With
speeches
made by
experts
and
scholars,
the
First
Expert
Session
of
Isfahan
School
Handicrafts
went
underway
whereas
centered
on
carpet
and
tapestry.
As the
Public
Relations
of the
Academy
of Arts
reports,
at the
first
part of
the
session,
Sirous
Parham,
scholar
and
researcher
of
handicrafts
called
the
Safavid
era the
golden
age of
carpet
weaving
in
Isfahan,
"Whilst
carpet
weaving
in Iran
dates
back to
several
thousands
years
ago, we
had
three
prosperous
periods
or
golden
ages
which
two of
them
belong
to the
excellent
Safavid
era,"
he said.
On the
golden
ages of
carpet
weaving,
Parham
said:
"The
first
age
harks
back to
Sasanid
times
and
obviously
has been
documented
in the
historical
works.
The
second
age
commences
from the
times of
Shah
Esma'eil
and
after
nearly
half a
century
during
the last
years of
Shah
Tahmasb's
kingdom
falls to
a
recession.
The last
age
began
from
1000 A.
H. with
the
efforts
made by
Shah
Abbas
who was
centered
in
Isfahan
and
flourished
this
art, but
after a
hundred
years it
again
falls
into the
slump."
Following
his
speech,
Parham
referred
to the
remained
works of
this era
and
described
the
features
of
carpets
in
Safavid
era,
"The
prominent
feature
of the
carpets
at the
age of
Shah
Abbas is
the
creation
of
several
excellent
and in
some way
unique
carpets
which
were
woven by
the
command
of Shah
Abbas at
royal
workshops.
These
carpets
sometimes
include
the
written
praise
of the
king and
the time
of
presenting
them to
foreign
courts
has also
been
inscribed.
The
Great
Workshops,
the Main
Reason
of the
Prosperity
of
Carpets
Fazlollah
Heshmati
Razavi,
a carpet
and
handicrafts
researcher
gave a
lecture
on
"the
Origins
of the
Carpet
Art in
Isfahan
School."
He
regarded
the
establishment
of the
grand
workshops
for
carpet
weaving
as an
influential
factor
in the
modification
of
carpets
in
Safavid
era,
"The
approach
of
Isfahan
school
in
Iranian
carpet
weaving
was
centered
on the
foundation
of the
grand
and
concentrated
textile
workshops
which
led to
some
changes
both in
quantity
and
quality.
These
changes
were
demonstrated
both in
form,
size,
the
appearance
of the
carpets
and the
materials
used for
carpet
weaving,"
he said.
To
elaborate
more on
his
remarks,
Heshmati
said
"The
weaving
of grand
and
invaluable
carpets
became
widespread
in
proportion
with the
magnificent
and
aristocratic
palaces
and
halls.
Moreover,
the
employment
of silk,
golden
and
silver
threads
became
prevalent
and
intensified
the
beauty
and
glory of
the
carpets.
Meanwhile
in such
a
fundamental
modification,
the
designs
of the
carpets
were
also
influenced.
The
traditional
and
geometric
motifs
were
replaced
by the
complicated
Arabesque
and gardān
designs,
patterns
and the
naturalist
style
and
became
totally
pervasive."
Although
in his
view one
of the
notable
points
of this
era is
that
ancient
designs
were
also
maintained
in the
carpets:
"The
important
point of
this
school
is that
none of
the
ancient
designs
and
motifs
such as
bush,
tree,
branch,
garden,
vase,
various
kinds of
flowers
and
leaves
were not
neglected,
even the
motif of
water
lily, a
memento
from
Sasanid
was
modified
a little
and its
name
changed
to the
"Shah
Abbasi
Flower."
It
became
so
prevalent
and even
nowadays
is
employed,"
he
added.
On the
classification
of
carpets
in
Safavid
era,
Heshmati
said:
"The
realization
of
precious
carpets
influenced
by
Isfahan
school
particularly
those
which
have
been
woven in
Isfahan
itself,
demands
a kind
of
classification.
In this
case,
the
selection
based on
the
historic
precedence
at a
geographical
region
is the
best
method
for
classification
but
regarding
the fact
that the
number
of
carpets
with
historic
inscription
is so
limited.
On the
other
hand,
the
original
places
of some
woven
carpets
are not
clear,
thus the
classification
has been
made in
another
method."
