نوع مقاله : مقاله پژوهشی
نویسندگان
1 دانشجوی دکتری باستانشناسی دوران اسلامی، گروه باستانشناسی، دانشکدۀ ادبیات و علوم انسانی، دانشگاه تهران، تهران، ایران (نویسندۀ مسئول).
2 دکتری باستانشناسی، اداره کل میراثفرهنگی، گردشگری و صنایعدستی استان مرکزی، اراک، ایران.
چکیده
کلیدواژهها
موضوعات
عنوان مقاله [English]
نویسندگان [English]
Abstract
Luster tiles, as one of the most beautiful types of tiles in terms of production technique, design, and form, have always been a focal point in Islamic art. One of the places where these types of tiles have been found is the mausoleum of Imamzadeh Aziz in the village of Dinejerd in Tafresh County, Markazi Province. Based on architectural characteristics, the foundation of the structure was constructed in the Ilkhanid period, but during the Islamic periods -especially in the Safavid era- significant restoration was carried out. Thus, the current building belongs to the Safavid period according to its architectural features, the wooden box, and the stucco mihrab, but the tilework of its casket is attributed to the Ilkhanid period. The aim of this research is to introduce the mausoleum of Imamzadeh Aziz and to examine the artistic features of the stucco and tilework decorations of the mausoleum’s casket, as well as to investigate whether luster tiles were used as secondary elements in the casket. In this context, both the stucco mihrab and the tiles mentioned above will undergo examination, with a focus on analyzing the inscriptions found on each. There are two main questions in this study: 1. Considering the dating of the structure and some of its decorations to the Safavid era, what is the connection between Ilkhanid luster tiles and the casket? 2. What artistic features and characteristics do the tiles of the casket reveal? The hypothesis is that the luster tiles were secondarily used in the structure and demonstrate new features of the period of application, as well as variation in calligraphy and motifs. The method of this research is descriptive–analytical, and the data were collected through library studies and field surveys. Based on the conducted studies, there is a possibility that these tiles were brought from another building and then reused in the structure, and, in terms of the period of use and diversity in calligraphy, they provide new information about the dating of these types of decorations.
Keywords: Dinejerd Village, Imamzadeh Aziz, Luster Tile, Ilkhanid Period, Safavid Period.
Introduction
Luster tiles were first discovered during excavations in Iraq and have been widely used as decorative elements in architecture. They are readily distinguishable from other types of architectural decoration because of the specialized technology used in their manufacture. From the 6th to the 8th century AH, luster tiles became a common decorative feature in religious and governmental buildings throughout Iran. Their prominent use in Shia contexts, particularly in mausoleums and shrines such as Hazrat Masoumeh and Imam Reza, and sites including Imamzadeh Ali ibn Jafar in Qom, Imamzadeh Fazl ibn Sahl in Aveh, Masjid Ali in Qahrod, Imamzadeh Habib ibn Musa in Kashan, Imamzadeh Yahya in Varamin, and Imamzadeh Jafar in Damghan is especially notable. The Imamzadeh Aziz mausoleum in the village of Dinejerd (Tafresh County) is an important Safavid-period monument that preserves fine examples of luster tilework on the exterior of its casket. These tiles -both complete and fragmentary- occur alongside a Safavid-period mihrab façade and simple turquoise cross-shaped tiles that ornament the casket body. The irregular placement of these tiles suggests a deliberate effort by those who incorporated them onto the tomb box to highlight their aesthetic and visual appeal, thereby emphasizing the sanctity of the final resting place of one of the descendants of Imam Jafar al-Sadiq. Historical sources indicate that Tafresh County had a Shia population in the 8th century AH, as recorded by the historian and geographer Hamdallah Mustawfi; this supports our hypothesis regarding the presence of luster tiles in Shia mausoleums.
Two questions guide this study: were these tiles originally part of the monument or were they relocated from somewhere else and reused as secondary elements; and what do the tiles and fragments reveal in terms of design, motifs, inscriptions, and chronological attribution? Our working hypothesis is that many of the tile pieces were brought from other locations and repurposed on the tomb box. The research adopts a descriptive–analytical method based on field survey and library research. Tiles were recovered, cleaned, and recorded during documentation of the wooden tomb box and other elements of the Imamzadeh Aziz complex; inscriptions on intact tiles and fragments were read, and motifs were compared with luster tiles from other monuments and museum collections.
Discussion
Beneath the dome of the monument stands a wooden coffin (box) whose inscriptions indicate it was made in the reign of Shah Tahmasb Safavi in 957 AH. According to the inscription, the wooden box was made by Ostad Ali Kasvaei with the collaboration of Ostad Rostam and Hession Kasvaein for the shrine of Imamzadeh Aziz. Within this wooden case rests a rectangular cuboid tomb whose upper facade is decorated with carved stucco panels filled with red-colored stucco, forming a mihrab-like composition with red floral motifs. This stucco decoration belongs to the early Safavid period and based on current evidence, does not appear in the middle or late Safavid phases. Both the long and short sides of the casket are ornamented with whole tiles, half tiles, and fragments executed in the luster technique; among these are cross-shaped turquoise tiles similar to those embedded among luster tiles at other monuments. Two square (quadrangular) tiles appear on the margin of the stucco design, together with a piece of moulded turquoise tile. Traces of turquoise cross-tiles and star luster tiles on the casket walls clearly indicate the original order of their arrangement. One tile fragment recovered from the burial box bears a date of 757 AH, which suggests continued production or use of star (eight-point) luster tiles, despite the observation by scholars such as Watson and Mason that production of star luster tiles had ceased by 714–740 AH. Analysis of the tile decoration shows a mixture of faunal, floral and geometric motifs. Although the context is religious, animal motifs predominate, and inscriptions are mostly Persian romantic poetry, with only one inscription in Arabic. The calligraphic execution is diverse: we identified nearly ten distinct styles of script among the tiles and fragments. Comparative study allows us to date many of these tiles to the 7th–8th centuries AH. In total, the tomb box contained four complete luster tiles, sixteen halves, eighteen quarters, and thirty-eight small fragments of luster tiles, in addition to the turquoise cross tiles and pieces of plain blue and turquoise tiles.
Conclusion
The Imamzadeh Aziz monument in Dinejerd (Tafresh County) preserves luster tiles that are consistent with those found in other Shiite architectural contexts; the assemblage includes star-shaped and square luster tiles alongside turquoise cross tiles. The tile motifs are mainly animal figures (leopard, lion, fox, rabbit, deer, birds, etc.) often associated with Persian inscriptions. Architectural features of the monument, the inscriptions on the wooden box, and the stucco decoration of the casket indicate that the present structure largely reflects Safavid-period restoration. However, the tiles themselves are attributable to the Ilkhanid period based on a dated fragment and comparative analysis; this suggests that the building underwent restoration during the Safavid era and incorporated earlier tilework. Although the tiles display a variety of themes, styles and inscriptions and were applied irregularly on the casket walls, their arrangement and characteristics point to secondary reuse within this structure. The techniques, forms, and diversity of Ilkhanid motifs are significant because they demonstrate the continuity and quality of luster-tile production into the latter half of the 8th century AH, a period marked by political and social upheaval. Finally, the Safavid-era restoration and reuse of these tiles testify both to the sanctity attributed to the burial and to Safavid appreciation of the aesthetic value of Ilkhanid tilework, as reflected in their deliberate application on the casket.
کلیدواژهها [English]
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