Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1 postdoctoral researcher in the field of art research. Faculty of Arts, Al-Zahra University, Tehran, Iran.
2 Associate Professor of Painting Department of art, Faculty of Art Alzahra University, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
Demons have been widely present in the culture of Iranian legends. They are also present in the Iranian version of religious legends. One of these is the story of Suleiman, in which Iranians narrate the presence of demons among the servants of that prophet. Although there is no specific and established form of these beings, but the summation of definitions in Iranian texts makes it conceivable with some dos and don'ts.
Paintings flourished as an art industry in the Qajar period, and its body became an arena for performing art and expressing the feelings and thoughts of artists. Images of epic, romantic scenes, natural landscapes, Islamic geometric motifs, etc. were engraved on them. These works were often accessible to a wide range of age groups. Although the lower economic classes of society have had limited access to them.
The important thing about some of these works was the existence of images of supernatural beings whose retelling in folklore or literary stories could create a feeling of extreme fear for the listener; How about displaying their images on decorative dishes. Although in the previous centuries, the use of these motifs was seen on metal containers or other items, but the use of those images on household utensils gained a significant boom in the Qajar period. Although in the religion of Islam, the word of revelation has spread to the other world and it is said that some jinns have heard the word of revelation and have accepted it. Or, in the unofficial literature of the Shia religion, there is talk of the jinn's sympathy with the martyrs of Karbala; But this point is much stronger in the case of Solomon. This prophet extended the scope of his spiritual rule to the intangible world, apart from humans and animals, and jinns and demons were devoted to his service and helped him in fulfilling his wishes. From this point of view, Prophet Suleiman's rule is an example of an ideal rule, where the spirit of the world calmed down, the beasts stopped enmity, and the terrifying creatures became tolerant of humans. The aim of the present study is to identify how to depict supernatural creatures in Solomon Nabi's court by Qajar lacquer artists, and the question arises that "on what principles did Qajar artists depict supernatural creatures in lacquer paintings?" From the qualitative method and their examination and measurement with 5 lacquer paintings of the Qajar period, they have come to the conclusion that in this period, Iranians' understanding of the divan has undergone major changes as follows: a large part of the demons with female characteristics, behavior and clothing painted and included in the ranks of harem women and the rest have lost their malevolent and demonic characteristics and are seen in a state of pure passivity, harmlessness and helplessness has redefined the traditional role of women, and in such an environment, the character roles, values and concepts of the previous boundaries have been lost, and they have dissolved into each other.
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