He then
began to
account
for
three
categories
of
carpets
in that
era:
"The
carpets
which
have
been
named
according
to their
map and
design,
like goldāni,
boute'ei,
mehrābi,
eslimi,
… the
second
category
is for
the
carpets
which
even
according
to a
wrong
perception
are
reminder
of a
particular
region
or
attributed
to that
like
Polonzi,
Portuguese,
Hindi,
etc. The
third
carpets
which
have
been
woven
with the
method
of kilin."
At the
end of
his
speech,
Heshmati
described
the
method
of
carpet
weaving
in
Safavid
era as
apermanent
one,
"at
the
times of
Shah
Sultan
Hussein
Safavi,
after
the
invasion
of
Mahmoud
Afghan,
the
Safavid
dynasty
declined
but the
Isfahan
School
method
in
carpet
weaving
preserved.
In
contemporary
period
due to
the
works of
a number
of
masters
including
Issa
Bahdori
(the
director
of
Isfahan
School
of
Arts),
Mahmoud
Farshchian,
Ahmad
Arjang,
Haj
Mirza
Imami,
Rouhollah
Zia'eian,
Ahmad
Koushesh,
Asqar
Bayat,
Hadi
Tajvidi,
… are
still
prominent
and well
known,"
he
added.
Following
the
session,
a
university
teacher,
Hussein
Yavari
also
indicated
that the
most
beautiful
Iranian
carpet's
have
been
woven at
the
times of
shah
Tahmasb
and
particularly
Shah
Abbas,
then he
described
the
reasons
for the
prosperity
of
carpets
and
tapestry
in
Safavid
era,
"One
of the
positive
and
influential
factors
of the
carpets
in this
era is
the use
of good
materials
and
appropriate
wools.
On those
days,
the wool
was
provided
from the
sheep of
Kermanshahand
used for
weaving
the
carpets.
Therefore
at those
regions
the
breeding
of this
kind of
ships
were
developed
to
provide
the
requested
will for
producing
the
various
kinds of
carpets,"
he said.
Furthermore,
he
pointed
to the
foundation
of
professional
workshops
for
dying
silk and
other
materials
with
natural
colors
which
due to
extensive
orders
from
inside
and
outside
the
country
gradually
became
more
developed
and
concentrated.
But in
his view
the
appropriate
designs
are one
of the
other
reasons
for
success
and
popularity
of
carpets
in
Safavid
era,
"The
prevalence
and
attractiveness
of
carpet
design
and
production
based on
the maps
and
preconceived
designs
like toranje,
goldāni,
Herati,
Sajadeh'ee
and Polish
has
endowed
a
certain
beauty
and
character
to the
carpets
of this
era,"
he
stated.
Yavari
also
indicated
to
another
aspect
of the
flourishing
of
carpets
in
Safavid
era:
"Undoubtedly
a large
part of
the
credit,
reputation
and
brilliance
of
carpet
weaving
in
Safavid
era is
due to
the
conscious,
committed
and
definite
management
in
providing
the raw
materials,
producing
the
instruments
for
weaving
carpets,
dying,
design,
texture
and
finally
the
local
market
and
exportation
of these
carpets
to the
other
countries,
since
there
was no
mistake
in any
of the
stages
of the
process
related
to
pre-production,
production
and
trading
of the
carpets."
he
added.
"Hence,
there
are
about
three
thousands
carpets
have
remained
since
Safavid
era
which
are
evidences
of the
highest
point of
perfection
in
Iranian
traditional
arts and
demonstrate
the
unique
skill,
talent
and
creativity
of
Iranian
artists
at those
times.
From
another
view,
the
artistic
management
of that
era can
be a
role
model in
the
management
of
carpet,
handicrafts
and even
contemporary
Iranian
cultural
management.
One of
the
other
carpet
experts,
Farshid
Pouria
also
indicated
to
"Shah
Abbasi
Flower"
in the
designs
of
Safavid
era. He
regarded
the
design
as
adapted
from the
earliest
times:
"As
its name
implicates,
'Shah
Abbasi
Flower'
has been
created
in
Safavid
era and
throughout
the
kingdom
of Shah
Abbas,
but its
origins
hark
back to
the
previous
times.
In
Timurid
times,
this
flower
was
being
used in
the
carpets
and
designs.
Furthermore,
in
Mongols
era
'Shah
Abbasi
Flower'
was
employed
with the
same
components
including
flower,
the
bottom
of bloom
and
petals"
he said.
In the
other
part of
his
speech,
Pouria
referred
to the
carved
flowers
in
Takht-e
Jamshid
and
their
resemblance
to
"Shah
Abbasi
Flower"
and
followed:
"Some
experts
believe
that the
flower
which
have
been
designed
in the
hands of
Darius,
Achaemenid
King is
the same
as 'Shah
Abbasi
Flower',
but this
one is
water
lily and
if we
observe
it
closely,
we will
realize
that its
components
have no
similarity
to 'Shah
Abbasi
Flower.'
