Document Type : Original/Research/Regular Article
Authors
1
Faculty member of University of Science and Culture
2
University of Art Head of the Faculty of Applied Arts
Abstract
The rituals related to the tomb of famous believers are among the most important appearances of religious beliefs. The most obvious reasons for the creation of these tombs is respect for the passed away person, hoping that his/her soul benefit from the prayers made by the visitors of the tomb. The symbolic concepts have been applied in the arrays of the tombs of Islamic era, according the Muslim artists’ views have found a spiritual nature. Among the arrays of the tombs, their covers have been provided by the art of weavers and knitters who either have donated their works sincerely or have performed the order of a great person. In Iran, since the Seljuks era, we observe this type of works. By the start of Safavid era another flourishing period was started in the textile production that was very attractive for kings. It was very valuable for them and they supervised on the textile production workshops. In this era the precious cloths and garments were granted to ambassadors and specific persons as present. Cloths had an essential role in the ritual ceremonies, as the king or a senior official’s passing way were covered by silky and golden cloths. Cloths were used in the normal affairs of the daily life as well. Quran and valuable books were put within the golden cloths and also the important letters were put within the precious or velvet cloths. Grants also were put within bundles of silky cloths. Prayer and amulet were covered within a cloth and in the religious practices such as prayer different cloths were used. Prayer cloth, turbah cloth or the rectangular cloths that were spread in altars, all had been made of beautiful and precious cloths. Also the cloths were used as cover of kings, saints and nobles’ tombs. Some of weavers granted the woven cloths to the sacred tombs as a sign of respect or by order of authorities. Construction of the tomb of Sheikh Safi-ad-din Is'haq Ardabili, one of the mystics of Ilkhani era and the great ancestor of Safavids, that had a mystical status, was very important for Shia Safavids. Visiting the tombs of Imam Ali’s descendants was very important for Shia dynasties and movements. Hence, the tomb along with a collection of tombs of Safavid elders and of kings and ritual spaces in Ardebil was very important. As in the Safavid era the official religion of the country was twelve-Imam Shia, Sheikh Safi-ad-din Is'haq Ardabili, as a religious support, found a special status for Shia Safavids. They even adopted the name of their dynasty from their ancestor. Ghyathedin, the famous knitter artist of the era, has woven several pieces for the tomb of Sheikh Safi-ad-din Is'haq Ardabili that one of them is more specific. This piece, with an altar pattern, is bold-flower velvet in dark blue in background with a cream colored border that has been woven by Golabatun, Shah Abbasi flowers, arabesque and Khataei patterns and has three rows of border and the main border has a text of preyer for the Fourteen Ma’soomins by cream-colored Thuluth calligraphy on the dark blue background. The dimension of the cloth during the textile history of the era is rare. It is possible to understand largely the views of this artist that was influenced by the Isfahan though school in creating his works, beyond the social, political and economic backgrounds of the era relying on the Ervin Panoffski’s iconography theory. In the Safavid era, applying symbolic Shia elements in textiles became a part of the policy of Shia Safavid rulers. This cloth in addition to the respect of the dedication of the one who ordered it, that was probably Shah Abbas Safavi, was taken from Shia beliefs. Its knitter Ghiyathedin Ali Yazdi intelligently utilizing the symbolic and abstract patterns, which always had religious weight in the Islamic arts, has conveyed the spiritual concepts through the pattern and texture of the cloth. This article has addressed to the symbolic themes of the decorative patterns and has interpreted the worldview of the creator of the work and his awareness concerning the Shia school with Ervin Panoffski’s iconography theory. This work implies the interpretation that has been originated from spiritual rituals such that the knitter knew it and has manifested Velayat, one of the principles of Shia, cleverly in the cloth.
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