Sasanian art

جاویدنیا حسام الدین، هژبري علی، افخمی بهروز ( 1399 ) . مفاهیم نقوش شکار در دورة ساسانی با تأملی بر هنر مردمان پیش از تاریخ. فصلنامه علمی اثر، 1( 4 4) ، 492 - 509

Hunting has been one of the ways of human beings livelihood since ancient times. Therefore, it has been a very respectful job and one of the first subjects of human arts. Moreover, Iran is rich in natural resources and various animals. Accordingly, primitive humans had been drawing these pictures with the thought that they could overcome their prey and by performing magical actions and shooting animal images, they could achieve a symbolic victory over them. Later, with the development of cultures and the changes in living patterns, beliefs also underwent changes . Gradually, a number of animals were respected and turned into totems. But still, hunting remained a means of
displaying power and religious beliefs over time and in different eras, especially for kings. In Iran, we might mention Sassanid period as the best example of such displays. So the question is, whether the artists of that period wanted to show the same importance of prehistoric hunting using the subject of hunting and showing it with different tools and materials. Also, the present study aims to investigate what the purpose of the Sassanid kings in choosing the subject of hunting to display in different places during their reign was. This article, deals with the subject of hunting in these periods with a historical- analytical approach utilizing library studies. This article’s main objective is to gain a close and suitable understanding of the attitude of the people of this era’s approach to the concept of hunting.

از یک­سو شکار و شکار ورزی از ادوار بسیار کهن یکی از راه ­های معیشت انسان­ ها بوده است. لذا یکی از شغل ­های مورد احترام بوده و جزو اولین موضوعات هنری بشر بوده است. از سوی دیگر سرزمین ایران سرشار از منابع طبیعی و سرشار از جانوران گوناگون بوده است. با این وصف، گویا انسان­ های اولیه برای غلبه بر حیوانات در شکار، نقش آنها را بر دیوار غارها می­ کشیدند و با انجام اعمال جادویی و تیراندازی به تصاویر حیوانات به یک پیروزی نمادین بر آنها دست می­ یافتند. در ادامه با پیشرفت فرهنگ‌ها و تغییر الگوهای معیشتی، باورها نیز دستخوش تطور شد. رفته ­رفته گزیده­ ای از حیوانات مورد احترام قرار گرفته و به توتم ­ها تبدیل شدند. در ادوار مختلف و با گذشت زمان، اما شکار همچنان بعنوان وسیله‌ای جهت نمایش قدرت و اعتقادات مذهبی بخصوص برای شاهان باقی ماند. در ایران شاید بهترین نمونه این‌چنین نمایشی را بتوان در دوره ساسانی دید. بنابراین سوال این است که آیا هنرمندان این دوره با به ‌کارگیری موضوع شکار و نمایش آن به ‌وسیله ­ی ابزار و مواد مختلف بر روی سطوح گوناگون، خواسته­ اند تا همان اهمیت شکار در پیش از تاریخ بعنوان قدرت را نشان دهند؟ و اینکه هدف پادشاهان ساسانی از انتخاب موضوع شکار برای نقش بستن بر روی سطوح مختلف در دوران حکومت خود چه بود؟ در این مقاله با رویکردی تحلیلی - تاریخی و با بهره­ گیری از مطالعات کتابخانه ای به موضوع شکار در این ادوار پرداخته شده و هدف اصلی این مقاله رسیدن به مفهومی هرچند مناسب و نزدیک به نوع نگاه مردمان در این ادوار به موضوع شکار است.

This tribute to the memory of Gaston Wiet, who died in 1971, consists of 28 articles which, with four exceptions, treat aspects of Islamic civilization: its historical developments, its expression in art, architecture, and literature; its manifestations as a religion in theory and practice. Three of the four exceptions deal with Sasanian studies, the fourth is devoted to the Crusades.
The twenty-four articles concerning Islamic civilization were intended to be, and are, as diverse and wide in scope as Wiet's own interests and publications. In terms of time they stretch from the Sasanian period until the present day.

