فصلنامه نگره
پیاپی 69 (بهار 1403)

The shrine of Sahl ibn Ali is a religious building in Iran, located in Astaneh, southwest of Markazi province. Sahl ibn Ali is one of the descendants of Zayn al-Abedin. Nevertheless, many historical documents give us some information about this building, but there is no evidence of its exact time of construction. However, according to historical documents, it was built before the Safavid dynasty. The old inscription above the door of the portico has a date belonging to the first decade of the twelfth century and it shows us the name of its architect: Ali Akbar-e Isfahani, and Mohammad Reza as the inscription’s calligrapher. Similar to other religious buildings, it has many historical decorations such as murals, mirrors, and inscriptions that belong to the Qajar and the Safavid eras. Notwithstanding, a few contemporary studies have been carried out about this shrine, but there isn’t any specific research about its artistic characteristics. Since murals have the biggest area among other decorations, this research focuses on them that are located throughout the tomb and include “Gol o Morgh” (the flower and the bird), arabesque, and realistic paintings of buildings. Unfortunately, these paintings and their colors are damaged and faded mainly because of human destruction. The first painting which is located under the roof of the porch includes an inscription and two kinds of paintings such as abstract floral patterns and realistic paintings of birds (Gol o Morgh), which paled and damaged when the building was restored. The inscription that is surrounded by realistic patterns of birds is a verse of Taha (Surah from the Qur’an). According to the basic law of Islam, which prohibits the illustration of living beings in religious buildings, this research aims to answer this question: what was the purpose of using these patterns in this building? In addition, we are trying to recognize the date of these murals and to introduce their properties using a descriptive-analytical method. For recognizing the cause of using realistic paintings of birds besides the verse of the Qur’an, if we refer to the meaning of the verse and try to find the meaning of birds according to their meanings in the Mantiq ut-Tayr (The Conference of the Birds), which is one of the biggest Persian symbolic literary works, we will find a specific link between them that can be an evidence of the artists’ aim to symbolize the verse based on literary works. The second painting is located under the roof of the loggia and it is thoroughly decorated with the Muqarnas which is colored red and has floral patterns. Also, there are many realistic paintings in many unknown buildings. In addition, there are many scripts on the wall of loggia, one of which indicates the date of restoring the building and the name of three artists, but unfortunately, there is no name of the paintings artists. The most interesting and meaningful painting is a realistic painting of birds through the flowers and arabesque patterns on a light blue background located in the portico. The last part of the building with a painting is the space under the dome which includes floral patterns and Gol o Morgh. Also, if we accept the relationship between the inscription and the bird's meaning on the porch and other birds in other parts of the building, we will find a relation between the count of birds mentioned in the Mantiq ut-Tayr and those painted in this building. Furthermore, in this research, we find and present many historical documents for the first time that conform to the dominance of the monastery in the Astanah which means using Mantiq ut-Tayr by artist(s) as a reference for choosing the birds. In summary, as a result of this research, we can say that the paintings are a reflection of the mystical thoughts of the society in Asanah that was under the mystical ideology. The painters may have tried to illustrate and symbolize a verse of Taha (Surah from Qur’an) based on mystical Persian literature works; especially Mantiq ut-Tayr. According to the historical evidence and comparison of these murals with similar cases of the Qajar dynasty, we can infer that these paintings belong to this period. Another result of this research is that there are many different types of quality in these paintings which gives us three possible sources for them. The first possibility is that there were many artists with various skills that worked at the same time. Second, there was a skillful man with many assistants, and third, the paintings were done at different times. The last result of the research could be finding a part of the old monochrome painting in a room above the porch that was covered with plaster. It could be the evidence of more hidden paintings in other parts of this building.

The dominant and fundamental element in a religious architecture is the existence of the dome element, which was built in different periods in different ways; sometimes simple and sometimes decorated with special plant motifs and geometric designs. Usually, the structure of religious buildings and the ornaments used in them have unique features and represent the culture of that historical period and the style of art and architecture of that era, and the motifs used in the architectural ornaments can be considered as messages. “Seyyed Rukn al-Din mausoleum” located in Yazd city is one of the religious buildings left over from the Al-Muzaffar period, and the ornaments used in it influenced many of the architectural works of the mentioned region. Seyyed Rukn al-Din built this as school of Rokniyya and after his death the usage of building altered to mausoleum. In this study the murals of interior surface of this dome were selected to be studied. The present research, uses a different approach from the conventional methods of studying architectural ornaments, to analyzes the various layers of motifs used in the ceiling murals of Seyyed Rukn al-Din mausoleum, and its purpose is to understand the cultural and political developments of Al-Muzaffar period in Yazd city, based on the study of the relation between form and meaning in this work. To achieve this goal, we used Erwin Panofsky's iconology method to answer these questions: 1- What themes do the ceiling motifs of Seyyed Rukn al-Din mausoleum contain? 2- What concepts can be obtained from the iconological reading of these motifs? The research method in this qualitative research is descriptive-analytical, which is analyzed in three stages according to Ervin Panofsky's iconological approach. Erwin Panofsky's method in reading images consists of three stages: the first stage is pre-iconographic description which deals with formal analysis, the second stage is iconographic analysis that determines the relationship between form and subject based on literary sources, and the third stage is iconological interpretation which interprets and identifies the inherent meaning of the work in the context created. This research is an applied research and data collection has been done using the field studies and the library sources. The conclusion of the studies illustrated: In the stage of pre-iconography description on the interior surface of the dome of this mausoleum, the formal features of the murals were described and it depicted that the used motifs include a six-pointed flower, a six-pointed star, a twelve-sided sun (Shamseh) and its divisions based on numbers five, six, seven and twelve are designed as the infrastructure of motif design. The ornaments used included arabesque traceries and Khataei flowers, Thuluth and Kufic calligraphy used in blue (ultramarine), and the colors are white, red, green and brown tonality applied with watercolor technique. Also, usage of gilding is observed. In the hidden geometry of the dome, seven rings were identified in the central Shamseh, five hidden rings in the geometry of the dome, and a total of twelve rings in the composition of defined motifs. In the second stage, the subjects and concepts related to the used motifs were categorized based on the library sources. According to these, the motifs include the identified subjects of monotheism and oneness of God, the Prophet of Islam (Mohammad), unity in plurality and plurality in unity, justice, the twelve Imams of Shiites, the seven heavens, the sacredness of the number of five in Islam (five principle of faith, five daily prayers, the five members of Ale-Aba), righteousness, illumination, fertility, authority and glory. In the third stage, the interpretation of these subjects and the relationship between meanings and forms in the cultural and social context of that period were discussed. Based on this method, it was found that the motifs used in this mausoleum, due to the time and the religious beliefs of the builders and architects, have their roots in Shi’a, and artists have tried to use various decorative elements related to Shi’a to express the beliefs in this decoration. So, they intended to highlight the glory of their Shi’a beliefs in the Sunni era of Yazd. From the way of applying and dividing the geometric ruling system under the dome, it can be understood that artists of this mausoleum were not only bound by the principles and aware of the themes and content of numbers, but also they predominated the system of the hidden geometry that was applied in these murals. In fact, the unity and multiplicity in unity, which is the basis of creation, is in line with the application of the intellectual foundations of the Twelver Shi’a, therefore, it reveals the strong Islamic-Shi’a thought in the motifs of the ceiling of the dome of Seyyed Rukn al-Din mausoleum.

