Acta Via Serica

Academia Via Serica (계명대학교 실크로드 중앙아시아연구원)
권호 표지
DOI QR코드

DOI QR Code

The Reflection of Persian Gardens in Persian Rug Design: A Comparative Study

  • Received : 2022.08.16
  • Accepted : 2022.11.17
  • Published : 2022.12.15
Download PDF
⟨ Previous Next ⟩

Abstract

Two of the main elements of Persian tangible heritage are rugs and gardens, which have evolved together from the dawn of Iranian history. Emerging from the same system of thought and geographical location, together they represent the Persians' world views, desires, dreams, and design paradigms. In this study, the Persian Garden's patterns, elements, typology, and meanings are introduced and compared with the same aspects of Persian rugs. This paper uses a qualitative comparative methodology to analyze rugs' designs and patterns in relation to Persian Gardens' design principles. Data is collected primarily through library study and observation. The author uses two categories for comparison: meanings and forms. First, the author identifies underlying meanings common to the two art forms and then introduces form, function, and general principal patterns into the analysis. There is a type of rug pattern, known as Chahar-Bagh (literally, "four gardens"), that mirrors a garden design, down to the details, which is the focus of this paper. Additionally, other representations of Persian Gardens in rug design, such as Shekargah ("hunting pattern"), are discussed, as are other rug patterns with fewer elements borrowed from garden design. The paper also considers several motifs that represent flora common in gardening on the Iranian plateau, some of which have symbolic meanings dating to the Zoroastrian era. By comparing these two mediums of art (garden and rug) in the context of Persian history and geography, it becomes clear that the Persian rug design, in its roots, is an attempt to bring a garden into interior space. The study shows that the forms, patterns, and meanings reflected in Persian rugs render the study of their designs incomplete without considering the history of gardens.

