Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies in Visual Arts

Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies in Visual Arts

Iconological analysis of motif of love on potteries of 4-7th century AH, from Erwin Panofsky point of view

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
1 Assistant Professor, Department of Art, Islamic Azad University, Qaemshahr Branch, Iran
2 MA in Art research, Department of Art, Islamic Azad University, Qaemshahr Branch, Iran
Abstract
One of the visual element of ancient Persian art is ‘love’. Love has important position in Persian art and medieval Islamic pottery. The motif on pottery with the content of love is generally derived from literary and historical stories and has been created in the format of national Persian stories. Taking into account the importance of pottery’s motifs, four potteries have been selected in current research and examined by using iconological approach, which would result in exploration of semantic layers in designs through investigation of the hidden goals beyond the motifs. In this study, in order to examination, adequate data have been collected based on essential goal and from the perspective of descriptive and analytical method and through library research and websites of reliable museums in abroad. The main goal of present research is analysis of motif of love on potteries of 4-7th century AH which would reveal the effects of ancestors on content of artwork through identifying visual aspects of motif and its symbolic values. The final results imply that whatever the artist has created in the format of motif and painting can include connotations and in some case adapt to love, which balance the physical instinct and spiritual tendencies and bring spiritual vitality to human soul, and the base of the motifs can be defined as Persian-Islamic. Natural elements which have been sanctified in ancient religions such as water and plants like cypress, are observed in some of the potteries, which can suggest similarity with love, and this kind of motif coupled with human in love can be the symbol of freshness and the balance between body and soul and the beauty of soul. The symbolic values in the potteries have been created by considering the origins of literature and emerging of inter-textual relationships. In some case, the structure of story has been changed based on verbal narratives. Tapping into the ancient patterns is observed in hidden semantic layers of love designs, and it seems that the use of motifs in the position of symbol has been done on purpose.
Keywords

Volume 1, Issue 1
June 2022
Pages 41-60

  • Receive Date 11 January 2022
  • Revise Date 23 May 2022
  • Accept Date 25 May 2022