Stucco

Symbolic figures, in addition to decorative aspects, are indicator of culture, religion, art and political and social structures of a government and country in ancient times. During the Sassanid era, symbolic figures flourished further with the mixture of religion and polity and their examples can be seen in most of the remaining artworks from the same era that could found during archaeological excavations. Investigation of symbolic figures in the Sassanian rock reliefs and stucco is a necessity but unfortunately, has not been independently and elaborately addressed to this date. It is necessary to investigate this significant aspect using archaeological and historical evidence. This study, which is considered as a kind of fundamental research based on its objective and a historical one with respect to its nature and methodology, obviously indicate that the dominant symbolic figures in Sassanian rock reliefs and stucco have had religious origins.

Anahita, a prominent Zoroastrian goddess, has always had importance status and widely revered during the Sassanian period. In the present research, relying on the studies of Sassanian bas-reliefs and stuccos, an attempt has been made to study the role of this goddess in Sassanian art. The results of this research clearly indicate that Anahita, among the other Zoroastrian deities, has always had a valuable place in those eras because she was thought to offer wisdom to those who revered her. Personification and depiction of the goddess Anahita in human icons in Sassanian bas-reliefs and stuccos were an attempt by the Sassanian emperors to legitimize their rule.

This paper tries to survey the use of geometric patterns in stucco decorations as an important identity and cultural element in the Sasanian era building designs. Seven frieze patterns were used in order to understand the practical geometry in Sasanian stucco. The studied stuccoes were found during archaeological excavations conducted between 2015 and 2017 at e Jahangir Dome and Guriye Stuccos in Eivan, Ilam province. In this article, the discovered stuccoes have been examined, results of which indicate that stuccoes can be divided into three categories based on their features and applications: geometric patterns, vegetal patterns, and animal patterns. Comparing these stuccoes with those found elsewhere such as Qale Yazdegerd, and Ctesiphon shows that the buildings of Jahangir Dome and Guriye were noble houses in the Sasanian period, with their vegetal motifs and mythological animals being e formed under the influence of religious and ritual elements. The survey of motifs on the base with seven frieze patterns shows artists’ adherence to the principle of symmetry and repetition.