With the presence of Iranian artists in the court of the Mughal rulers in the subcontinent from 1549 AD, a new form of mughal painting was created, combining two Hindu-Persian styles, which has left significant works. The present study investigates the effect of Iranian miniature paintings on Pakistani miniatures (1947-2021). After the independence of Pakistan and India in 1947, Pakistani artists, for political reasons, sought to create a new art form in which little influence of Indian art could be seen. In this way, the efforts of Pakistani artists to achieve artistic independence were accompanied by the influence of Indian and Iranian Muslim art during the mughal period, and thus created the basis for an independent artistic identity. For this reason, by studying the works of painting in Pakistan, one can clearly see the impact of Iranian painting on Pakistani painting in different periods. The purpose of this study is to identify and to deeply understand the richness of the impact of Iranian painting on Pakistani painting and to study the artistic elements in their miniatures, so the research and the focus are based on the following questions: What elements of the Iranian style are there in new Pakistani miniature art? How are these elements represented in Pakistani miniatures? Are Pakistani paintings influenced by Iranian paintings in terms of expression?If we consider the painting styles related to Tabriz, Shiraz, Herat, Bukhara and other places to represent the main traditional styles of Iranian painting, after the Muslim invasion of the Indian subcontinent, these styles crystallized into a new art form, mainly from Iran. They entered this area. Of course, the styles inspired by Iran, along with the developments of Morian art in the third century BC and the developments in the mughal arts in the sixteenth century AD, quickly and dramatically changed in each case under the influence of Indian artistic environment and taste. Perhaps the main reason for this artistic exchange is the strong interrelationships between the two regions in antiquity and also after the middle ages. It was the Islamic civilization of India or other neighbouring civilizations that had considerable resistance to change, so it is not surprising that the Iranian spirit, which was still evident throughout the Indian subcontinent, stemmed from much older influences than Islamic influences. These influences were later reinforced by many of the Mughal kings and rulers of India due to their friendly relations with Iran.Another major factor in the direct impact of Iranian miniature art on the subcontinent was the migration of prominent artists from Iran to India after the establishment of the Safavid rule and the spread of Iranian painting and miniature art in the subcontinent. Therefore, the aim of this study, which uses the descriptive-analytical method, is to understand the depth and richness of the impact of Iranian art on Pakistani art as part of the subcontinent and to study the artistic elements in their miniatures.For this purpose, first, a summary of mughal miniature art before and after the arrival of the Muslims in India is given, then the contemporary miniature art of Pakistan is studied by analyzing the works of two contemporary Pakistani artists from a selected list of Pakistani artists after independence. The present study is important because unfortunately today only a little recorded evidence of Pakistani miniature art remains, so the study of traditional Pakistani miniature art can be a basis for recognizing and preserving this art for the use of other artists in future researches.it can be estimated that the new art form, known as contemporary painting or neo-miniature, began in the 1970s and quickly gained special popularity in the international art scene. Among these artists is Zuhur al-Akhlaq, which created a new aesthetic design and concept in miniature painting. Iranian painters also played a very important role in the development of mughal art. Based on findings, the influence of the Iranian style was so profound that over the centuries, many traces of it can be seen in contemporary Pakistani miniature art. In addition, evidence of the Iranian style in modern Pakistani miniature art, shows how neighbouring countries can influence each other over time, which can accept various changes, but not completely disappear. It can be said that Iranian miniature art has significantly influenced the contemporary miniature art of Pakistan. Contemporary artists, in particular, have used elements such as atmosphere, composition, colouring and performance styles of Iranian paintings, but there are significant changes and themes in their works, including the use of myths, and various symbols, even subvert the themes in order to induce a new meaning and concept of the achievements of these artists. Contemporary Pakistani artists have shown with their works that despite the current perception, Iranian painting has many capabilities for expressing contemporary themes and preserving valuable art of their ancestors.

