Assessment of Cultural Values of Underglaze Tile-Workings In

The Entrance Gallery (Portico, Antechamber) of Golestan Palace

Attending to Para-Narrative Discourses In The Paintings of
Qajar Era

Abstract

Having a vast and diverse collection of underglaze tile-workings portraying various

historical and mythical characters and folk stories, the entrance gallery of Golestan Palace

is of particular importance among other architectural spaces of the palace. Narration has

always been an important part of the Iranian visual arts, to the extent that, before the fall

Safavid Dynasty, the relation between literature and painting was of paramount importance

among the greatest art patrons of the time. This paper is dedicated to cultural and technical

assessment of tile painter's achievements in presenting an innovative narration of the known

stories. For this purpose, as out methodology, we have benefited from field study, documenting

tiles, comparative study of similar samples and formal and content analysis of the structure of tile-

works in the gallery. The results of the filed study demonstrate that during time the tiles have been

replaced many times and in order to match similar tiles an extensive repair project has been carried

out. despite the historical accounts regarding the simultaneous presence of and competition among

different artistic movements and tastes in Qajar era, it seems that only two parties, being nearly 12

years apart from each other, have been involved in making of the tiles, and the tiles have been made

between the last 10 years of Nasiraldin Shah's rule and the time of Mashroteh. this study shows that,

by using various geometrical frames, underglaze painting's techniques for minute application of

colors, making a gradual relation between narrative and non-narrative scenes, selecting well-known

pictures among the best examples of Iranian history of art and attempting to alienate those pictures

by modifying their pictorial conventions, the artists of this collection have achieved a new and
distinct narration (para-narration) appropriate to the palace architecture and the social and cultural

conditions of their time.

Key words: Underglaze tile-work, Golestan Palace, Tile-working, Qajar tiles, plinth

1. Introduction

The entrance gallery of Golestan Palace is located in the northern part of the site and is

used for accessing important parts of the palace including Hall of Salam, Hall of Mirrors,

Hall of Dishes, and Hall of Ivory. For this reason one can consider this gallery as a means

for deciding one's direction or directing the visitors. Special qualities of the gallery's

ornamentation distinguish it from other places of the palaces and make it worthwhile of

being studied as a peculiar exemplar in the art of painting in Qajar era. The ornaments

include plaster-work, mirror-work and tile-work, decorated with underglaze painting.

Among the above mentioned ornaments the tile works of the plinth is the most diverse

regarding the depicted stories and applied techniques. The diversity of applied colors and

use of minute motifs bestowed the plinths surfaces with an interesting texture which in

contrast with the silent and gray air of the walls conveys a much deeper concept to the

viewer. The tiles of this collection have a significant variety regarding size, form, coloring

and content. Arrangement of these works which have been made in different time according

to existing evidences makes a magnificent spectacle of different movements and tastes in

the painting of the second half of Qajar era starting from Nasiraldin Shah. Many of the tiles

in historical buildings of this era have been moved from their original places several times,

and have replaces either in other places or in their original place however with a different

arrangement (Aqajani et Al, 1385: 15, Zoka, 1382: 24). Moreover, the way in which the

tiles of this collection are arranged can be considered as an example of a successful use of
several disparate historical elements in one single larger context. With its beautiful design,

this new context not only provides the chance for those historical elements to be presented,

but also makes way for the emergence of new concepts and ideas by creating new dialectics

among (i) different tiles of the arrangement, and also among (ii) the collection of tiles and

the surrounding architectural space. Qajar era, a time of great difficulties and instability in

Iran's domestic and foreign affairs, was an opportunity for Iranians to encounter various

new resources, and this is why one can see a kind of hybridity and liminality in many of the

artworks of that time. Reassessing known resources (e.g. Safavid art), returning to much

older and even forgotten heritages (e.g. pre-Islamic reliefs) and last but not least

encountering western culture, the native artist attempts to redefine his identity (Nojoumian,

1391). This attempt emerges in between the creation of various situations caused by the

interaction of complementary and contrary forces which in turn have themselves been

raised from the interactions between internal/external, formal/content, narrative/non-

narrative, and temporal/atemporal aspects of the artworks of the time. in order to analyze

these interactions, mentioned in the title as 'metanarrative discourses', we have applied an

array of research methodologies including comparative study of motifs and narrations

between our subject matter and other archaic or contemporary artworks of that time, and

structural analysis of tile-works.