Keywords

References

  1. Abbas, Mohamed, Nazanin Nafisi, and Sara Nafisi. 2016. "Persian Garden, Cultural Sustainability, and Environmental Design Case Study Shazdeh Garden." Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 222 (June): 510-17. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2016.05.142.
  2. Abouali, Ladan, Jianlin Ni, and Jake Kaner. 2020. "The Evolution of Iranian Rug Designs with the Influence of Islam and Chinese Art; Ilkhanid, Timurid, Safavid." Journal of History Culture and Art Research 9 (March): 494-506. https://doi.org/10.7596/taksad.v9i1.2560.
  3. Ahari, Zahra. 2010. "Isfahan's Chahar Bagh Street, New Concept of Urban Space." Golestan Honar, no. 5: 48-59 http://ensani.ir/fa/article/4198.
  4. Alimoradi, Mahmoud, and Mohammad Taqi Ashouri. 2007. "Tree in Bakhtiari Rug." Goljaam, Scientific Journal of Handmade Rug 3 (6): 11-22.
  5. Ansari, Shaghayegh Moalemzadeh. 2015. An Investigation into Water Usage and Water Efficient Design for Persian Gardens. Master's Thesis, University of Arizona. https://repository.arizona.edu/handle/10150/595836.
  6. Ardalan, Nader, and Laleh Bakhtiar. 2000. The Sense of Unity : The Sufi Tradition in Persian Architecture. 2nd edition. Chicago, Ill: Kazi Publications, Inc.
  7. Arefian, Fatemeh Farnaz, and Seyed Hossein Iradj Moeini, eds. 2016. Urban Change in Iran: Stories of Rooted Histories and Ever-Accelerating Developments. The Urban Book Series. Heidelberg: Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-26115-7.
  8. Baker, Patricia L. 1997. "Twentieth-Century Myth-Making: Persian Tribal Rugs." Journal of Design History 10 (4): 363-74. https://doi.org/10.1093/jdh/10.4.363
  9. Basso, Keith H. 1996. Wisdom Sits in Places: Landscape and Language among the Western Apache. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press.
  10. Burckhardt, Titus. 2001. Sacred Art in East and West: Its Principles and Methods. 1st American ed. Wisdom Foundation Series. Louisville, Ky. : Fons Vitae.
  11. Danshdust, Y. 1990. "Tabas the City That Was (Garden of Tabas)." Tehran: Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization's Publication.
  12. Daryaie, Nazila. 2018. "Mehr Signs in Persian Rugs Moifs." Journal of Art and Civilization of the Orient 6 (19): 22-29. https://doi.org/10.22034/jaco.2018.63586.
  13. Daubenton, Pierre. 2013. "Plane Tree." Encyclopedia of Diderot & d'Alembert - Collaborative Translation Project, April. http://hdl.handle.net/2027/spo.did2222.0002.280.
  14. Egharloo, Siamak, and Seyyed Saeid Zavieh. 2020. "Analysis of Current Categories of Persian Rug and Presenting a New Model of Classification Based on Rug's Design and Motif." Rajshomar Journal 1 (1): 153-72.
  15. Farahani, Leila Mahmoudi, Bahareh Motamed, and Elmira Jamei. 2016. "Persian Gardens: Meanings, Symbolism, and Design." Landscape Online 46: 1-19. https://doi.org/10.3097/LO.201646
  16. Farhangdoust, Hadi, Alireza Bavandian, and Hossein Koohestani. 2021. "Presenting a Philosophical-Wisdom Aesthetic System in Islamic Architecture." Theoretical Principles of Visual Arts 6 (1): 42-59. https://doi.org/10.22051/jtpva.2021.34750.1274.
  17. Gholipour, Soudabeh, and Vahid Heydarnattaj. 2016. "The Impact of Timurid Gardens in Samarkand on Safavid Gardens in Isfahan (Chaharbagh)." The Monthly Scientific Journal of Bagh-e Nazar, 13(40):5-18.
  18. Gimbal, Julie, and Eric Firley. 2018. "Cultural Identity and Shared Memory: A Comparison Of Superkilen and Piazza, Italy as Case-Studies Of Contemporary; Place; -Making," Porto:CITCEM - Culture, Space and Memory Transdisciplinary Research Center(2): 507-517.
  19. Herbert, Janice Summers. 1978. Oriental Rugs: The Illustrated Guide. New York: Macmillan.
  20. Haghighatbin, M., and M. Ansari. 2014. "Persian Gardens Symbolism during Islamic Era and Its Relationship with Religious Beliefs." Naghshe Jahan 4 (1): 47-55.
  21. Jani, Haza, Nor Zalina Harun, Mazlina Mansor, and Ismawi Zen. 2016. "Discovering the Values of the Islamic Garden." Asian Journal of Behavioural Studies 2 (December); 251-260. https://doi.org/10.21834/ajbes.v2i5.45.
  22. Karimiazeri, Amirreza. 2014. "Analyses of Iranian Garden Design Art from Geometrical Structure View Case Study: Shahzade Mahan Kerman in Iran." Sylwan 158 (September): 137-46.
  23. Khansari, Mehdi, M. Reza Moghtader, and Minouch Yavari. 2004. The Persian Garden: Echoes of Paradise. Fredricksburg: Mage Publishers.
  24. Khoshnazar, Seyyed Rahim, Gholamreza Aavani, Hekmatollah Molla Salehi, and Habibollah I. Ayatolah. 2011. "Muslim Mystics Opinions About Light And Its Effect on Art." Honar-Ha-Ye-Ziba: Honar-Ha-Ye-Tajassomi 2 (42): 5-14.
  25. Latif, Zainab, Mohd Yazid Mohd Yunos, and Maheran Yaman. 2017. "A Discourse on the Persian Chahar-Bagh as an Islamic Garden." Planning Malaysia Journal 15 (November): 121-134. https://doi.org/10.21837/pmjournal.v15.i3.303.
  26. Mansoureh, Rajabi Tanha, and Ahmad Izmer. 2013. "Towards a Cross Cultural Design by Integrating Batik Motifs into the Persian Rug Design." International Journal of the Malay World and Civilisation 1(1): 111-123.
  27. Mansouri, Maryam-al-sadat. 2019. "Water as the Origin of Beauty in Persian Garden." Manzar, January 11(48): 32-43.