Iranian archaism pursues a nationalist, patriotic, and identity-oriented perspective, and celebrates the Persian language, the components of national identity, and Iranian culture. This ideology pays special attention to Iranian heroes and mythologies. Iranian archaism dates back to Fath-Ali Shah Qajar’s reign and peaked during the reign of Reza Shah Pahlavi. Muzaffar al-Din Shah's reign also witnessed an abundance of these tendencies, to the extent that Hossein Pasha Khan, also known as Amir Bahador, a Qajar official who served as head of the royal guard, Muzaffar al-Din Shah's minister, and Mohammad Ali Shah's secretary of defense, commanded for an exquisite version of Ferdowsi's Shahnameh to be compiled. This version of Shahnameh eventually became one of the distinguished Qajar masterpieces reflecting archaic ideas. The book was compiled through lithography in Tehran and was titled Amir Bahadori’s Shahnameh after its commissioner and sponsor, Amir Bahador. Some versions of shahnameh are stored at Istanbul University, New York Library, Astan Quds Razavi, Central Library of Tehran University and National Library.The compilation of Amir Bahadori’s Shahnameh started in 1902 and took four years. This edition was tangibly distinct from the previous ones: First and foremost, the book is printed in a 23.43 cm format, which is one of the largest lithographic printing formats. Secondly, it is a work unlike any other edition of Shahnameh in terms of page layout since each page is allocated to one illustration covering the whole page. Moreover, the illustrations are stylized incredibly realistically and are compiled systematically. The introduction is written by Sadegh Farahani in 20 pages and is based on edition of Baysonghor’s Shahnameh. Each page is divided into six columns, with three verses or six hemistiches on each line. The book contains 50 illustrations, 13 of which were drawn by the prominent miniaturists of the period, including Mosaver al-Molk Mohammad Kazem, Hossein Ali, and Ali Khan Naghash. Emad al-Molk calligraphed this version in four volumes. Each volume concludes with a short biography of those involved in preparing the series as well as the date of calligraphy. Along with the Baysonghor’s and Shah Tahmasp’s Shahnamehs, this version is believed to be the most exquisite.This research answers these questions: 1- What signs and symbols of archeology are manifested in illustrations of Amir Bahadori's Shahnameh? 2- What were the sources of inspiration for the miniaturists of this Shahnameh? Thereby, a qualitative-quantitative analysis was conducted on data derived from 50 illustrations in Amir Bahadori’s Shahnameh, as well as their interpretation and comparison to their original sources. The data was collected by taking notes from the sources and by observing and reviewing the illustrations. The study draws on a descriptive-analytic method with the aim of conducting a visual analysis of archaism in the illustrations of this manuscript.The research was conducted through the following stages: First, the illustrations were classified into four tables. Then, the characteristics of the works of arts from the Achaemenid, Parthian, and Sassanid eras were studied to extract the artistic elements associated with these historical periods. Table 3 demonstrates how the illustrations were adapted from ancient Iranian works of art. Finally, Table 4 compares the features extracted from Table 2 and the artistic features of the lithograph version of Amir Bahadori’s Shahnameh. The findings are as follows:Amir Bahadori’s Shahnameh is a brilliant work from various aspects, including the manifestation of patriotic and nationalist ideas through the art of illustration. Similar to other art or non-art works of the time, this book has sought to restore Iran’s past glory and has tried to revive hope among Iranians. This version of Shahnameh manifests archaism in its illustrations through various components including national and patriotic motifs, narrative ambiance, three-dimensional settings of illustrations, figurative poses, the crowns of Achaemenid, Parthian, and Sassanid kings, Achaemenid and Sassanid reliefs, ribbons around the crown of Sassanid kings, and columns, vaults or domes similar to arches in Sassanid and Achaemenid palaces. The dynamism of the miniature characters, the narrative framework of the scenes, the three-dimensional tall Achaemenid columns and Sassanid vaults, the composition of figures, and the implementation of perspective principles are among the factors portraying the spirit of the spaces illustrated in this version of Shahnameh. The aforementioned are not only influenced by the Western artistic style, but also inspired by the creative components and elements of historical books such as Name-ye Khosrovan (the book of kings) and the works of Ajam. Name-ye Khosrovan book is a three-volume work on Iranian history, written by Jalal al-Din Mirza Qajar. The book can be considered the first to showcase a nationalist approach to Iranian history which was well celebrated during the Qajar era and served as a source of inspiration for the artists of the time. This was the first Persian history work of literature to describe Iran as a coherent historical institution and included the 900 years from the fall of the Sassanids to the rise of the Safavids into the history of Iran.

Nasta'liq is the second specific Persian script. Due to its aesthetic features, this script has been nicknamed "the bride of the Islamic scripts" and in Arab countries it is called "al-Khat al-Farsi". Its initial foundation was from changing Naskh and Ta'liq scripts in the manuscripts of the second half of the eighth century AH. In this regard, there are several manuscripts in which the initial movements of the Nasta'liq script had been introduced and presented. According to the date of calligraphy and its features, it seems that the Emad collection of Faqih Kermani's poetry manuscript in the Islamic consultative assembly library (IR. 1584) is one of these manuscripts that can be observed for the initial signs of pre-Nasta'liq. Therefore, the aim was to investigate the pre-Nasta'liq in this manuscript. It seeks to answer the question, what kind of calligraphy was used in the manuscript of Emad Faqih Kermani, and what was its characteristic? Also, considering that no independent study has been done on it, the study of this manuscript was serious. This study was carried out through a descriptive-analytical method, and the information has been collected through the library method and by studying visual documents (the manuscript). The examples are selected and magnified from the original manuscript of Emad Faqih Kermani. The criteria for selecting samples are based on the classification of Habibullah Fadaeli in the book Ta'alim Khat (2009), which divides the entire Persian alphabet into three categories: singulars, stretched, and circles. Therefore, it has been tried to compare the script used in the Emad Kermani’s manuscript and the Nasta'liq and Ta'liq scripts.