Of
course
if we
consider
all the
flowers
of
Takht-e
Jamshid,
we will
find
other
flowers
which in
terms of
their
components
are
similar
to
"Shah
Abbasi
Flower,"
he
added.
Pouria
gave
more
details
about
his
research
item:
"The
petals,
bloom
bottoms
and the
middle
part of
this
flower
are
similar
to
"Shah
Abbasi
Flower"
in Kabud
mosque.
On the
other
hand,
there is
another
flower
with
long
stalks
which
resembles
to
"Shah
Abbasi
Flower"
and in
the
upper
stages
of
carvings,
its
stalks
look
shorter,"
he
remarked.
At that
moment,
Pouria
explained
about
the
differences
and
semblance
of
flowers:
"These
two
flowers
are
similar
to 'Shah
Abbasi
Flower.'"
They
have
been
created
concurrently
with
water
lily by
the
order of
Darius,
that's
why we
can't
say that
they are
the more
progressive
form of
water
lily."
In terms
of
carpet
art in
Safavid
era, the
expert
said:
"At
that
time,
the
scholar
and
artist
were
cooperated
with
each
other.
As a
matter
of fact
we can
trace
the
process
of
empowerment
and
decline
of the
empires.
The
carpet
artists
were
creating
the
works
which
appealed
to the
audiences.
Although
they
were
creating
that
works in
accordance
with
their
ideas
and
tastes,
but in
the
interim
they
were
satisfying
the
needs of
mass
audiences.
Throughout
the
Kingdom
of Shah
Abbas,
the use
of
double
knots in
carpet
weaving
became
so
fashionable
and was
widely
used. As
the
artists
had
strong
motivations,
they
produced
the
work's
which
had
stable
technique
and
color
quality."
"In
Isfahan
School
the gold
woven
carpets
of
Isfahan
and
Kashan
are so
prominent
and the
largest
carpet
woven in
Shah
Abbas
period
which
was sent
to Najaf
has
always
been the
focus of
attention
in the
local
and
international
researches.
Since
Achaemenid
era, the
Iranian
carpets
have
always
had
their
own
designs,
so the
customers
were
mostly
demanding
for
Iranian
carpets,"
he
concluded.
Bahman
Faizābi
was the
next
lecturer
who
pointed
to the
establishment
of naqāshkhaneh
(painting
house)
beside
the
carpet
workshops.
At the
age of
Shah
Abbas
all the
designed
mechanisms
were
observable
in these
painting
houses.
"The
important
event of
this era
is a
dynamic
interaction
of all
the
handicrafts
artists
with
carpet
production.
As a
matter
of fact,
they
were
actively
involved
in the
design
of
carpets.
The
carpet
designers
were
influenced
by the
books of
Sheikh
Lotfollah,
the
designs
of tiles
and
other
elements
of
Masjid-i-Imam
(Masjid-i-Shah)
were
visible
in the
design
of
carpets.
At this
era the
compositions
of
carpets
and
designs
had
found an
orderly
style,"
Faizabi
said.
"Even
though
followed
their
master,
the
apprentices
of Reza
Abbasi
made a
tremendous
change
in
designs
and
although
the
central
state
was in
decline,
the
Isfahan
school
proved
its
influence
with
"Shah
Abbasi
Flower."
The
inherited
designs
since
ancient
times
have
been
inspired
the
artists
who took
the
carpet
art to
its
highest
point,
on the
other
hand the
historical
monuments
were
decorated
with
beautiful
tiles
which
inspired
the
carpet
designers,"
he
added.
The
following
lecturer,
Mehrangiz
Mazaheri,
university
teacher
regarded
the
carpets
woven in
Kerman
as the
most
beautiful
carpets
in Shah
Abbas
era and
said:
"At
that
time
most of
the
Iranian
carpets
were
exported
to India
and
Jaihoon
design
was the
representative
of
Iranian
carpet
of
Iranian
carpet
woven in
Kerman."
"The
most
prominent
design
of
kermani
carpets
was saki
(saqi)
which
constitutes
the
structure
of
Kermani
carpets.
The
usage of
relief
work and
handicrafts
is
evident
in
Kermani
carpets.
In
comparison
with the
carpets
from
other
cities,
kermani
carpets
had more
length,"
she
added.
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