2. Theoretical Framework: explaining para-narrative discourses in Iranian native art

Distinguishing between the mundane and sacred dimensions of history and time is one

of the oldest and most deep-rooted conceptions of Iranian culture (Corbin, 1390: 446). This

distinction is especially evident in the traditional paintings of books, carpets and miniatures.

The emergence of the art of illumination in the first centuries of Islamic history, as an
appropriate mean for expressing sacred themes and subjects, not only provided for Muslim

Iranians the possibility of scribing the Holy Qur’an more elegantly but also made way for

the creation of spiritual spaces like mosques. Besides this means of expression, which we

call non-narrative, another kind of expression was prevalent among artists of the time

which was based on ancient indigenous myths and stories; an example of this kind can be

seen in the pictures painted of the Nishabour's plates. Over time these two kinds of

expression have been joined together. The art of illumination which is based on a minute

geometry has been used as a basis for miniature painting and on the other hand specific

kinds of non-narrative art, like Tash'ir, emerged from the experiences of miniature painters.

Against the formalist theories, it must be noted that illumination, Tash'ir, Girih-Making and

other kinds of non-narrative arts have never been limited to mere ornamentation and visual

pleasure (Burkhart, 1370: 20), rather they are expressions of a type of truth inconceivable in

language and narration (Lings, 1377: 72-78). In this paper this kind of analysis, which can

be called the sacred interpretation indigenous non-narrative art, is discussed under the name

of metanarrative discourse. Thanks to the encounter with the West and due to the art

patrons interest in studying and using western resources, and on the other hand the change

in the elites attitude towards history and cultural heritages in Qajar era, considerable

changes have occurred in the metanarrative discourse of the Golestan Palace tile-workers'

artworks.

3. Methodology

The hypothesis of this study is that the tile artist of the Qajar era, using and

incorporating the well-known examples of both narrative and non-narrative art in his work,

has invented a new method in presenting the subjects depicted in the underglaze tile-works
of the Gallery that preserves the narration from unfamiliar currents and at the same time

invites its audience to reinterpret it. In order to achieve the results we have used field study,

photography, on site documentation of the tiles, processing of the pictorial data, library data

collection in historical records, and also comparative-historical study of the collected

pictures in comparison with similar works existing in other museums.

4. The introduction of the studied case

Diversity of the tiles of the entrance gallery

All the tiles existing in the gallery are used to decorate the plinths. Based on the location

of the tiles we can categorize them as follows:

i. Pause space in the first floor: the entrance through Gooshvarehs

ii. Stairs

c) Gooshvareh: the space above the second floor's entrance

iii. Corridor: between Gooshvareh and distribution space in the second floor

iv. Distribution space: a space beside the main stairs of the building in the second floor

which is dominant over the entrance through fencings and provides access to

different halls of the Golestan Palace.

In each of the aforementioned parts various types of tiles with different motifs, composition

and themes has been used. Moreover, one can see some similarities in the motif of the tiles

belonging to different parts. Overall the themes and subjects of the tiles can be summarized

as follows:
1) Portraits of the Iranian kings both mythical and historical belonging to both pre and

post Islamic times

2) Portraits of the kings and prominent figures of the Qajar era. Although the main

focus is on Nasiraldin Shah, other figures, like Amir Kabir, Ali Asqar Khan Atabak,

Sardar Mansour (Sepahdar Rashti), have been portrayed as well.

3) new presentation or repainting of Iranian historical artworks like the murals of

Chehelsotoon and the facade of Isfahan Qeisariyeh, Achaemenid and Sassanid

carvings in Fars, and a number of late Safavid miniatures like Bahram and

Golandam.