Based on the page of ‘Tatameh’ (the last page of the manuscript) and ‘Anjameh’, it was determined that this manuscript had been written in 783 AH / 1381 AD, and historical assessments showed that it was probably sponsored by Shah Shoja in Shiraz or Sultan Hussein Jalayer in Baghdad. Since Nastaliq first flourished in Shiraz, it was quickly noticed and became prevalent in Baghdad; another center of literature and art in that period. Shah Shoja supported art workshops in Shiraz during this period. Also, it preceded the calligraphy of the poem of Emad Faqih Kermani in Shah Shuja’s library in Shiraz, like the manuscript calligraphy by Mansour bin Ali bin Muhammad bin Hossein Tusi Kashani in 786 AH/ 1394 AD which is preserved in the National Library of Paris. So, it was possible that this manuscript was prepared under his auspices. On the other hand, in 783 AH / 1381 AD, it was a contemporary of Shah Sultan Hussein Jalayeri in Baghdad. The support of the Jalayari kings for the Nasta'liq led to its development during these years. Based on the analysis of calligraphy, the script of this manuscript can be recognized between Naskh and Ta'liq script or Naskh leaned to Ta'liq which underlies the emergence of the Nasta'liq script. Some letters were still written like in the Naskh script, such as (ا), (آ), (ط), and (ب); several letters were written softer and more curved due to the effects of the Nasta'liq script, such as (د), (م), (و), (ک), (س), (ق), (ل), (ن) and (ی); and some letters were similar to both scripts, such as (ر), (ه), (ف), (ح) and (ع). Many letters are connected due to shorthand or are influenced by the Ta'liq script such as (و), (ر), and (د). Probably, the addition of the dot was based on the common orthography in the 8th century and also followed the writing tradition of earlier periods; because in the orthography of the early centuries -unlike the new orthography- a dot or dots are placed under some letters, in order to distinguish them from similar letters. Accordingly, the scribes from the early to the eighth century of Hijri have acted like this. In general, there are three types of Pashani (extensive writing) in this manuscript; Space between letters, Space between words, and Space between lines. Due to the use of Mastar (kind of ruler), and attention to tabulation, the distance between lines is entirely regular, but the distance between letters and words does not follow the same rule. The calligrapher of Emad Faqih Kermani's manuscript has paid attention to written elongations. Due to the type of calligraphy used in this manuscript, in addition to elongation letters (ب, ف and ک), some circles such as (ق, ص, ص, ل, ن) and elongation (س) and the inverted letter (ی) have also been written as elongations. These elongations were located in different positions of the line (hemistich), and in order of priority, they are positioned in (2), and (4) jointly, position (2), position (4), and position (3).

In this article, the aim has been to analyze Kamal al-Molk's artistic decisions in the field of Iranian art in the Qajar era using the descriptive-analytic method. This analysis has been in four main periods of Kamal al-Molk's life, which include: 1- Examining Qajar art field before Mohammad Ghaffari arrived in Tehran 2- Examining Mohammad Ghaffari's position in the art field from the age of 12 until entering Nasser al-Din Shah's court 3- Examining the position of Kamal al-Molk in Nasser al-Din Shah's court 4- A study of Kamal al-Molk's character and position in the European art field. The main research question is: Could Kamal al-Molk learn the 19th century style instead of the 17th century style of painting during his cultural trip to Europe and bring that to Iran? In the study of the first period, it is determined which artists are present in this field and what impact they have each had on this field among other issues. Among the artists, we can mention Mohammad Sadegh, Abdullah Naghash, Mehr Ali, Mirza Baba Isfahani, Abu Trab, and Sani al-Molk. The studies in the second period are as follows: Identifying the famous artists of this period and also determining the influence of artists on the Qajar art field; the result of which has had a great impact on the artistic life and artistic future of Kamal al-Molk. Artists studied in this historical context include: Lotfali Shirazi, Mahmoud Khan Saba, Ismail Jalayer, and Mazin al-Dawlah. Another research that has been done in this historical context is the study of the role of Mazin al-Dawlah in the education of Kamal al-Molk and the choice of Mohammad Ghaffari's artistic style towards the style of realism. The third issue to be studied is the position of Kamal al-Molk in the art field of Nasser al-Din Shah. This historical context is one of the most important positions of Kamal al-Molk for him; positive things happened and it can be considered a turning point in Kamal al-Molk's life. In this field of art, there is a powerful nucleus in the center of the field that causes the field of art to become stronger and stronger, and this powerful nucleus is none other than Nasser al-Din Shah Qajar, who was a supporter of Kamal al-Molk. One of the important events that happened to Kamal al-Mulk in this period is that he is no longer a student of Dar al-Fonun school and in addition to gaining the position of a painter, he also becomes a professor. Of course, he had other students besides Naser al-Din Shah. During this period, sources state that Kamal al-Molk received a salary from Nasser al-Din Shah for the paintings he painted, which shows the progress and strength of Kamal al-Molk's position in the Qajar field of art. In this course, an independent and dependent discussion is presented. The dependent pole indicates Kamal al-Molk's dependence on the center of the field, and the independent pole indicates his lack of dependence on the center of the field. In this period of Kamal-ol-Molk's life, he is at the center of the field, because he is in the center of Naser al-Din Shah’s field, without whom, Kamal al-Molk would have lost his special place, and of course, this dependence on the central core of the field caused controversy, and giving in to the tastes of the court and the king was against the will of Kamal al-Molk. Kamal al-Molk did not even have the will to change the tastes of the courtiers and the king during this period and began working as a court painter. One of the instructions given to Kamal al-Molk during this period was to draw a picture of the king and his children in a realistic style. In that period, the presence of the image of the king on the billboards, banknotes and even newspapers showed the strength of the foundations of the monarchy. Based on findings and according to Bourdieu's theories, it can be said that considering that Kamal al-Molk was located in the dependent pole of Qajar art field, he had to accept the rules governing the art field. One of the most important events that took place in this period is the arrival of the camera in Iran, which itself has had a great impact on the work of all artists, including painters. The arrival of the camera in Iran became one of the reasons for the attention of artists and art lovers to the Realistic style. During the reign of Nasser al-Din Shah, painters were sent to Europe to study, and Kamal al-Molk was no exception. In this period, we also see his copies of paintings by artists such as Rembrandt and Thyssen. The first painter Kamal al-Molk came into contact with in Europe was Fantin Latour, whose style has also been influential in the choice of classical style and realism by Kamal al-Molk. He has also been considered in European societies during this period, so it can be said that Kamal al-Molk has also been present in the European art field.

