animals on objects. This research covering the field of history, archeology and psychology. Accordingly, the research data was provided with field research and library tools and based on the totemic theory deal with a combination of descriptive-analytical method. The statistical society consisted of 171 vases, 122 vases in Jiroft, "Jiroft; the oldest civilization of the east" (Majidzadeh, 2002), and 49 vases in the "Objects from the Jiroft treasury" (Piran, 2013). As total, 213 items were counted and divisions and study of the motifs also were done. The findings of the research indicate that animal motifs with 47.88% of the total number of motifs constitute the most abundant patterns in the Helilrood basin civilization, and in the next category geometric motifs with 20.65% and plant motifs with 12.67% Percentage were placed. Man-made patterns - animals that inserted in 15 dishes make up 11.73% percent of the motifs. Animal motifs fill with religious and religious nature, and it is likely that the civilized human being living in the Halilrood basin in the Carve of these animals, as well as the Carve of humans and animals on the dishes, has a look of respect and sanctity.

One of the most popular arts in Zanjan is filigree which is a branch of the art of metalworking and is mainly made of high-grade silver metal. In filigree, silver bullions are made with a rolling machine in the shape of quadrilateral narrow wires with which small designs are made by putting them together and soldering them. The purpose of this essay is to introduce filigree and to identify the common designs and motifs in the filigree of Zanjan as well as the effectiveness level of the filigree patterns from pre-Islamic and Islamic eras, and the similarity of filigree patterns with Islamic-art motifs based on the geometric theory of fractals. The present article seeks to answer these questions: 1) What are the origins of some Zigzag filigree designs? 2) What types of motifs are common and used in Zanjan filigree and Islamic decorative art? 3) Are filigree designs compatible with Islamic art designs based on Fractal theory? The research method of this study is analytical-descriptive and the method of data collection is library research. The results indicate that the origins of some filigree patterns are from ancient Iranian patterns, some patterns are taken from the invaders to the eastern borders of Iran as well as the geometric vegetative and simplified (stylized) patterns of the Islamic period. These patterns with other filigree elements form a complete semantic system. The findings also showed that there is a balance in natural fractal patterns. Patterns of Islamic art and filigree, despite repetitions, irregularities, endlessness, incompatibility, etc., follow a particular order in general and they are balanced (unity despite plurality). Filigree designs have used the elements of Islamic decorative art and fractals from nature. In other words, all three are of natural origin. Zanjan filigree works are part of the fine Iranian metalwork art which production has undergone changes in recent years. The existing works in the art of filigree are largely different from the old filigrees. Despite their apparent differences, the researchers categorize these works into a single collection. Although metalwork art has been referred to in many Iranian art history books, less attention has been paid to filigree. On the other hand, many of them have been lost due to the possibility to melt the filigree works, and few are available in some museums or owned by collectors, which are not easy to access. One of the most important ways to realize the history of filigree works is to recognize the forms and motifs common to the filigree and find the origin of the motifs and their transformation over time. Iran has long hosted many civilizations from the past. The filigree works have been obtained from two periods of before and after Islam. These artifacts range from very basically decorated works to sophisticated ones. They have common features in the style of decoration and building method; features like the use of tap and dies of wires and delicate soldering as well as the use of abstract forms that are in fact the foundations of today’s filigree art. What was considered the goldsmithing work in the pre-Islamic era, slowly moved towards independence after the advent of Islam and during the reign of early Muslim rulers until it became of great importance in the Samanid era, that is a pinnacle of developments, and in the Seljuk era, that is the determinant of the policy of this art; then, during the Safavid era an art was finally formed, called filigree. Moreover, today’s filigree art had been invented in the Afsharid and Zand periods when some of the motifs invented in the late Safavid era came into being and later emerged in various forms in the Qajar period as well. Zanjan was established as the center and the largest production location of filigrees in the Qajar era. Now, the objectives of this study are: 1- Introducing filigree, recognizing motifs and common themes in Zanjan filigree 2- The rate of impact of Islamic decorative art motifs on filigree motifs. 3- The degree of similarity of filigree motifs to the Islamic art themes based on fractal geometric theory. The questions answered in this study are: 1- What are the origins of some of Zanjan filigree motifs? 2- What kinds of themes are common in Zanjan filigree and Islamic decorative art? 3- Are the filigree motifs comparable with Islamic art motifs based on fractal theory?

