Safavid period

Nasuh, Known as Matrakci was a miniature painter who accompanied King Suleایمان Kanuni during his campaign to Iran in 940-42 AH/1533-36 AD and he has drawn many miniature from lots of Iranian cities including Khoy, Tabriz, Zanjan, Soltaniyeh, حامدan, and Ghasre Shirin to Baghdad and Shahre Zur, Baneh, Bukan, Maraghe. Being capital during one part of the Safavid dynasty and in the other part as the second most important political, economical, social, cultural and architectural city in Iran, Tabriz was considered a very important city. Unfortunately, the natural and artificial disasters such as incessant earthquakes and war with the powerful neighboring countries like ottoman had destroyed many parts of its structure. Therefore drawn miniature from Tabriz is the most comprehensive visual documents of one of the powerful city of Iran in Safavid Era that it’s reviewing helps a lot to recognition lost elements of this city in the 16th century.

In the art of goldsmiths during Safavid era, some developments in terms of the two levels of techniques and products are witnessed. The mentioned developments, considering the influence of factors affecting the government structure and society, as well as foreign relations, took a coherent and distinct form. This research aims to determine the elements of developments in the structure of the form and techniques of the art of goldsmiths in the context of two important approaches of Safavid period, which are the artistic relations with east and west and the government's support from art. The questions that this research seeks to answer are: What are the developments in the form and technique of the art of goldsmiths in Safavid period? What was the effect of cultural and artistic exchanges with India and Europe on the evolution of goldsmiths' works and techniques of this period? Therefore, the research type is qualitative and historical, with analytical-descriptive methods considering the study of evidence and resources. Moreover, the findings of the research illustrated that the art of goldsmiths in Safavid era had many developments in terms of techniques and methods in the face of European art, and with the arrival of European goldsmiths and jewelers to Iran, significant innovations occurred in the special techniques of this art, including diamond cutting, filigree art, making fine and wide gold strings, and gold-gluing technique in wall painting. However, at the level of political influence during Safavid era, especially during the era of Shah Abbas I, goldsmiths had played crucial role due to their professional qualifications and prestige.

To achieve a scientific result in the historical research realm, it is necessary to recognize the correct sources. The study and research about the territory of Iran, especially the eastern borders, as one of the research aspects in the field of Safavid studies, is not exempt from this rule. The efforts of the Safavids to maintain control of the Kandahar state and the Jihun River region, and the confrontation with their north-eastern neighbors, the Uzbeks across the river and the Gurkans in India, initiated the transformation in the eastern borders of Iran's territory in the context of political and military relations. Considering the importance of the eastern borders of Iran as to the relations of the Safavids with the Uzbek Khanate and the Gurkans of India, the question here is: What range of sources can be applied to understand the course of transformation and the changes? The method adopted here is descriptive-analytic, to identify the typology of the subject sources, and introduce for assessing the issue at hand.