The close affinity and link between painting and literature characterizes Persian painting. However, towards the end of the Qajar era, the use of painting for illustration "in" literary or historical books decreased for various reasons. Meanwhile, the Qahvehkhaneh painting tradition took up this age-old mode, placing the illustration of verbal narratives at the center of attention. Qahvehkhaneh painters employed various modes of illustrative narration. The extent and combination of these modes appears to have reached a novel stage in Iranian painting history. The present article investigates the structural link between text and image in the Qahvehkhaneh painting. For this aim, drawing upon Wichkoff's taxonomy in identifying types of visual narrative and Lessing's crucial concepts in distinguishing painting from literature, it examines the following questions: (1)  "What" types of visual narration are there in the works of this school and (2) “How” the narrative time crystallizes in Qahvehkhaneh painting?The study is conducted using a descriptive- comparative method. According to the findings, many of this school's paintings have been restricted to the pregnant moment. These paintings only illustrate the culmination of the verbal narrative. Thus, in an instance of time imagination, the audience could imagine the events before or after this frozen moment. Therefore, although in this method that Wichkoff describes as Isolated Method, time is restricted and limited in the visual narrative, in the final analysis, these illustrations have some hidden timing. It means they put forward the time sequence subjectively rather than objectively. Utilizing this method constitutes a strategic compromise between the essentially spatial medium of painting and the time-bound medium of literature.However, in an intriguing initiative in some works in Qahvehkhaneh painting, these distinct illustrations come together in one single frame, displaying the whole fictional narrative, i.e., its numerous moments consecutively. This method is unprecedented in the Persian painting tradition. Among Qahvehkhaneh painters, Mohammad Modabber, a forerunner of this school, created most of his works in this style. This method came to be embraced and employed by the next generation of Qahvehkhaneh painters in numerous forms. In the works of painters such as Fathollah Ghoullar Aghasi, Hossein Hamedani, Hasan Esmaeilzadeh, Ahmad Khalili, Mostafa Hamidi, Mohammad Hamidi, Abbas Boloukifar, Mohammad Farahani, and Ali Akbar Larni, these parts were arranged more diversely. The potential of this mode of visual narrative is in its compatibility with Western aesthetic principles. In these works, the pregnant moment could be drawn by placing the subject in perspective. As seen in the works of Modabber, every part of the numerous illustrations in a painting frame has its unique perspective. The teachings and academic taste of some of the teachers of Mohammad Modabber, who were influenced by Kamal-Ol-Molk's teachings, appear to have been instrumental in adopting and expanding this visual narrative method. It is true that foreign aesthetics and techniques gradually increase in the works of Qahvehkhaneh painters. However, the Qahvehkhaneh painting renders these techniques its own by consecutively arranging distinct illustrations of pregnant moments, adapting them to polish its unique aesthetics.In addition to the isolated method, the Qahvehkhaneh painters drew upon the continuous method in displaying the numerous illustrations of a narrative. Notably, shunning the sequence of distinct illustrations, Hossein Ghoullar Aghasi used this method for a detailed articulation of the narrative. This method illustrates the personages in a spatial continuum without changing the stage in the succession of events in a time sequence. The canvas is full of sequences and time lapses. Different times and places assume a narrative continuity and singularity on the canvas. Even though this method was present in religious iconography since the age of the Safavid and the Zand dynasties in Persian visual tradition, the Qahvehkhaneh painter revived this tradition, notably in depicting the battle of Karbala. Today the works of this school are characterized by this tendency. Besides Hossein Ghoullar Aghasi, many Qahvehkhaneh painters, such as Mohammad Modabber, Hasan Esmaeilzadeh, Abbas Boloukifar, and Mohammad Farahani, employed this method of visual narrative in their early works.The close link between the Qahvehkhaneh painting and the religious, literary, and popular narratives seems to have expanded and deepened novel methods of visual narratives. The works of this school each represent the height of affinity between verbal and visual narratives, where time penetrates the space and the canvas, taking on a visible manifestation. This manifestation can be regarded as the last and the brightest link between text and image in the Iranian painting’s tradition.

