Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies in Visual Arts

Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies in Visual Arts

An Analysis of the Mother Goddess Motif in Persian and Turkish Handwovens with an Emphasis on the Historical Background

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
1 Associate Professor, Department of Graphics, Faculty of Art and Architecture, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran
2 Lecturer of Art Research Department, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran
10.22034/jivsa.2024.434065.1081
Abstract
Persian and Turkish handwovens have similar motifs. These motifs can be assumed as talismanic symbols that have been separated from their original meaning today. The main question of the current research is what are the similarities and differences in shape and meaning of handwoven geometric motifs of Persian and Turkish handwovens, which are related to the philosophy of praising the mother goddess. It is possible to identify the background of these motifs based on archaeological discoveries. This article seeks to search and explain these common historical aspects and interpret the motifs based on the theory of the mother goddess and related symbols. This study is descriptive-analytical in terms of methodology. The data collection method is based on library review (i.e. note taking and image analysis) and data analysis was done qualitatively. Based on the findings of the research, ancient Iranian religious texts have expressed women as the manifestation of fertility, representative of natural phenomena such as water, plants, and earth. The three female angels in Zoroastrian religion are Sepenta Ermeiti (angel of the earth), Amretat (the lord of plants) and Heortat (the lord of waters). The earth, water, and plants that these guardian angels guard are natural phenomena that are closely related to the concept of growth, fertility, and life. According to archaeological research, belief in the mother goddess has existed since the Neolithic period and before that in ancient civilizations, including Iran and Anatolia, and mythological concepts in Turkish literature also confirm this issue. This similar belief and other cultural interactions are the source of the birth of a common pictorial tradition that can be seen in the handwoven fabrics of Iran and Turkey. A horned rhombus and a geometric sitting figure with wide arms and legs is one of these birth pattern. These motifs are often associated with the concepts of fertility and life.
Keywords

Volume 2, Issue 4
March 2024
Pages 167-178

  • Receive Date 05 January 2024
  • Revise Date 10 March 2024
  • Accept Date 18 March 2024