In the pre-Islamic era, stucco was used to cover the walls of palaces and temples, because the building materials such as stone, sandstone or crude clay were not very interesting, and the richness of decorated walls was more effective than bare walls. This type of architectural-related decorations in the history of Iran was technically and artistically developed and became one of the archetypes of the Sassanid era. Stucco patterns of this era include plant, geometric, animal and human designs. The use of these patterns in this period, with a few differences in quantity, was accompanied with some mythical concepts. The transfer of these designs from the Sassanid era to the cultural and artistic realms of Islam was in companionship with some changes such as selection of motifs based on their usage in religious or non-religious places and being measured according to the basic Islamic principles. This has made plant and geometric designs luckier than other designs. Under the influence of the Islamic view, these motifs tended to be abstract and the artists avoided direct imitation of nature. Fast curability, fast progression and the whiteness of stucco that were important in the decoration of Islamic buildings were among other factors involved in the re-use of stucco decorations in Islamic monuments. For these reasons, this art, along with its plant and geometric motifs, grew and developed. One of the important findings during the archeological activities in Seymareh, was the discovery of its mosque and its stucco decorations. According to the dates given, the mosque belongs to the late Umayyad and early Abbasid era. Considering the importance of stucco decorations in Iran, the main objectives of this study were, firstly, to identify types of decorative motifs influenced by Sassanid stucco, and then, to study the similarities and differences between the Sassanid stucco designs and the decorative designs of the Seymareh Mosque. Accordingly, the main questions of research are: what are the decorative motifs influenced by the stucco art of the Sassanid period in the stucco adornment of the Seymareh Mosque? What are the similarities between the Sassanid stucco designs and the decorative designs of the Seymareh Mosque? The results of the study show that the decorative motifs found in the mosque of Seymareh could be divided into two main types of plant and geometric designs. Meanwhile, in addition to design and implementation, the plant motif of the Datura flower, and trapezoidal, elliptical geometric patterns, as well as decorative margins used in circular, square and rectangular frameworks, differ from the decorative designs of the Sassanid era. In addition to the formal effect, the application of the principle of symmetry and repetition and the method of making stucco decorations by molding, casting and prefabricated methods, we can see other evidences of the continuation of the Sassanid period stucco art in the stucco decorations of the Seymareh Mosque. Such volume of similarity and influence should be considered as a result of the location of the city of Seymareh in the Sassanid period, which has been evidenced by many architectures decorated with its stucco decorations in areas such as Barzqavaleh, Qaleh Gori and Goriyeh. In most of the stucco specimens of Qaleh Gori and Barzqavaleh, which are from the archeological sites of the Sassanid period and close to the city of Seymareh, and in the present study, the specimens with decorations of the Seymareh Mosque were compared in terms of marginalization and framing according to geometric and plant elements. The use of flowers and leaves such as palm, artichoke, rosette and lotus in the corners of the decorative frames of the design is one of the elements that exists in the stucco of both areas of Bozorgvaleh and Qaleh Gori. Based on archaeological findings, stucco decorations have been one of the most important methods of arranging Sassanid architectural spaces in the city of Seymareh, which can be used to justify the textual connection between the stucco decorations of the Seymareh Mosque and the stucco decorations of the Sassanid period. However, in the study of the decorative patterns of stucco of the Seymareh Mosque, there is evidence of the creation of new arrays such as the tendency towards different designs of plant motifs such as pomegranate fruit, pine fruit, tulip buds or the design of the decorative borders of the frame. Circular or square and rectangular geometric shapes are observed along with the creation of new geometric arrays such as trapezoidal and oval geometric patterns. Therefore, it can be said that the artists who designed the stucco decorations of the Seymareh Mosque, by using these innovations and the complexity of geometric and plant decorative motifs in addition to imitation, sought to provide new decorative surfaces appropriate to the cultural and artistic atmosphere of the first Islamic centuries and created new texts.

The bathrooms were assumed as locations for presence of various classes of society in the past time and walls of baths were decorated with motley tiles and various designs. The human designs drawn on these tiles are deemed as one of the most conspicuous elements that reflect social, cultural, and artistic conditions in community These motifs with various themes and ways of different design had always considered . In order to explore human designs drawn on tile-works at historical baths in Isfahan city and their features it has been dealt with introducing and study on them in this survey and tried to present characteristics of human designs in tile-works of historical baths at Isfahan city through expressing the existing commonalities and differences of human designs on tile- works at bathrooms in Isfahan and other Iranian cities and with analysis on relationship between these designs with portraiture at this era For this purpose, the answers to these questions have been considered: what content and features are Human motifs used in the tile bathrooms in Isfahan? What has changes and what has been the influenced in these designs of the period studied In addition to identifying the characteristics of human motifs such as using of many of the themes of the court and the lack of some concepts such as mythological and athletic themes, the results indicate that direct influence of the school of painting and Qajar paintings, the human pattern of the tile bathrooms Isfahan. The use of human motifs as main subject the painting, tile painting style in tiles, quality and design motifs in the drawing muscles and clothing lines, the effect of the Westernization, the way drawing figures and faces all indicate the artist painter and painting together and influenced tile designs human bathroom tile from painting. This research has been conducted with descriptive – comparative and method of field – library.

Beyznqiri and Tahmasbi Shahnamehs are considered to be artistic and cultural masterpieces of Iran. The Shahnameh of Baisnqiri has been photographed at the Herat School during the Timurid period whereas the Tahmasebi Shahnameh has been written in the Tabriz school during the Safavid period. The scenes depicted in these two precious versions contain war shields that are very beautiful and rich in motifs. This research, by examining the designs of war shields in the two Shahnamehs, seeks to classify different types of motifs as well as examine and make a quantitative and qualitative analysis in terms of design and color, in order to determine the dominant designs of the two Shahnamehs. Also, this study tries to find out to what extent the designs of Tahamsbi Shahnameh have been influenced by Baisnqiri Shahnameh. For achieving this goal, library and documentary information were collected, and by analytical-descriptive methods the drawings of the two Shahnamehs containing war shields were selected and the motifs were extracted and described and studied comparatively. The motifs of Shahnameh Baisnqiri contain all kinds of geometric motifs, Lotus, Shamsa, Eslimi, five and six large flowers. The use of geometric designs in the Tahmasebi Shahnameh has been reduced, and instead of those, Eslimi and Khataee types were used which are more delicate and elaborate. Most of the Shahnameh shields backgrounds are black, dark blue, and its motifs are golden, green, fire and blue, while almost all the motifs of the Tahmasebi Shahnameh are drawn in golden colors and the background of motifs is often made up of various colors of blue, green, red, black, orange and black. The tradition of drawing the shields in Tahmasebi Shahnameh is in the continuation of Shahnameh Baisnqary, but the motifs have not been copied.