Coronation of Toghrul Bek in Neyshabur in 429 AH and consolidation of the Seljuks in Iran, led to transformations and developments in arts which are well known as one of the highlights of the art of Iran. Among the pottery works of the Seljuk era, we can mention human figures with different functions and states. In addition to pottery, many gypsum sculptures in various and sometimes large dimensions have been obtained as high-reliefs from various regions, including Ray, which can be called sculptures that are attached to the wall on one side. These figures, only some of which have been mentioned in books and most of which have been placed in museums around the world, have been less studied and unfortunately non-Iranians have written more about these works of Iranian art than Iranian scholars. The present article, with the aim of typology of these human sculptures, intends to introduce these sculptures and to provide a specific classification for their recognition. The research question is that the human sculptures of the Seljuk era can be divided into several groups in terms of use, subject and materials, and what are the characteristics of each group? This article is among the qualitative researches which is done by descriptive-analytical method and gathering information in a field method and using the resources of valid libraries and websites. The statistical population of the present study consists of human sculptures of the Seljuk era, the exact number of which is unfortunately not known, and the samples studied in this article include 25 numbers that have been selected by available means .In the sampling process, only works have been selected that have a specific identity information and have been introduced by museums or scientific books, and their attribution to the Seljuk, Khwarezmian and early Ilkhanate dynasty is evident. It is noteworthy that the initial collected samples were 44, which due to the limitation and impossibility of providing all the samples, it is sufficient to mention the details of 25 samples in the text of the article .As result of the research, it should be said that the first point that appears from the human figures of the Seljuk era was the desire to build the statue in the period known as the revival of the Sunnis; a desire that is not limited to human figures and also shows itself in other examples of the Seljuk era. This tendency towards sculpture, which occurred in the handicrafts and architecture, was not confined to the above-mentioned areas, and eventually led to independent sculpture .As stated in the question and purpose of the research, the present article sought to provide a clear classification of human sculptures of the Seljuk era based on general characteristics (gender and general position) and specific characteristics including usage, subject and materials. In this regard, seven groups of general classification were proposed, including men on horseback, men sitting, men standing, mothers and babies, musicians, court women, and women and men. Standing men, which are in the form of statues, include hunting and military subjects made of glazed pottery. Sitting men are also independent figures, sculpted with the themes of attending "Mazalem" or "Sama", attending a ceremony of rejoicing, a servant, and unspecified subjects with glazed pottery and painted stucco .Among the standing men, there are sculptures of all three uses, painted stucco, stone and glazed pottery with the theme of the guard, the sultan and the warrior man .Mother and babies are merely sculptural vessels representing a mother breastfeeding, made of glazed pottery for use. The musicians (most likely women) are architectural sculptures and sculptural vessels as representations of women playing the harpsichord or "Dayereh" made of glazed pottery and painted stucco .Court women, like musicians, are architectural figures and sculptural vessels that depict a woman sitting or standing in a luxurious gown made of stucco or glazed pottery. The busts can be called the only group that are completely independent and embody the faces of court men and women through glazed pottery and painted stucco. The Eastern (Eastern Turkestan) and Iranian (Parthian and Sasanian) roots are evident in the type of making plaster figures and the painting of ceramic vessels.

Iranian geometry is the result of the architect's view of philosophical aspects, natural sciences, and applied mathematics. The architecture and application of ornamentation, derived from nature’s geometry patterns in organizing all kinds of Karbandies and celestial motifs, express the ontology and aesthetic concepts of the patterns. In this regard, from modern cosmological sciences, fractal knowledge is the study of the structure and geometry of nature, in which a direct interaction between architecture, function, application of arts, and fractal geometry can be raised. The purposes of this research are 1. Explaination of geometric orders and adaption of the functional properties in the fractal structure; 2. Description of the composition and hierarchy of connections in Nasir Al-Mulk Mosque from the system architecture; 3. Evaluation of fractal quality in celestial motifs in the vaults of Nasir Al-Mulk Mosque based on comprehensive fractal patterns. Therefore, the questions are 1. Can the geometrical layouts of nature, explain the architectural organization of Nasir Al-Mulk Mosque? 2. How are architectural elements, composition, and ornamentation in Nasir Al-Mulk Mosque compared to the characteristics of fractal geometry? This applied research employs the method of correlation in applications of geometry conducting a qualitative, phenomenological view. Collecting information is based on library studies, scientific reference and electronic sources. The analysis is done in formal and functional geometry modeling. In this study, seven geometric stages in organizing the structure of a fractal sample are elaborated and categorized. The free-form and centralized geometry layouts in the fractal, as a self-organizing structure, show the authentic trend in the architecture and ornamentation of the Nasir Al-Mulk Mosque. Fractal geometry features, based on self-similarity, self-organization, and unity, are described in evaluating the fractal quality of the Nasir Al-Mulk Mosque using a comparative-descriptive model.  Based on the research results, nature’s geometry layouts have been applied as an efficient idea for creating the structure, the elemental composition, the hierarchy of connections, and aesthetic concepts in the architecture and the arrays of Nasir Al-Mulk Mosque.
The flourishing of fractals and patterns in the Mandelbrot set was illustrated and proposed by the French mathematician Benoit Mandelbrot. In this theory, Mandelbrot explains how natural phenomena have fractal dimensions and patterns, and nature uses fractal characteristics in creating different forms. In this accord, fractal geometry is self-similar and self-organized, meaning that the components, on a certain scale, represent a part of the whole and in a certain order, show unity. Comparing the characteristics of self-similarity and self-organization in fractals with the style of Persian architecture can express that self-similarity has been created in different scales and proportions in traditional architecture. Iranian patterns use the principle of geometric exchanges to perform levels of connections and branches in the structure of the building. These patterns, which are seen in various architectural layouts of Iran, show harmonious proportions and have cosmological and aesthetic concepts. In a study of the application of fractal geometry in architecture, it is observed that Iranian geometry is inspired by cosmological sciences and is derived from nature. With the knowledge of philosophy and mathematics, the architect drew the abstract geometry of nature and used the dimensions of natural patterns in architecture. While architects and thinkers have proposed theories in the expression of fractals and geometry of nature, a comprehensive explanation of nature’s geometry layouts and features in Iranian architecture as a sustainable system has been considered in this research. The importance of research is based on fractal characteristics and their application in architectural elements, in which the required parameters of architecture are described under the language of geometry and its expansions in three systems. The influence of these parameters is considered in the process of organization in architecture, the expression of the aesthetic concepts of ornamentation, and the building of engineering system. It can be concluded that applying nature’s geometry as an efficient idea in the spatial structure of this building is mainly associated with the use of self-similarity, self-organization, and unity, which show fractal qualities in organizing the architecture and ornamentation of this building. To answer the first question, on how to use nature’s geometry layouts in organizing the architecture of Nasir Al-Mulk Mosque, the geometric order in the fractal sample, explains the seven-stage process. They are: 1. Rotation, transformation, conjunction, and branching in the structural system; 2. Hierarchy of connections and geometric progression in the functional system; 3. Unity and plurality in the unity system. To answer the second question, the research expresses that the functions of fractal geometry in compositional elements, the hierarchy of connections, and the use of ornamentation follow fractal features according to the following: 1. Self-similarity in the structural system creates the main elements and structural elements; 2. Self-organization in the functional system coordinates the hierarchy of connections; 3. Unity in plurality in the physical system unifies the structural elements of architecture with the related elements.

