Archaeological Research of Iran

Archaeological Research of Iran

An Iconological Approach to Mythical Birds of the Sasanian Period: A Case Study of the Simurgh

Authors
Viana Mirzaie 1
Zahra Rahbarnia 2
1 Department of Art Research, Faculty of Art, Al-Zahra University Tehran, Iran (Corresponding Author).
2 Department of Art Research, Faculty of Art, Al-Zahra University Tehran, Iran.
10.22084/nb.2025.30618.2756
Abstract
Simurgh is a prominent mythical figure of Iran that has appeared in diverse visual and literary forms in Iranian art and culture from antiquity to the contemporary era. Erwin Panofsky introduced iconology as an approach to art-historical analysis, systematically progressing from the description of artistic phenomena to the interpretation of their underlying meanings. This method operates through three interconnected levels of meaning, corresponding to motif, theme, and intrinsic meaning. Accordingly, this article examines and interprets the symbolic meanings of Simurgh as a prominent figure in Iranian art through an iconological analysis of different historical periods, with particular attention to transformations in its form, iconographic attributes, and cultural significance, including the Sasanian and broader pre-Islamic eras, as well as the Ilkhanid and Safavid periods of Islamic Iran. The principal research question is as follows: How did the Simurgh motif change formally and semantically within the artistic and literary traditions of pre-Islamic and Islamic Iran, and to what extent was its development influenced by neighbouring civilizations? The corpus comprises selected artworks and material objects, including textiles, paintings, metalwork, leatherwork, and ceramics from Iran, ancient China, and ancient Egypt. Within this historical framework, the analysis considers pre-Islamic religious texts, mythological literature, particularly Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh, and mystical writings, especially Suhrawardi’s the Red Intellect, alongside the mythological traditions of ancient China and Egypt, thereby situating the material evidence within broader comparative religious, literary, and cultural contexts. The results indicate that, before the rise of Islam, Simurgh was conceived as a bird possessing supernatural powers, whose imagery signified the supremacy and dominion of cosmic forces over the terrestrial world. For instance, depictions of Simurgh on the garments of Sasanian rulers functioned as symbols of divine protection, conferred political and religious legitimacy upon the ruler, bestowed farr (royal glory), and, more broadly, embodied and transmitted royal authority.
Keywords
Iconology
Mythology
Simurgh
China
Egypt
Subjects
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Archaeological Research of Iran
Volume 16, Issue 49
2026
Pages 255-281