https://hgj.imamreza.ac.ir/ Handicrafts of Great Khorasan en daily 1 Sat, 23 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0330 Sat, 23 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0330 https://hgj.imamreza.ac.ir/article_238520.html Greater Khorasan, also called the "Cultural Road" or the "Chlorite Road" in the third millennium BC, was not only the way for the passage of lapis lazuli, turquoise, and chlorite between Jiroft, Central Asia, and Mesopotamia, but was also considered a factor in the transmission of style, artistic content, and common symbolic concepts between these civilizations. The representation of the human as an active agent—engaged in struggle or portrayed as a hero—has long been observed across cultures worldwide as a means of expressing structures of power. The consolidation of human power aligns with primordial archetypes of humanity. In the discovered artifacts of the Jiroft civilization, dominant motifs frequently depict humans engaged in combat. The central issue of this study is to analyze the structure of power as represented in a selected Jiroft artifact, aiming to demonstrate how power is attained and consolidated by the human figure through visual composition. This research, through the purposeful selection of a conical vase from Jiroft, employs a documentary approach and content analysis method, utilizing Greimas’s semiotic square as an analytical tool. It examines the complex structure of the artwork by identifying surface-level binaries (top/bottom) and deep-level binaries (power/weakness), extracting the narrative actions embedded in the composition, and subsequently analyzing the temporal relationships within the narrative. It is understood that the artist, fully aware of the visual characteristics and compositional structure, has successfully aligned abstract concepts related to power with the visual framework of the composition. Both the surface structure and deep structure of the artwork have been employed to articulate the dynamics of power. The consolidation of power is synchronized with the narrative actions of the artwork and is achieved through its visual structure (composition) and formal design. The semantic square model reveals that the consolidation of power in the human figure occurs through a process involving the overcoming of weakness and the transition through the intermediate position of non-weakness. The images possess a narrative structure in which the sequence of events, narrative time, and visual representation are aligned to express the theme of human power. The artist, guided by the form and compositional structure, has designated a beginning and an end point for the narrative. This narrative framework reflects both a time preceding the depicted moment and the internal progression of the story itself. https://hgj.imamreza.ac.ir/article_238522.html The Allah Verdi Khan Dome, a Safavid‑era structure within the shrine of Imam Reza (A.S.), is renowned for its intricate mosaic tilework, in which contrasts of color and form are prominently employed. Jacques Derrida (1930–2004), within his deconstructive framework, critiques binary oppositions in structuralist thought and emphasizes the inherent ambiguity of textual meaning, rejecting the notion of a single fixed interpretation. This study examines the potential meanings and chains of signification conveyed by the contrasting motifs of the dome through a Derridean lens, with the aim of broadening the interpretive scope of traditional ornamentation. The research adopts a descriptive–analytical approach and relies on library and archival sources, using books, digital resources, and photographic documentation as primary tools. Findings indicate multiple types of contrast in both form and color across the dome’s decorative tile panels; from a Derridean perspective, these motifs do not signify a single, stable concept but rather a chain of interrelated concepts and symbols. Such a reading expands the range of meanings and interpretations associated with traditional decorative motifs and elements. https://hgj.imamreza.ac.ir/article_240994.html The role of the Tree of Life among many ancient peoples has been sacred, as a symbol of life, immortality, and reverence. It is a sign of an evergreen tree that bears eternal and immortal fruits. The belief in ancient Iranian civilization, stemming from paradise and in praise of the Tree of Life, the tree of good and evil in paradise, led to the creation and depiction of the sacred tree on garden carpets and handicraft designs that depicted motifs of trees such as flowering trees, cypresses, willows, vines, etc. Based on such interpretations, the present qualitative research aims to identify the concepts of the symbolic and mythological motif of the Tree of Life on handicrafts, including Qashqai carpets, by using a descriptive-analytical method and using library resources and reputable scientific articles to introduce the sacred plant (Tree of Life) on these carpets and decorative motifs in other arts. The results of the research indicate that the symbol of the Tree of Life, whose fruits grant immortality, is considered one of the immortal motifs that is at the center of the world of Iranian mythology. The Tree of Life sometimes appears with other tree patterns and is a representation of the Garden of Eden, and sometimes it is woven as a single tree in the center of the rug. This symbol in carpets is a reminder of Zoroastrian myths and the concepts of blessing and fertility. Another reason for depicting this symbol on Iranian handicrafts, carpets, and rugs is the desire for heaven. https://hgj.imamreza.ac.ir/article_240993.html The story of Siavash's Passage through the Fire is one of the ancient Iranian narratives that has prominent illustrated versions throughout the history of Persian miniature painting. This tale, with two systems of literary and visual signs, provides a suitable background for art education. One of the key objectives of art education in schools is art education, which includes components such as aesthetics, art production, art history, and art criticism. Among these, art criticism, regarded as a modern approach based on the active role of the viewer and intertextual analysis of artworks, has not yet been able to gain a proper place in the Iranian art education system. The present qualitative research, adopting an intertextual approach and focusing on the audience, seeks to address how an intertextual reading of artworks influences the process of audience education and art learning. It is based on the premise that an intertextual perspective in art criticism can facilitate the impact of art on audiences and enhance art education processes. To test this hypothesis, by focusing on the miniature depicting Siyavash's Passage through Fire, selected from the 9th-grade Culture and Art textbook, the study examines the capacities of the intertextual approach for re-reading artworks and elucidating its educational implications. Data were collected through library research, visual analysis of the miniature, and semi-structured interviews with approximately 94 students majoring in art education and educational sciences. Subsequently, the historical background and cultural contexts of the miniature were examined, and its intertextual readings were analyzed. The findings show that intertextual reading has a high capacity for multilayered and integrated analysis of Iranian artworks, and the perceptions of the audience are mainly influenced by their prior knowledge and cultural backgrounds. The results of the study indicate that teaching intertextual criticism can, as an effective approach, strengthen the critical thinking and creativity of students and student-teachers and improve the quality of the art teaching-learning process in school-based art education. https://hgj.imamreza.ac.ir/article_243069.html The Timurid era (771–912 AH / 1370–1506 CE) marks a critical phase in the transformation of Iranian bookbinding. While influenced by regional dynasties such as the Jalayirids, Muzaffarids, Qara Qoyunlu and Aq Qoyunlu Turkmens, as well as the Mamluks of Egypt and artistic traditions of the Far East, Timurid bindings developed an independent technical and aesthetic identity, reaching their peak of refinement in the second half of the ninth century AH. Alongside decorative innovations, particular attention was given to the functional and protective aspects of bindings. One of the most significant achievements of this period was the introduction of the envelope flap covers (head flap), which functioned not only as a structural element but also as an important ornamental component. Initially, Envelope flap covers decoration was limited to simple geometric motifs, reflecting the restrained aesthetic of early bindings. With the advancement of leather decoration techniques during the Timurid era, Envelope flap covers gradually acquired more elaborate and refined ornamentation. This study seeks to identify and systematize the construction techniques of Timurid Envelope flap covers -bindings. Adopting a descriptive–analytical approach, more than one hundred examples preserved in collections worldwide were examined, from which twenty representative bindings were selected based on diversity of construction methods and decorative patterns. The results indicate that stamped decoration (Zarbī) was the most frequently employed technique, followed by mosaic (Moʿarraq) and carved (Monabbat) techniques, which were predominantly used in the doublures.