The Generalizability of the Apocalyptic Belief Theory in Interpreting the Motifs of Nishapur Pottery

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Assistant Professor, Department of Handcraft, Faculty of Art, Alzahra University, Tehran, Iran, Corresponding Author.

2 Associate Professor, Department of Islamic Art, Faculty of Art, Shahed University, Tehran, Iran.

10.22051/jjh.2024.47228.2174

Abstract

Samani pottery, which is attributed to the 3rd and 4th centuries of Hijri, has many drawing similarities with Sasanian works. The way of painting the faces and parts of the figures, the composition of some significant works, and several other decorative features, according to art history researchers, make Nishapur pottery a logical sequence of Sasanian art in the first centuries of Islam. When the conceptual reading of motifs becomes a function of this statement, the generalizability of the general theory of "the influence of Islamic art from Sasanian art" is distorted by some works. By ignoring the contribution of Sasanian art in the analysis of motifs, some other works are excluded from the circle of theoretical validation. Wilkinson's careful attention to the artistic legacy of pre-Islamic Iran for Samani pottery was gradually approved by the researchers after him, and the research assumptions were based on this theoretical foundation. The main criticism of this range of research was ignoring the centuries-old ideological developments of Muslim and even non-Muslim Iranians, which appeared in the Iranian cultural return movement in the form of a plurality of Islamic sects and superstitions. It can be said that this was a research deviation from the followers of Wilkinson's theory that the Sasanian influence was emphasized as if it made Nishapur pottery a part of the artistic achievement of the Sasanian era in the post-Sasanian era. With the explanation that all figures and animals were considered symbols with Sassanid meanings and thus, a significant part of the works could not be interpreted with this theory. On the other hand, recently, various content readings of the role have been presented by some other researchers who ignored the theory of the influence of Sasanian art and turned to different phenomenological or historical interpretations. A serious criticism of such studies is the non-generalizability of theories to the variety of animal and physical compositions. In such a way that each interpretation can finally cover the works with visual characteristics and composition similar to its case example. In this research gap, establishing a theory that can correct the established theory and cover the themes of all the works is the main goal of the research. The operational plan of the research is as follows: First, various data, including visual, audio, and citation data, are collected and categorized, and after coding, categorization, and extracting central concepts. The importance, necessity, and purpose of this article explain the correction of the above theory. The main question of the research is what theory can be proposed about the painted pottery of Samani Nishapur, which can be more generalizable than the existing theories. The research method is descriptive-historical, and data-based or contextual methods. The modification and establishment of the theory is one of the most challenging research topics. Where the theory works but its generalizability is doubtful, formal and conceptual generalizability can be separated from each other. It is assumed that Wilkinson's theory has a good generalization ability at the form level; However, it does not work comprehensively at the level of content and is not responsive to interpretative variations. All the available samples (online and museum) were listed under the title of "patterned pea pottery". The searchable samples, which are 174 healthy and almost healthy painted pea potteries, are considered to be the product of a common content platform. In explaining the tools and methods of data collection, the relative balance of data in historical subjects seems to be heavier in favor of the left documents and texts. In the selection of the interviewees, in addition to the researchers, attention was paid to the museum-keepers and their oral experiences in direct encounters with the works. Nishapur patterned pottery can be classified into four groups from the visual point of view and the combination of patterns. These categories are: 1- Figures on horseback 2- Standing/sitting figures (single, double, and triple or more) 3- Combinations of animals 4- Mixed human and animal creatures. Conceptual categories and spectrums that have been extracted through the coding of the interviews refer to various aspects of Nishapur's patterned pottery. Some categories have a critical and pathological look at the methods used in the existing research, which is the result of the concerns of the authors and researchers. The only distinguishing categories in terms of content were the possibility of the existence of constellations and astronomy, as well as the discussion of national religious festivals and holidays, which were not mentioned in any of the conversations. The influence of Sassanid art, the influences of East/Sogdian art, popular art, the narrative nature of the role, the factor of religion, constellations and astronomy, and the cultural movement of Iranians; The most important conceptual and content categories are extracted from the research data. The most important question, the answer of which will change the direction of content research is, in what tangible and objective way did the Iranians shape this renaissance? The answer in literature is Shahnameh; in politics, it is a desire for independence from the caliphate, and in the depiction of Nishapur's engraved pottery? Is it possible that there has been a methodological problem? This sameness in the generality of culture, without paying attention to contemporary and effective factors such as religion and new religion, can reach such an interpretation. Nevertheless, it is necessary to answer this question once again: based on the thought system of Iranians who lived three or four centuries after the emigration of the Prophet of Islam, the way to overcome Arab rule and make Iranian rulers dominant again - not necessarily Sassanid - what was it? This return and the so-called cultural, political, social, and all-round "regression" have gone through which reliable path in the real world? It seems that the central phenomenon can be discovered from this question and the answer we give to it, and the basic theory of the research depends on finding its exact answer.
In this way, wanting to return - or in other words, wanting to see the future - could only be achieved and become objective through a concrete path, which could not happen except by resorting to apocalyptic beliefs. Because the vindictive literature of the insurgents and the astronomical and astronomical superstitions of that period is largely defined by the apocalypse. It should be known that it is difficult to find logical relationships between the role and its contemporary history, in the situation where the painting avoids any kind of narrative. Perhaps this is the factor that encourages the commentators to do iconological interpretations and mention general reasons and factors such as the cultural movement of Iranians and then go into iconography and find the visual relationships between the text and the role. The set of these risks causes us to overcome such a cognitive error, to draw a theoretical sphere of inevitable or probable contents. It can be said that one of the results of this research was the recording and collection of Nishapur engraved pottery images and the presentation of the formal typology of the works. Collecting the images of all the works - both fake and original - has been since previously, in the existing research - if available - the frequency and specific number of Nishapur engraved pea pottery has not been stated. The numbers mentioned in this treatise are not certain. It should be known that any attempt to achieve a single meaning and content for numerous monologues ultimately requires illogical generalizations and leads to failure. If we look at the shape effects in Nishapur pottery with a critical eye, the avoidance of imitation and uncreative patterning by the Nishapur artist seems clear and certain. No clear narrative in the official literary and historical texts that connects the image and the text of the documents was found in any research work. There is only a series of mostly superstitious sub-narratives, which, according to the author, can be given more attention and thought to reread the motifs. The apocalyptic content of the return of Abu Muslim or any other savior was suggested for motifs in the author's previous articles. That is for works in which birds are most similar to pigeons and horned animals are most similar to goats. This analysis is based on a series of superstitious sub-narratives. The importance of these narratives is due to their connection with astronomical constellations and the issue of the cultural return movement of Iranians, and since it is repeated in at least 3 important texts, it makes the author give it an impact factor again. Of course, there are flaws that damage and weaken the theory, and as a result, it is necessary to promote an idealistic hero without direct reference to historical and concrete figures such as Abu Muslim. The time frame of two centuries considered for the history of the production of works makes it difficult to find the main sources of content. Unless the widespread events during this period are emphasized. In this respect, apocalyptic beliefs have superiority in spatial temporal, and even ethnic scope. The results of the research show that in the variety of topics and conceptual categories of motifs, drawing a theoretical sphere of the concept of the end of time can be the most comprehensive answer to the question of the existence of Neishabur's works in the third and fourth centuries of Hijri.
 