  28. Milligan, Melinda J. 2003. "Displacement and Identity Discontinuity: The Role of Nostalgia in Establishing New Identity Categories." Symbolic Interaction 26 (3): 381-403. https://doi.org/10.1525/si.2003.26.3.381.
  29. Moallem, Minoo. 2018. Persian Rugs: The Nation as a Transnational Commodity. New York: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315266435.
  30. Mousavi Hejazi, Bahar, Mojtaba Ansari, Habibollah Ayatollahi, and Mohammad Reza Pourjafar. 2006. "Persian Rug as a Media of Communication between Iranian and European Artists A Semiotic Approach to William Morris' Tapestries." The International Journal of Humanities 13 (3): 63-82.
  31. Mozaffari, Ali, and Nigel Westbrook. 2011. "The Unfinished Museum: The Case of Pasargadae World Heritage Site Museum." Brisbane: Proceedings of the XXVIIIth International Conference of the Society of Architectural Historians, Australia and New Zealand 1(1): 1-20.
  32. Nasr, Seyyed Hossein. 1987. Islamic Art and Spirituality. Albany: State University of New York Press.
  33. Noghsan Mohammadi, Mohammadreza, and Mohsen Dehghani Tafti. 2017. "Shah-Vali Complex, the Lasting Heritage of City of Taft." Soffeh Vol. 21, (No. 4): 141-54.
  34. Norouzianpour, Hirbod, and Hamed Mirjalili. 2012. "Searching for Roots of 'Garden-City' Pattern in Iran's Vernacular UrbanDesign; Comparative Study of the Garden City of Taft." London: In International Conference of Urban Change in Iran 1: 64-65. https ://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.36386.94403.
  35. Norouzianpour, Hirbod, Mehri Motahari Rad, and Samane Motaghi Pishe. 2012. "Persian Gardens Are Sustainable Gardens: Scrutinize the Sustainability Features in Persian Gardens." Nishinomiya: In Archi-Cultural Translations through the Silk Road 2nd International Conference 1: 14 -16.
  36. Norouzianpour, Hirbod, and David Weiss. 2021. "Cultural Strategy in Practice: A Case Study of Iranian Americans in Los Angeles." CAP-Public Art Journal 3 (1): 24-35.
  37. Papuli-yazdi, Muhammad Husayn, and Majid Labbaf-khiniki. 2003. Qanatha-Yi Taft. 1st ed. Tehran: Mu'avanat-i Pizhuhishi-i Sazman-i Miras-i Farhangi-i Kishvar, Pizhuhishkadah-i Mardumʹshinasi.Pourabdollah, Habibollah. 2013. Hekmathaye penhan dar memari-e Iran [Cryptic wisdoms in Iran's architecture]. Tehran: Entesharat Kalhor.
  38. Pyne, Lydia. 2016. "An Object History of the Persian Rug." JSTOR Daily. June 16, 2016. https://daily.jstor.org/object-history-persian-rug/.
  39. Rahnavard, Zahra. 2015. The Islamic art wisdom. 10th ed. Tehran: SAMT.
  40. Sakhai, Essie. 2008. Persian Rugs and Rugs: The Fabric of Life. London: Antique Collectors' Club.
  41. Sardar, Marika. 2000. "Rugs from the Islamic World, 1600-1800 |Essay| The Metropolitan Museum of Art | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History." The Met's Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/crpt/hd_crpt.htm.
  42. Schwaner, John. 2014. Oriental Rug Aesthetics: 2nd Edition. Unknown: John Schwaner.
  43. Shadlou, Davood. 2020. "The Transition of the Persian Rug Designing, Referring to the Herat and Shiraz Miniatures, Since 1446 Until the First Decades of the 16th Century AH in Iran." Negareh Journal 15 (54): 55-75. https://doi.org/10.22070/negareh.2020.1238.
  44. Shahabinejad, Ali, Reza Abuei, and Mahmoud Ghalenoei. 2017. "The Naghsh-e Jahan Square Open Space; Values and Issues." Bagh-e Nazar 13 (44): 57-70.
  45. Shahcheraghi, Azadeh. 2010. "Paradigms of Paradise: Recognition and Recreation of the Persian Garden." Tehran: Acecr Tehran.
  46. Shahri, Kavos, and Shabnam Henareh Ashgehsou. 2019. "Analysis and Study of Geometry of Persian Rugs with Geometry and Architecture Approach." Science Arena Publications Specialty Journal of Architecture and Construction 5 (3): 92-103.
  47. Shojaee, Farshid, and Mehran Paeezeh. 2015. "Islamic City and Urbanism, an Obvious Example of Sustainable Architecture and City. Cumhuriyet Science Journal 36: 231-237. https://doi.org/10.17776/CSJ.56002.
  48. Stierlin, Henri, and Jose Conesa. 1980. Ispahan, Image Du Paradis. La Bibliotheque des Arts.
  49. Stone, Peter F. 2013. Oriental Rugs: An Illustrated Lexicon of Motifs, Materials, and Origins. Rutland: Tuttle Publishing.
  50. Taghvaei, Seyed-Hassan, Mansoureh Tahbaz, and Samaneh Pishe. 2015. "The Role of Shade in Persian Garden; The Study of Thermal Comfort Conditions in JAHANNAMA and DELOSHA Gardens." Journal of Iranian Architecture Studies 4(7):35-56..
  51. Thomas, Pamela. 1996. Oriental Rugs: A Guide to Identifying and Collecting. New York: M. Friedman.
  52. UNESCO World Heritage Center. 2011. "The Persian Garden." UNESCO World Heritage Centre. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1372/.
  53. UNESCO World Heritage Centre. 2016. "The Persian Qanat." UNESCO World Heritage Centre. https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1506/.
  54. Wilber, Donald N. 1994. Persian Gardens & Garden Pavilions. Rutland: Tuttle Publishing.
  55. Wonning, Paul R. 2020. A Short History of Traditional Crafting. Unknown: Mossy Feet Books.
  56. Wyche, Lois. 1963. "A Sixteenth-Century Persian Rug." The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 50 (2): 35-39.