Master's Thesis of Islamic Arts
Metal trend
Abstract:
In the early centuries of the arrival of Islam in Iran, art suffered stagnation and decline due to the instability of the governments. But the 3rd to 5th centuries of Hijri were a fruitful era in all cultural dimensions including Islamic art. This part of history played a significant role in the formation, expansion and continuation of a new artistic-decorative style that reached its full bloom and maturity in the Islamic art of Iran in the following centuries. According to the possibility of durability of metal and the role it plays in archeology studies, samples of ornaments remaining from the early Islamic centuries in Iran, available in three national museums of Iran, Reza Abbasi Museum and Metropolitan Museum in New York, USA, were examined in terms of how they worked at that time. In this way, in a descriptive-analytical research and using the library and observation method, 24 works from the National Museum of Iran, 28 works from the Reza Abbasi Museum and 62 works from the Metropolitan Museum were selected from among the ornaments related to the early Islamic period to the end of the Seljuk period. What was obtained from this applied research is that: in the statistical society, in terms of technique and construction, the investigated works followed and completed the methods of the previous era. The museums that have obtained the works by direct excavation have been able to provide a detailed identification certificate for each of the works by passing the laboratory procedures, and the museums that have been far away from this point of view and have been the only keepers of the donated works, lack expert and scientific information. At the same time, by knowing the original techniques and taking advantage of the design and role of the works of the specified period, especially the Seljuk period, practical use became possible and examples were made.
Key words: the early period of Islam, metalwork art, jewelry, National Museum of Iran, Reza Abbasi Museum, Metropolitan Museum.
Introduction
Following the arrival of Muslim Arabs in Iran and the extinction of the Sassanid Empire, instability and turmoil covered this vast territory, and as a result, economic weakness and artistic stagnation. He dominated the country. The arrival of Islam in Iran also disrupted and transformed the social structure of the Sasanian era. After the extinction of the Sassanid Empire, the heavenly rule and faith of Islam penetrated and brought about many changes and transformations in Iranian art. However, despite the loss of political independence, the Iranian society maintained its cultural identity and caused the Umayyad and Abbasid caliphs to adopt many Iranian rituals and customs and hire Iranian collaborators.
The artisans of Iran were skilled in making all kinds of metals and created exquisite works before Islam, and they did not lose this position even after Iran became part of the Islamic countries. Due to the interest of Iranians in using ornaments, metal and precious stones have long been used in the skilled hands of Iranian craftsmen and artists in decorative and artistic forms to be used as personal, social or ritual and religious ornaments; Even though with the conquest of the Muslim Arabs on the land of Iran, fundamental changes were made in my sex, form, love, magic poured its own poison on me, I fell from the top of the earth, I just remembered, I was an eagle and the decorations of metal objects were created. "During the first two centuries of Iran's occupation, when Islamic Sharia ruled the Iranian society, the standards and regulations governing the society deprived the genius and creativity of Iranian artists for several decades. Such a situation prevented Iranian artists from artistic manifestations, and due to their dispersion and migration, the fine art of metalwork was forgotten. After the stabilization of the situation and the establishment of peace and the rise of national governments, Iranian artists emerged from behind the dark clouds from all corners of Iran to bring their national and racial beauty to the scene" (Ehsani, 1368, 155).
Iranians have inherited the precious heritage of the metalworking industry from their artisan and artist predecessors and increased its importance and progress in the Islamic period. They quickly covered a difficult path due to persistent and tireless efforts and reached the ultimate peak of perfection. They found a simpler and easier application method for a variety of decorative techniques and complex techniques.. This caused Iran's metalworking art to become more advanced than other Islamic countries, especially in terms of technique.
Very valuable and precious works of art that are kept in museums and private collections in Iran and the world today represent the taste of Iranian artists in pre-historic, historical and Islamic periods in making decorative arrays. An artist who created a new approach in making jewelry by taking possession of the materials of his environment, so that when a person sees them today, he admires the amazing creativity and ability of their makers.
By studying and doing background research, our goal of this research is to get to know and use the original designs and patterns and techniques and with the identity of the history of Iran in the early Islamic era, to the extent of the influence of the themes and concepts of Islam on the creation and presentation of Let's find out the ornaments in that era and its effect on the ornaments after that. With this aim, in the library section, background research on jewelry from the beginning of Islam in Iran until the end of the Seljuk period was done, and in the observation section, the National Museum of Iran, the Reza Abbasi Museum, and the website of the Metropolitan Museum, the Freer Gallery, and the Christie's Museum in America were referred to. They have created a world. Gold and silver jewelry decorated with precious and semi-precious stones, the use of decorative techniques of enameling, mesh work and embossing in bracelets, necklaces, earrings and other decorations, inlaying, the use of gold, silver and copper coins in decoration, as well as the use of low-cost metals in making jewelry such as copper, zinc, and brass are the characteristics of the jewelry art of the Islamic era.
Researchers and archeology experts have come across samples of metal ornaments of the past in their explorations and excavations. These works have been worn and damaged or completely lost due to mixing with ambient oxygen and rust. Many of the objects found in smuggling excavations have been looted and have remained far from the reach of researchers and historians, as a result of which determining the exact date and place of construction of the works has become difficult and in some cases impossible.
This thesis is organized in four chapters:
In the first chapter, the generalities of the research are discussed in order to clarify the direction of movement, method and steps of work to reach the goal. The second chapter deals with the theoretical foundations of the research and investigation of the history of the use of ornaments in the Islamic era in Iran and its effect on the use, construction, technique, design and role in these works and familiarity with them. In the third chapter, which is the main body of the research, it has been investigated, described and analyzed the works left over from the beginning of the Tapayan Islam of the Seljuk period in Iran, which are in three national museums, the Reza Abbasi Museum and the Metropolitan Museum. And at the end, in the fourth chapter, we will see the summary of the materials, the analysis of the works and their application, and the conclusion of the purpose of this research. Chapter One: Chapter One: The generalities of the research: Statement of the problem: Most scientists and artists have come to the conclusion that the reason for the emergence of art was that the primitive man always had a tendency to adorn himself and the objects around his life, and it was very important. has been giving Inspired by the order and beauty of nature, as well as his beautiful nature, he founded his manifestations of art, culture and civilization. This connection in different periods of human life from the end of the Middle Paleolithic era until now has a special place as a cultural-civilizational or class symbol in human societies.
The artificial arts of every civilization and country have valuable and significant information about that civilization or country and can show the course of evolution, recognition, application and use and even the way of life of that period. Meanwhile, jewelry has always been one of the most important branches of handicrafts and traditional arts in most civilizations. Ornaments and jewels, due to the range of sexual diversity and diversity of use and how to make along with the possibility of their permanence, have a noteworthy help in recognizing the peak or decline of the artificial arts of each period.