Abstract:
Stucco decorations are among the major decorative elements of the religious structures of the Ilkhanid period in Iran. Typical examples of these decorations are found in the mausoleum of Pir-i Bakran, located some” 30 km” southwest of Isfahan. Owing to the importance of the decorative technique and its great stucco decorations, several contemporary
Islamic scholars have described the mausoleum as a real museum of the stucco art; therefore, it can be a subject for several, related scientific studies.
The present paper aims at exploring the structure and themes of the stucco decorations of this building to demonstrate that religious ideas substantially inspired the origination and style of these ornaments in religious constructions, in particular mausoleums.
A descriptive method was adopted in the present study, which builds on library-based research and field observations. Accordingly, proper photos were taken from the decorations and architectural spaces before linear drawings of the decorations were prepared to document the data using Illustrator CS5 and Corel Draw x5 solutions. Given successful execution of the several stucco panels coupled with proper location and composition, the results of the study reveals that
the artisans of this period with their unique ingenuity were able to employ this architectural element befittingly in this building, turning it into a masterpiece of stucco work from the Ilkhanid period. Further, a deeper analysis of the themes, which apart from decorative panels using floral and geometric motifs include also frequent use of sacred religious terms and phrases, demonstrates that there was a tendency among the Iranian society under Ilkhanid to employ these themes,
and on this very basis, this period can be called one of the most important periods of stucco art in terms of rendering stucco decorations with religious themes.
Machine summary:
An Analytical View on the Stucco Decorations of Ilkhanid Religious Buildings: A Case Study of Pir-i Bakran, Isfahan, Iran Mohammad Ebrahim Zarei1,* , Mohammad Mortazaei2, Naghmeh Behboodi1 and Leila Tahani3 1Department of Archaeology, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran 2Iranian Center for Archaeological Research, Organization of Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism, Tehran, Iran 3University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran (Received: 27/ 02/ 2012 ; Received in Revised form: 13/ 04/ 2012; Accepted: 24/ 07/ 2012) Stucco decorations are among the major decorative elements of the religious structures of the Ilkhanid period in Iran.
As a result of building mihrabs with plaster adorned with a plethora of inscriptional decorations in particular different varieties of ornamental kufic scripts, geometric knots and arabesque designs as well as deep-cut and raised patterns, the stucco art experienced a significant thrive and to great masterpieces were generated in this period (Shekofteh and Oodbashi 2008: 171).
IRANIAN JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL STUDIES 2: 2 (2012) An Analytical View on the Stucco 102 East Wall The upper decorations of the eastern wall display repeated stucco inscriptions in rectangular Kufic reading, There is no God but Allah, Mohammad is the Messenger of God, disposed within large squares and against a checkerboard ground.
On a part of the northern section of the western wall, in the space separating its southern and northern blind arches, a panel of stucco decorations, framed by a large square which is symmetrical structurally to the inscription of the eastern side, contains in rectangular kufic in relief the following divine attributions: In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.