International Conference of Leibniz-WissenschaftsCampus Mainz: Byzantium between Orient and Occident, organized by Prof. Dr. Falko Daim (General Director, RGZM) and Prof. Dr. Neslihan Asutay-Effenberger (Johannes Gutenberg Universität, Mainz).

Cultural exchanges between Christianity and Islam, especially between Byzantium and its Islamic Neighbours, but also in the Caucasian region, have been an attractive topic for historians, art historians and archaeologists in recent years. Scholarly interest focuses on diplomatic gift exchange, trade, the mobility of artists and the common motifs in both Christian and Islamic objects. The stage extends from Spain to Afghanistan and justifies the necessity of this debate. Yet, unfortunately, the role of one of the important protagonists of this exchange, namely the Persian Sasanians, is less well researched, although many important artistic and cultural phenomena in Byzantium, Armenia, and Georgia as well as in the Islamic countries can only be understood when this culture is included.   

The Sasanian Empire (224-651 A.D.) extended over a large territory. In Late Antiquity and the early Medieval Era, it ruled the whole area of modern Iran, Iraq, Azerbaijan, Pakistan and Afghanistan. The Caucasian region was exposed to its political influence. Until the middle of the 7th century, Sasanians were the major rival of the Late Roman and Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire and exported art and culture into these civilizations through various means and on different levels. The cultural connections ended after the fall of the Sasanian Empire, which was replaced mainly by Arab Muslims, and a new era began: the new owners of the territory then adapted Sasanian elements into their own culture.   

From the10th century onwards, the Turkish dynasties such as the Ghaznawids (963-1186) or the Great Seljuks (1019-1157 / de facto until the 13th century) settled in Persia and styled themselves as the successors of the Sasanians as well as as Turks; hence, they were called "Persians" in Byzantine sources. The Sasanian artistic and architectural tradition continued to exist in these cultures. The same phenomenon also applies to the Turkish Rum-Seljuks, who founded their empire in Anatolia: Persian was the court language, the sultans were named after Sassanian heroes from the Shahname (Keykubad, Keyhusrev, Keykavus), and despite the religious prohibition, drinking scenes were depicted in the artworks and wine played an important role at the ceremonies and celebrations according to the Sasanian model. 

As can be clearly seen, the Sasanian Empire had not only ‘transfused’ its art and culture to its neighbourhood during its prime time, but also influenced the successor states after its decline. Just as Ancient Greek and Roman culture played an important role in the formation of Western Europe, the Sasanian Empire bequeathed, a remarkably rich cultural heritage to the Christian and Islamic East.

The conference “Sasanian Elements in Byzantine, Caucasian and Islamic Art and Culture” succeeds “Der Doppeladler. Byzanz und die Seldschuken in Anatolien vom späten 11. bis zum 13. Jahrhundert", which was held at the Römisch-Germanisches Zentralmuseum, Mainz in October 2010. The first event dealt with the cultural relations between Islam, particularly Turkish Islam, Byzantium and the Caucasus. At the forthcoming conference, we aim to discuss the role of the Sasanian Empire in the process of cultural exchange before and after its decline.

SUMMARY The present article analyses Chinese histories and encyclopaedias for data on diplomatic contacts between Tang China and a country named Bosi (Persia) postdating the death of Yazdegerd III in 651 AD. Combined with evidence from Iranian apocalyptic texts, numismatics, and artistic metal ware they seem to point to the existence of a veritable Sasanian court-in-exile somewhere in the southern Hindukush area, i.e. in the political environment of the courts in Zāwul or Kāwul, until at least the middle of the 8th century. RÉSUMÉ Le présent article analyse des données pertinentes issues de sources historiques et ency-clopédiques chinoises portant sur les contacts diplomatiques entre la Chine des Tang et un pays nommé Bosi (Perse) postérieurs à la mort de Yazdegerd III en 651 de n.è. Ces données combinées avec les témoignages des textes apocalyptiques iraniens, de la numis-matique et des arts visuels semblent indiquer l'existence d'une véritable cour sassanide en exil quelque part dans la région méridionale de l'Hindou-Kouch, c.-à-d. relevant du milieu politique des cours de Zāwul ou de Kāwul jusqu'à au moins la moitié du VIII e siècle.