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Re-Envisioning Form in Shi’a Art: An Examination Through Four Zarih Pooshes (Shrine-Covering Cloth) at the Imam Reza Holy Shrine
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Ameneh Mafitabar *   |
| Faculty Member of Textile and Clothing Design Department, Faculty of Applied Arts, University of Art |
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Abstract: (290 Views) |
Shi’a art, a branch of Islamic art, places a significant emphasis on aesthetic beauty grounded in intrinsic unity and form. In achieving this, it utilizes various elements fundamental to visual composition, including recurrence, harmony, formulation, balance, equilibrium, and proportion. These elements are strategically employed to convey symbolic and metaphorical concepts in alignment with its intended function. This study aimed at investigating the emergence of this style in the cloth covering of the steel Zarih at the Imam Reza holy shrine. This Zarih was constructed by the order of Safavid Shah Soltan Hoseyn, and the existing cloth coverings date back to the mid-Qajar era. The primary research question was: How can some of the most significant formal characteristics of Shi’a art be explored and elucidated in the cloth coverings of the Zarih at the holy shrine of Imam Reza? To maintain coherence and cohesion in the subject under discussion and to avoid delving into technical matters, the study focused exclusively on four cloth coverings of the second Zarih at the holy shrine of Imam Reza. The results of this descriptive-analytical study, which conducted a desk study and literature review, are as follows: In examining the visual characteristics of Shi’a art as the foundation of this study, the characteristics of recurrence, harmony, and formulation, balance, equilibrium, and proportion were identified. These characteristics organize the visual elements of each pattern within the visual composition. Through this perspective, the distinctive features of Shi’a art are discernible in the examination of the Zarih’s cloth coverings. Notably, the symbolism and incorporation of cultural history are manifested in the repetitive patterns of the Zarih’s cloth and similar coverings. Consequently, the constituent components, elements, and compositional arrangements of the Zarih’s cloth coverings under examination serve as compelling evidence to the symbolic and allegorical connotations inherent in Shi’a art. |
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| Keywords: Shi’a Art, Holy Shrine of Imam Reza, Steel Zarih of the Safavid Shah Soltan Hoseyn), Zarih Poosh (Shrine-covering Cloth) |
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Full-Text [PDF 1585 kb]
(91 Downloads)
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Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
Special
Received: 2024/02/5 | Accepted: 2024/05/21
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