The images of "Animal-Plant" in the Sassanid Arts and their influence on Islamic Arts and Romanesque in France

Document Type : Research Paper

Author

Associate Professor, Faculty of Arts, University of Sistan & Baluchistan, Zahedan, Ira

Abstract

    In this article, we aim to discuss a compound and fictional creature, which is highly mentioned in the fields of fiction, mythology and the art of different civilizations: a creature with the body of an animal, whether real or imagined, and a combination of plant ingredients, a large group which encompasses a type of mythical creatures and the combination of "animal - plant".    Sassanid art has created diverse types of this combinational creature in different ways, which has had a great impact on the art of other lands. This compound creature has emerged in the art of the Islamic countries, especially the Mediterranean art and Romanesque art in France. The idea of ​​creating such a creature presents a common image of the two great natural and living powers which have influenced the Human life. Over the centuries and millennia, the human life has been directly connected to the animals and plants around. It wasthe creation of such a combination and the concentration of the two natural powers that could bear some of the concepts and symbols. The creature could be either the patron or a threat. The combination of “animal-plant” also represents one of the most applicable imaginary creatures, which is created through binding and combining one or several organs of the animal with the herbal or abstract forms. These questions are posed in this article: what is the basis of this structure? How has it influenced the Islamic and the Western Europe art, particularly the Romanesque art? The creature is made by combining the real and imaginary animal forms with the different types of natural and abstract plant species, from simple shapes to complex shapes. This figure influenced the art of Islamic, Byzantine and Western Europe countries through the trades, commerce and royal gifts (metal objects, the Sassanid silver dishes and fabrics, especially silk). The Integration of animal and plant can be seen almost everywhere in the Sassanid Empire, the Post-Sassanid, Central Asia, in Eastern Europe and Central European. This fantastic creature as a new form developed in the Islamic arts. The Romans churches in Spain and France in particular, were the scene of these creatures. According to the engraving and drawing the narrative scenes of the Old and New Testament narrative scenes on the outer walls and cubic capitals of these churches has generated a wonderful space through combining these designs with other elements. comparing many figures of "Animal-plant" on the walls and capitals, especially the symmetrical and capitals designs of the Griffin,  and the way their tails  are combined with plants or plant shapes coming out of their mouths makes the impacts of Sassanid samples on their creators undeniable. No particular research has been conducted on the subject of Sassanid “animal-Plant” so far. The present study is theoretical based on the descriptive and analytical research methodology applying documental and library resources. Among the many samples representing this creature, a set of samples has been selected, including the pottery and metal works, disregarding the Sassanid silk fabrics.

Keywords

References

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