Reflection and analyses of composed animals in Islamic pottery of Iran

The decorative patterns of Islamic pottery have widespread diversity including floral, geometric, inscriptional, animals and human patterns. Beside these patterns, there is a group of composed animals including harpies, sphinxes, griffins etc that despite of their few presences, are among the most beautiful and most numinous patterns in Islamic pottery. This paper intend to survey different aspects of these patterns in Islamic pottery of Iran. Hitherto many theories have discussed about their resources and their concepts in Islamic art but none of them introduced documented examples. It’s obvious that identifying the different kinds of these patterns and their resources and their concepts in Islamic pottery of Iran can reply to these ambiguities. In this way, have selected several typical examples of pottery wares with composed animals patterns in some interior or foreign museums or collections, and after specifying the methods of making and decorating the potteries as well as identifying the most important periods of using these patterns, have analyzed the most important factors and concepts in their use. Towards the findings of paper we cannot name one factor as the unique factor for using these patterns, rather a complex of factors including certain and uncertain factors as Islamic mysticism, astronomic asterisms and pre Islamic myths of Iran have played role. Islamic mysticism has had the most important role in applying harpy shapes with meaning of ascension of human spirit from earth to heaven in the way of pantheism. Among pre Islamic myths of Iran, we can indicate to griffins that were used in different arts of Achamenian and Sassanid periods. However it sounds griffin’s patterns in Islamic pottery of Iran before Mongols has been ominous and after Mongols has been propitious pattern. Beside foresaid factors, we can name astronomic asterisms as an important factor in use of composed animals. Towards remained examples, the most common astronomic asterism is Leo although it has painted with human head. One of the helpful signs for identifying these astronomic asterisms is dark or brown dots on the patterns likely as stars constitute the asterism. Also these patterns often combined with floral patterns in the background that could be a propitious sign for the asterisms. Alongside these factors, some composed animals could relate to personification for artists contemporary fictions as well as fantastic creatures as bogey and elf. Peak of using these composed animals are 4-7th centuries after Hijrah coincide with Samanid to Mongols periods. An important point about composed animals is difference between depicting harpies and sphinxes patterns in before and after Islamic periods. Because in Islamic period, these patterns are depicted with affable and amiable faces in contrary with harsh and boisterous faces of pre Islamic examples. Another important point is that chine’s art has had none influence in existence of these patterns in Islamic pottery regardless the widespread influence in making and decorating techniques. Also just harpies have been painted under complete influence of Islamic resources.