The Network of Symbolic Meanings of the Bird Motif in the Tilework Decorations of the Holy Shrine of Imam Reza (A.S)

Rahimzadeh, Gholamhossein

doi:10.22034/ijs.2025.313343.1009

The Network of Symbolic Meanings of the Bird Motif in the Tilework Decorations of the Holy Shrine of Imam Reza (A.S)

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Gholamhossein Rahimzadeh

Assistant Professor, Department of Art, Farhangian University, Mashhad, Iran.

10.22034/ijs.2025.313343.1009

Abstract

The use of motifs of imaginary creatures, such as mythological birds and celestial simurghs, in the art and literature of the Iranian plateau has carried profound concepts and has been prevalent in the creation and decoration of functional objects and architecture from ancient times to the present. Evidence indicates that the bird motif has long been employed by artists in the decoration of Iranian tiles, including those of the Holy Shrine of His Holiness Tham al-Hujaj (the Eighth Imam) (A.S.). The most important research questions are: What is the origin and evolutionary trajectory of the use of the bird motif in the tile decorations of the Razavi Sanctuary (A.S.)? And has the bird motif in the tile decorations of the Shrine of Imam Reza (A.S.) served merely a decorative purpose, or have concepts such as ecstasy, love, affection, and liberation also been considered by the tilework artists? The data collection method is library and field research, and the research approach is historical, descriptive, and analytical. Through this process, the researcher has gathered and analyzed materials by studying, observing, photographing artifacts, and interviewing experts and artisans. In the course of the research, while answering and analyzing these two questions, the study elucidates the network of symbolic meanings of the bird motif in the tilework decorations of the Holy Shrine of Imam Reza (A.S.).

Keywords

Iranian Architecture

Shrine of Imam Reza (A.S.)

Tilework

Bird Motif

20.1001.1.29811341.1403.2.5.6.2

Subjects

امام رضا علیه السلام و هنر، معماری و شهرسازی

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