 

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References

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URLs
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URL2: https://denverartmuseum.org/collections/asian-art
URL3:https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bowl_with_a_rider_hunting_with_a_falcon,_Iran,_Nishapur,_9th-10th_century,_slipped,_painted,_and_glazed_earthenware_-_Royal_Ontario_Museum_-_DSC04580.JPG
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فهرست اشخاص مصاحبه شونده و کد شناسایی اختصاصی/
List of interviewees and unique identification code
IN-M-01
مژده شاکری. کارشناس پژوهشگر وقت موزه ملی ایران
Mojdeh Shakri: researcher expert at the National Museum of Iran
IN-M-02
خانم قلیچ­خانی. کارشناس عکاس وقت موزه ملی ایران
Mrs. Qalichkhani: Expert photographer at the National Museum of Iran
IN-R-01
محسن هراتی. سفالگر. پایان نامه کارشناسی ارشد در سفال نیشابور
Mohsen Herati potter Master's Thesis on Neishabur Pottery
IN-R-02
سحر چنگیز. پژوهشگر و مدرس دانشگاه
Dr. Sahar changiz: Assistant professor of Imam Reza International University
IN-R-03
عبداله قوچانی. نویسنده و پژوهشگر نسخ خطی و آثار هنری
Abdullah Guchani: Author and researcher of historical manuscripts and works of art
IN-OR-01
زهره روحفر. پژوهشگر و مدرس در نقوش سفال نیشابور
Rohfar Zohreh: Researcher and lecturer in Neishabur pottery motifs
IN-OR-02
محمد محمدی. پژوهشگر و صاحب مقاله در حوزه ماوراءالنهر و خراسان
Dr. Mohammad Mohammadi: Researcher and author of articles in the area of ​​Khorasan
IN-OR-03
فرزاد شفیعی­فر. رساله دکتری در تزیینات وابسته به معماری خراسان
Dr. Farzad Shafii Far. Doctoral thesis on decorations related to Khorasan architecture
IN-OR-04
ناصر منظوری، نویسنده، پژوهشگر و زبانشناس
Naser Manzouri: writer, researcher and linguist
 
 
 
 
 
 
Glory of Art (Jelve-y Honar) Alzahra Scientific Quarterly Journal
Volume 16, Issue 3 - Serial Number 44
December 2024
Pages 91-106

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