The photo collage "Martyrdom" by Soodi Sharifi is a manifestation of Western art in the context of Iranian art. This work is taken from the painting "Shirin’s Suicide" of Khamseh Nezami in 886 AH. In the era of post-structuralism and the era of forgetting Iranian paintings of past ages, Sharifi has created an adaptation work by choosing and changing some special symbolic systems in the pretext. The problem is the reason for changing the signs and the artist's use of them, which leads to a different meaning in the adapted work. This research tries to answer two questions: 1. In this process of extraction, what symptom systems have been changed or removed that have led to a change of meaning? 2. What are the differences between these two effects? The goal is to achieve and to recognize the type of changes in the noble text. Therefore, the study of this work along with the existing pretexts can fill the gap in studies in this field. The research method is descriptive-analytical and comparative and the two considered effects of Gerard Genette's transtexual approach have been examined. The method of collecting information relies on library (filing) and interviewing the artist. Based on the obtained results and using sign systems, the duality of meaning was observed in a noble effect. In this work, a kind of comparison between the literary subjects of the past centuries of Iran and contemporary events can be seen. In other words, the "Shirin’s suicide" of the Nezami is considered symmetrical and opposite, honoring the issue of martyrdom in the Iran-Iraq war and the statue of Pieta by Michelangelo, and the death of Christ. The changes brought about by this shift from Islam to Christianity and vice versa have changed the gender and nature of the painting. The most important change, made in the dominant type, is a permutation, because, without the replacement of some elements, the new creation would not have taken place in Sharifi’s work. In this study, with the help of the typology of transtextuality, among the five types introduced by Genette, two types of hypertextuality and intertextuality, that deal with the relationship between artistic texts, are diagnosed. Hypertext is present in both cases under investigation. Thus, the relationship between the poetic text of Khosrow and Shirin by Nezami and the visual text of Soodi Sharifi is based on hypertext, and the interdisciplinary relationship between poetry and photography is seen. Duality of meaning was observed in the Sharifi’s work due to the replacement and change of some sign systems. The artist has achieved a dual identity through his adaptation by simultaneously incorporating symbols of Christianity and Islam. By doing so, Sharifi has used Nezami’s work and created a new piece to direct the semantic path of the Khamseh’s image towards contemporary issues; this is Genette's definition of parody, which has a different meaning. He has achieved his goal by bringing several semiotic factors; including 1- Bringing the key which is the way to enter sky or heaven and to return the young man. 2- Bringing Islamic clothing for women. 3- Renaming the Nezami’s work from "Shirin’s Suicide" to "Martyrdom". Examining these cases has revealed that Sharifi intends to refer to the Iran-Iraq war and to criticize the current situation in psychological and expressive ways, but other layers of belief have been brought in his work, which may have originated from the artist's living environment. Despite spending most of his life in a Christian community, he also depends on several religious affiliations in Iranian society. Therefore, this can be one of the reasons for combining and then replacing this work with the work of Pieta by Michelangelo, and the sculpture of Pieta, as a prelude to Sharifi’s work, itself has semantic independence. Another reason is the similarity and substitution of martyrdom in Islam with the ascension of Jesus in Christianity, which exists in both ascension and entry into heaven, so among the different motives of the artist, we reach semantic diversity in Sharifi’s work. In general, Sharifi's work shows a kind of symmetry between the literary subjects of past centuries in Iran with contemporary events. In other words, the suicide of Nezami’s Shirin is considered symmetrical and opposite concerning the issue of martyrdom in the Iran-Iraq war with the statue of Pieta of Michelangelo and the death of Christ. The changes made for this turn from Islam to Christianity and vice versa have altered the gender and nature of the image, that is, there has been a shift. In between, some elements of the image are completely identical in the work of Sharifi with the picture of Nezami, and there is intertextuality of the quotation type with direct or explicit reference. Therefore, Sharifi’s work has been expanded and changed both in terms of the external structure of the work and in terms of qualitative content towards the image of Shirin’s suicide.

The posters of the eight-year war between Iran and Iraq – also known as the posters of the Holy Defense – have been published by their designers on various topics, and resistance is one of such topics. The works have been investigated and analyzed from various perspectives so far. As they contained ideological content, the present study aimed to compare the posters on resistance with the four sides of Van Dijk’s ideological square. The study aimed to understand Iranian visual culture during the holy defense according to the atmosphere of the time and Van Dijk’s ideological square. Thus, the following questions were asked in the study: “What are the common grounds of the majority of resistance posters with the sides of Van Dijk’s ideological square?”, “What was the most prevalent side of Van Dijk’s model in relation to the investigated works?” and “How – and based on what semantic implication – were the common grounds illustrated?” Authors in a study titled “The Role of Religious Beliefs during the Holy Defense” stated that concepts like resistance against the enemy and not fearing it, endurance and bravery, attacking the enemy, enduring hardships, self-sacrifice, and preferring the interests of the public to personal interests were described in the posters in the best way possible. Moreover, in another study titled “An Investigation of the Symbolism of the Posters of the Holy Defense” it is argued that the work had been formed in spiritual content and in a thoroughly realistic atmosphere with a skillful illustration of symbolic and cliché elements, super-humans, calm and extraterrestrial atmospheres, and ideal goals. A study titled “A Comparative Investigation of the Elements of the Posters of the Iran-Iraq War and the World War II in Poland” argues that the designers of the posters in each country employed visual, written, and spoken elements that originated from the culture, civilization, customs, rituals, and beliefs of that country, while a study titled “A Semiotic Investigation of Form and Content in the Posters of the Holy Defense” argues that the majority of the works employed metaphorical and visual forms to illustrate the forms and concepts of the holy defense, and the dominant concept was implied using indexical elements. In a study titled “A comparison between the symbols and signs of the holy defense in the visual arts and Architecture of the Holy Defense”, it is argued that despite the lack of any overlap between the symbols of architecture and visual arts, there were many common grounds between them.

