The Cognitive Analysis of the Design of Two Birds in the Tiling of the Holy Shrine Of Imam Reza (PBUH) from the Perspective of the Conceptual Fusion Theory of Fauconnier and Turner (2002)

Rahimzadeh, Gholamhossein

doi:10.22034/hgj.2025.487824.1026

The Cognitive Analysis of the Design of Two Birds in the Tiling of the Holy Shrine Of Imam Reza (PBUH) from the Perspective of the Conceptual Fusion Theory of Fauconnier and Turner (2002)

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Gholamhossein Rahimzadeh

PhD in Art History - Assistant Professor, Farhangian University, Mashhad, Iran

10.22034/hgj.2025.487824.1026

Abstract

Islamic tiles, especially in holy places, have always carried symbolic and ritual meanings that convey spiritual and mystical concepts using natural and abstract arrays. In this study, one of the tiles of the Holy Shrine of Imam Reza (PBUH), which has the image of two birds, is analyzed using the "conceptual mixture theory of Fauconnier and Turner". This theory examines how different elements are combined and integrated in the human mind to create new meanings. The aim of the study is to reveal the hidden and symbolic meanings of this design through its cognitive analysis. The results of this study show that the visual combination of birds and decorative elements in this tile, through cognitive mechanisms, helps to convey mystical and spiritual concepts and guides the addressees’ understanding to levels beyond visual and objective experiences. Also, analyzing these elements from the perspective of conceptual fusion, in addition to providing a new perspective on Islamic art studies, can shed more light on the mental and semantic processes that occur in the interaction between art and the addressee.

Keywords

Conceptual mixture

Islamic tiling

Holy Shrine of Imam Reza (PBUH)

Cognitive analysis

Bird symbolism

20.1001.1.30927498.1403.2.6.5.6

Subjects

Theoretical studies of art

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