Background & Objectives:
The Safavid era is one of the most important periods of textile weaving in Iran. During this period, the kings supported cloth weaving a lot, and the establishment of cloth weaving workshops in the bed of various weaves reached its highest level, and the use of animal, plant motifs and hunting scenes was done on the cloths in an abstract and realistic manner.
In terms of patterns, Safavid fabrics can be divided into two periods: The first period, during Khaja Ghiyath al-Din's time, featured small designs painted on the fabric's surface, creating a harmonious blend of motifs throughout the fabric. In the second period, motifs in the fabrics were influenced by painting styles from the Reza Abbasi school. During this time, the motifs grew larger compared to the previous period, and the spaces between these larger motifs were filled with secondary motifs such as plant designs. Textile workshops thrived in cities like Isfahan, Kashan, and Yazd during the Safavid era. Khaja Ghiyath al-Din's return to Yazd marked a significant development in the city's textile industry, transforming it into Iran's most important textile center during the Safavid era and leading to the production of woven fabrics that were considered masterpieces of weaving techniques from that period.
The weavers of the Safavid period sought to record the daily events, history, identity, culture and religion of their time with the patterns they created on the fabrics. Therefore, by knowing the patterns and meanings hidden in it, one can understand the hidden secrets. The purpose of the research; Access to the effective components in the iconology of human motifs of Safavid fabrics of Yazd and The question of the research is, what are the hidden and obvious layers of meaning of human motifs in the Safavid fabric of Yazd based on the iconology approach?
Methods:
This research explores the theoretical field of iconology with a descriptive, historical, and analytical approach based on historical studies. Information was gathered from libraries and observations, utilizing identification cards. Initially, Safavid period fabrics were identified and categorized into two periods: the first, when Safavid kings inherited Timurid textile art, and the second, when the capital moved to Isfahan and the Isfahan school of painting was established by Reza Abbasi. Fabrics specific to Yazd, mentioned by Nezam al-Din Qari in "Poems of Divan Al-Baseh," were examined among 300 types. Due to the difficulty of accessing all 300 types in libraries and the lack of sufficient information and images, only 10 examples with human motifs were found through books, articles, and document searches. From these 10 examples, three pieces of fabric were selected through simple probability sampling for detailed analysis. These selected textiles from the Safavid period in Yazd were analyzed to uncover symbolic meanings by describing, analyzing, and interpreting them. The study aims to identify effective components in the iconology of human motifs on Safavid fabrics from Yazd and to uncover their hidden and apparent layers of meaning. Through these methods, the research provides insight into the symbolic and cultural significance of the human motifs depicted on these historical textiles.
It should be mentioned that in the beginning of the present research, the technical and conceptual features of the human motifs used in the Safavid period fabrics in Yazd city are identified and introduced, and then the selected fabrics are examined using the method of data analysis based on the qualitative method with the iconology approach. Were categorized and analyzed.
Results:
The results showed that the human figures carved in the fabrics (Shah's courtiers) are wearing luxurious clothes that are a symbol of the court power and representative of the king and show his authority. It is a sign of Iranian nationalism and the preservation of authenticity and the appointment of courtiers who are decorated to show the glory of the Safavid king. With these interpretations of human motifs, it is rooted in the thought of official religion and Safavid political rule and expresses the ideology of the era. The human motifs in the fabrics of the Safavid period are meant to convey the message that the king was chosen by God and the power and authority of mankind is in his hands. These motifs, especially those depicting courtiers, were an attempt to legitimize the power of the king of this period. Along with human motifs, plant motifs are symbols of fertility, life, blessing and life cycle.
Conclusion:
According to the results, it can be acknowledged that the effective components in the iconology of human motifs in the fabrics of the Safavid period of Yazd city, based on three stages of description and recognition, examination of texts and interpretation, are symbolic components based on the weavers' view of the courtiers and the king, and especially life. Their daily life has been formed.