Explaining the Corner and Medallion Carpet Design with Animal's Combat and Hunting Scenes held in the Miho Museum, Kyoto, Japan

The use of animal combat and hunting scenes in carpet weaving is rooted in the art of ancient Iran and is associated with the mythological and ritual concepts of these motifs. In the Islamic period, these scenes were first used in painting and book decoration. Then, in the Safavid period, they were widely reflected in the design of carpets. During this period, hunting and animal fighting scenes were combined with patterns of overall flower design, medallion, and Corner and Medallion. An example of this is the pattern of the carpet in the Miho Museum of Japan. In this research, which is of a fundamental type, the research method was descriptive-analytical, and the method of data collection was library research. The research data analysis was conducted qualitatively using structural analysis based on existing standards governing Iranian carpet design in the Safavid period. For this purpose, first, the structure and various components of the Miho Museum carpet were identified, and each of them was described. Then, the design of each of these parts were analyzed separately, and different layers of the design were revealed.
 
While examining various components of the carpet pattern preserved in the Miho Museum, including the corner, medallion, inscription, Upper-medallions, Border, and background, the present study sought to explore the method used in designing the carpet pattern. The research results showed that this carpet has a multi-layered design. The first layer design, which includes a Corner and medallion, occupies a quarter of the carpet. At this stage, the overall composition of the pattern cover a quarter of it. The size of the margins and their number and the location of the corner, medallion, inscription, Upper-medallions, and their general form is specified. The background of the carpet had been decorated with Khatai motifs with animal combat scenes along with it. The location of the border frames was also determined, and the space between the border frames was decorated with dragon and Simorgh combat designs, but the interior part of the frames remained empty. The small borders of the carpet were decorated with Khatai patterns using the Vagirei method. The space inside the corner, which used hunting motifs on a background of Khatai flowers, has an overall flower design. The available space of the medallion is decorated with an arabesque floral strap that encloses the frames inside the medallion. Inside the medallion frames, the inscription and the small medallion occupied half of the space, but the interior of the medallion's central frame remained empty.
In the second layer, the pattern is repeated once in the length direction. At this stage, with minor changes in the type of buds and leaves at the end of the carpet background, the design of the background is reduced to a half. The main border frames are also completed at this stage. The scenes inside the border frames include two peacocks that were symmetrically facing each other inside the border frame and two animal battles, designed entirely inside the frame. Also, the depictions of the two angels, which are placed all-over the inside frame of the corners of the border, and the other two angels, which are located at the junction of the quarter-frame, are such that they have caused the border design to be out of one-quarter shape. At this stage, the carpet design covers half of its dimensions.
In the third layer, the one-half pattern of the carpet is repeated once in width, and the central frame of the medallion is decorated using the combat scene between the two dragons all-over. The coloring of the carpet is also carried out skillfully. In addition to the color of the central frame of the medallion, which has a similar shape, the color of the bottom and top of the medallion is also different.
According to the above findings, although it has taken a quarter of carpet’s space, the design of this carpet is composed of three layers. The analysis of the pattern shows that it is organized uniquely, and its weaving is performed using a complete pattern of the carpet. The important thing about the design of this rug is that this layered design is also present in the components of the pattern, such as medallion, Upper-medallion, inscription, and corners. The carpet medallion has a combination of three layers. Its Vagireh is in one-eighth form, while it enjoys a one-fourth alignment style.
The third layer is an attachment of the two dragons fighting in the central part of the medallion, which gives the medallion an overall appearance. The inscriptions have three layers: the first layer of which is a frame designed in a quarter of space. The second layer is the addition of alignment with a Khatai pattern and a musician in half of the space. The third layer entails the color of these inscriptions so that the color of the inscription above and below the medallion is different and gives it an outward appearance.
 
The Upper-medallions are designed using the one-second method but have a grand color scheme and show two angels symmetrically with different colors. In terms of size, Upper-medallions are equivalent to each of the combating animals' scenes in the background, hunting in corners, medallion frames, and border frames. In a way, they have created a visual harmony with each of these scenes. As regards color, the Upper-medallion is compatible with the medallion, the border, and the fighting scenes in the background. Overall, the rug have a dominant design, and hunting motifs are used inside them.
 
The space inside the corners is decorated with a background of Khatai flowers with an overall flower design and three hunting scenes: Lion hunting with a sword, wolf hunting with bow and arrow, and antelope hunting with rope. The reason for paying attention to the motifs of hunting in this period, apart from ritual and symbolic purposes, was the interest of the Safavid kings in the subject of hunting as an essential ceremony that has its roots in the ancient culture of Iran. Hunting ceremonies were held in the king's presence when the country was not at war to gain courage and promote fighting spirit and strengthen the morale of the soldiers. There has also been a spot in Naghsh-e Jahan Square for fun and entertainment and polo and animal warfare ceremonies.
What can be deduced from the study of the cultural and social situation of the Safavid period is that in addition to the symbolic aspects of the motifs and scenes of animal hunting, painters and designers of carpet patterns in this era used natural scenes of animal combat along with imagination in the design of the carpet and created great hunting scenes on carpets. For this purpose, the battle of animals, most notably the battle of lions and cows, has been present in the carpet design as a theme. Other favorite scenes in this period include Feliformia fights with halal meat animals and the battle between dragons and Simorgh and Chinese imaginary creatures, which are also one of the combinations used in this carpet.
Regarding the carpets with animal combat and hunting ground designs of the Safavid period, it can be asserted that these patterns are invented at this period. The hunting and animal combat scenes were skillfully created on the carpets with a corner and medallion design. In terms of design details, the corners at the bottom and top of the carpet background are different. Considering the unique composition of this rug, with hunting motifs inside corners, which are the enclosed parts of the rug, and with the hunting motifs in the background of the rug, which has a broader space, it can be concluded that feliformia mixed with halal meat animals in the carpet backgrounds, appears to be the pets of the hunters. However, in some cases, there are combats between mythical animals, which are primarily designed to create space and instill a sense of hunting in the audience.