Theoretical Foundations of Art and Professions based on Ancient Persian Texts

Document Type : Original/Research/Regular Article

Authors

Abstract

For the "Art" word in different Persian texts, words such as industry have been used. Basically, to explain the essential of the Art word, there is a group of Avestan texts and a group of Pahlavi texts. It seems that for the epistemology study and semantic cognition of ancient art dealing with the words art as Ho, and Woo is not enough. In this research, some excellent and epistemological concepts of art will be mentioned to approach the concept of Art and profession more precisely. Since the arts in the traditional world belong to the same type and order with knowledge and science, it will also have a symbolic meaning because they inherently pay attention to the specific relationship between the levels of the universe. In other words, they originally are symbolic and indicating the relationship between the levels of existence, instinct and nature of the arts. In fact, art is the basis for secrecy and spiritual access.
The realization of virtue and its method is based on the teaching that is the model of human wisdom. Such a comprehensive and inclusive doctrine can only arise from absolute truth and pure goodness, because the nature of this doctrine makes it a model for man.
Art is the appearance of the pure and beautiful soul of the artist, which is reflected in his works and artistic style, and the language of art, like the language of mysticism, has a symbolic aspect. Art is the most subtle and delicate manifestation of the artist's perception and the manifestation of the face of universe, which originates from the superior worlds of the universe and the artist's superior imagination. Therefore, the spirit of art in its highest manifestation is a kind of manifestation originated from the manifestation of beauty and the beautiful face of truth in the soul and imagination of the artist. Man is also a clear mirror and a beautiful manifestation of the whole of truth, and he has been created in a divine way. "God created man in the image of God". The human soul, since it is attributed to the essence of truth and is a mirror of absolute divine beauty, has an amazing beauty that, according to Victor Hugo, is more mysterious than the beauty of nature and the beauty of the sea and even the sky. Beauty is related to truth and all perfections art beautiful.
 According to Vandidad Fargard II, in Jamshid's story, the first reference is made to the art of architecture to build a house and a room, and doors and windows to use lighting and decorate rooms with a red coating. According to the cosmology of ancient Iran, goodness and beauty are real in the higher world, and man, by his nature, seeks closeness through resemblance and creation to them. This closeness, according to the principles in Iranian wisdom, has been done with awareness and similarity to this reality is based on truth, goodness and beauty.
Since human is the only direct representation of God in the sense of an ascending and perfection-oriented form with a content of totality and comprehensiveness, according to his divinity, and the validity of his divine image by understanding and intuition of God, is a work of art and  is also an artist.
Human art can be spiritual or material art in terms of application and content, and in the words of this world or that world. In terms of content and application, art is not entirely material in the realm of civilized art as well as traditional art; because it’s driving force is mainly cryptography and spiritual subjects. Although in the early period, art was limited to the production of tools and tools for work or worship, this construction activity is in the realm of worship rituals and is accompanied by a kind of cryptography. Therefore, it is obvious that it ignores the aesthetic purpose. So, firstly, the beauty of the works is intrinsic and results from their spiritual truth, and secondly, it is broadly due to personal intuition. Careful coding and creating fruitfulness for specific purposes, whether for religious or mystical purposes or for practical purposes, prevented ugliness from reaching these works. Therefore, without paying attention to the quality of aesthetics, beauty as a secondary truth in the form of aesthetic intuition is present everywhere in the works. The basic truth of creating the perfection and coherence of the spiritual nature of the work reduces the importance of the discussion of its visual beauty, which is definitely an innate and inner need of human beings. But something beyond the material world; it determines the cosmic quality and spiritual content of the work, as well as the virtue, wisdom and ingenuity of the creator of the work, and causes him to explain the collective values.
However, in a sense, the objective and external aspect of industry and the semantic aspect are mystical and heavenly truths that are provided to the constructive thought and sense with inspirations, and with the help of it, he receives a perception of it in his dignity and rank that enables him to express it. The emergence of the invisible in the form of the visible makes the same knowledge or wisdom of that industry even it comes from mind or hand and the tongue. This art is very far from what is called art from today's perspective. By referring to the art section, it is concluded that according to what is contained in traditional texts, all human creations are called art based on reason. Art means to make anything in the end, perfection and beauty worthy of it and the artist means a human being in the perfection of goodness or in the end of perfection and beauty who can give this attribute or quality to anything. Therefore, without paying attention to the quality of aesthetics, beauty as a secondary truth in the form of aesthetic intuition is present everywhere in the works. The basic truth of creating the perfection and coherence of the code or the spiritual nature of the works reduces the importance of the discussion of its visual beauty, which is definitely an innate and inner need of human beings. But something beyond the material world; it determines the cosmic quality and spiritual content of the work, as well as the virtue, wisdom and ingenuity of the creator of the work, and causes him to explain the collective value.
Art must express truths that depend on constructive beliefs and intuitions through its definite dimensions and patterns. Art is objectivity of the heavenly Word. The heavenly Word is esoteric for the person benefiting from talent and is apparent for the ordinary human being. So, those part of human creation which is through the issuance of heavenly words and spiritual truth, including visual and intuitive works, architecture, music, literature, and even the tools are art. Also every nurturing on his body, and soul, is art (heroism and bravery). Therefore all of these types of creations and completions could be called Art.

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