The presented study implemented the qualitative methodology based on performing a discourse analysis based on semiotics and the investigation of the artworks of the time, using library resources and databases. The results were obtained by reading the works, observing visual sources, and analyzing and interpreting them. Semiotics decodes meanings or messages, and its major task is to study the system of communication signs employed by humans – including mathematical, visual, or graphic signs. Moreover, it can be investigated in terms of the system dominating the signs, the meanings of the signs, and their relationships with each other. A part of semiotics deals with analyzing the content of images or texts. The present study focused on the semiotics of visual meanings to compare them with Van Dijk’s theory. The seven works investigated in the study were selected from a book titled “Ten Years with the Graphic Designers of the Islamic Revolution” with a focus on the topic of resistance. As the book contained just 7 works dealing with the topic of resistance, the selection of the samples to identify the symbolic elements of resistance was purposive. Though other works of the book originated from the same intellectual foundations, they had varying titles and lacked thematic consistency. The findings of the present study were obtained by analyzing and interpreting the semiotic characteristics of the works and comparing them with the sides of Van Dijk’s ideological square based on symbols, colors, forms, compositions, and the topic of resistance.

If Van Dijk’s square, whose general output is intended to illustrate competitors in a ruthless manner, is believed to be a negative feature for ideological media, the findings of the present study showed that such a negative element was insignificant in the investigated works. In other words, it was shown that the works illustrated a fair image of the enemy that did not spare any violent actions against the resistance forces. Refraining from belittling the human forces of the enemy, illustrating them minimally in the background, the collapse of the non-human symbols or elements like stars and signs, and minimal reference to the human elements of the enemy were proofs in this regard. In terms of the sides of Van Dijk’s square, the majority of the works focused on strengthening one’s own positive elements with typically well-defined implications and moving one’s negative elements to the periphery. Thus, it can be concluded that the graphic designers of the works followed religious-based ethical and ideological values even during the heated days of the war.

Masouleh is one of the few historical and habitable spaces in Iran, where the continuity of Iranian Islamic arts has been common for many centuries. Masouleh is located in the mountainous part of Fuman city with a thousand year old history. This historical city was registered as a national monument in 1944 and is currently being registered in the UNESCO World Organization. Masouleh’s architecture has a stepped structure and the houses are extroverted. Masouleh has six neighborhoods, Reyhane-bar, Asad-mohalleh, Keshe-sar, Khanebar, Masjed-bar and Bazaar. Reyhane-bar neighborhood is the main entrance to Masouleh and is located in the southern part of the city. The formation of Reyhane-bar neighborhood and its buildings is deep-rooted in the Zandiyeh- Pahlavi period. Reyhane-bar neighborhood has 50 residential units, of which 26 buildings have a historical structure and were examined in the current research. The Reyhane-bar neighborhood has a variety of latticed openings made of enclosing decorative patterns. The aim of the research is to recognize the types of openings and ornamentations in the Reyhane-bar neighborhood. The research questions are as follows: 1- In how many levels are the openings of the historical building of Reyhane-bar neighborhood classified? 2- What decorative patterns are used in the openings and what is the frequency of new to old patterns in the ornamentation of the openings of Reyhane-bar neighborhood? The research method is descriptive-analytical and the information collection method is documentary and field study. The results of the research show that the ornamentations of the openings of Reyhane-bar neighborhood have been implemented using three methods Girih-tiling, Ghavarehbori and woodcarving. The openings of the Reyhane-bar neighborhood are classified in six levels: integrated openings, without Sarbarieh (opening above the window), inscribed openings without Sarbarieh, Sarbariehs without a border design (single), and inscribed Sarbariehs (single) and Orosi. This should also be noted that the Reyhane-bar neighborhood has the lowest number of Orosis in comparison with other neighborhoods and Orosis in the above-mentioned neighborhood are mainly observed in the economic constructions. A total of fifteen decorative patterns have been used in the openings of Reyhane-bar neighborhood, among which, 8-square Shamse girih patterns and Paisley Ghavarehbori are the most repeated patterns. Reyhane-bar neighborhood has 6 new patterns and 9 common (original) patterns in Masouleh. The results of the research show that 24% of the decorative arrays of the openings of the Reyhane-bar neighborhood was of new patterns and 76% of the original and common patterns in Masouleh neighborhoods. A noteworthy point in the construction of the ornamentation of the openings of the Reyhane-bar neighborhood is the common use of the Ghavarehbori method. Among the main reasons for the Ghavarehbori construction method in the decorations of the openings of the Reyhane-bar neighborhood, the following can be mentioned: Cost-effectiveness: The Ghavarehbori construction method is much more economical than the Girih-tiling method, but by implementing Ghavarehbori, more limited designs can be made in comparison with the Girih-tiling method. Ease of construction: Artists need to use soft wood to make Ghavarehbori ornamentations, and this causes less durability, more wear and tear, and a more unfavorable appearance in the building wall. For this reason, to solve the problems of corrosion and to prevent biological and environmental disintegration as well as turbidity of color, the residents are forced to use stabilizers and chemical colors that do not match the authentic and historical texture of Masouleh. The research results show that there are sixteen geometrical patterns in Reyhane-bar neighborhood. As already mentioned in the text, the ornamentations of Masouleh’s openings have been implemented in three forms: Girih-tiling, Ghavarehbori and woodcarving. Several researches have been recently conducted with regard to the subject of Masouleh, its neighborhoods, and the existing ornamentations of the openings of each of these neighborhoods due to the significance and importance of Masouleh, as one the few habitable historical places in Iran. This research and its results are only a small part of the wide and extensive topics that can be performed in the field of knowledge of traditional arts and how they work to meet the needs of users. In fact, it is possible to investigate the ornamentations of other places in Masouleh in future research, which would lead to the recognition and preservation of the architectural arrays of Masouleh.