4) Narration of a number of scenes from Iranian epic and folk stories like Rostam and

The Khagan of China, Leily and Majnon, Sheikh San'an, and The Christian Girl

5) Scenes of feasts, hunts, and horsemen’s fights

6) Landscapes of some of important Iranian buildings and some famous European

buildings which were probably painted from the black and white photographs

existing at the time.

7) Animals like deer and antelope

8) Imaginary buildings, inspired by western tower architecture, all located on

riversides

9) Portraits of young men and women in Qajar and other eras' outfits which are usually

painted on the edges of the pictures.

10) Flower and bird motifs

11) Imaginary creatures like dragons and multi-head monsters

 12) Eslimi, khataei, and toranj motifs and a collection of elements that were being used

in carpet design and book illuminations.

13) Octagrams, crosses, and medallions decorated with winding eslimi and khataei

motifs.

Among the aforementioned themes the first six are about real historical characters or

certain mythical stories and it is easy to recognize the narrative elements in them. Although

the themes in seven to eleven have some representational aspects but narration is much

limited in them. However their dependence on artist's imagination is different. For instance,

much of these pictures belong to the categories number 8 and 9 which are inspired by low

value imported copies of European landscapes and portraits (fleur et. al., 1381: 20-26). The

themes 12 and 13 are completely abstract forms and motifs that were being used by

illuminators and carpet and tile makers. although these motifs were being used for

decorating the edges but, as we will explain in the following paragraph, in the tiles of the

entrance gallery the border between the edge and the context has been practically removed

in a way that the narrative theme and ornamentations are incorporated into each other.

Table 1 shows how the 13 themes are distributed in various parts of the gallery.

Spaces Distribution
Pause Space Stairs Gooshvareh Corridor
Themes Space
King’s
1
Portraits • •
Portraits of
2 prominent • • •
persons
Repainting
3 Iranian • • •
Historical Art
Epics and
4 indigenous • • • • •
stories

5
Feasts, Hunts,
Fights • • • • •
6
Historical
Buildings •
7 Animals • •
 Imaginary
8 Buildings and • • •
Landscapes
Portraits of
9 Young men and • •
women

10
Flower and
Bird •
11
Imaginary
Creatures • • •
12
Eslimi &
Khataei • • • • •
Shamseh &
13
Cross &
Geometrical • • • • •
motifs
Table 1

As we can see the themes number 4, 5, 12 and 13 are the most frequent themes depicted in

the tiles used in the gallery.

4.1 The motif of the tiles in the entrance gallery

The tiles used in the decoration of the entrance gallery can be categorized based on the

arrangement of the tiles for covering large surfaces. This categorization has been rarely

mentioned in the existing literature and in scarce times that the tiles have been mentioned in

a source, the presented data about the tiles, especially with regard to size and dimensions,

were not accurate (Seif, 1376: 148, 150, 262). For this reason, here, in addition to

introducing principal orders of the arrangement the tiles, the size of different tiles are

mentioned as well.

a) Large sceneries on the arrangements of rectangular tiles, e.g., In Nasiraldin Shah

Presence, Naseri Hunt, and repainting of pre-Islamic reliefs

b) Collections of portraits made by arranging rectangular tiles in a mix of octagram

and cross forms.

c) Collection of multi-narrative arrangements made by using square tiles, mix of

square and octagonal tiles and collection of octagonal, Tabl and Selis.
d) Single large pictures of imaginary and historical figures and feasts and hunts and

story narrations.

e) Tiles on the margins

5. Analysis of the motif of tiles in the light of narration-para-narration discourses

5.1. Time of manufacturing, artists and history of the installation of the tiles in the

gallery

Of the tiles in the entrance gallery few have been signed by the artists. Some of the tiles

in multi-narrative arrangements have the signature of an artist named Mustafa. Also, in the

collection of individual Majlisi tiles, two have the signature of another artist named

Mohammad Ibrahim. Since Mustafa has specified the date of the creation of his tiles (1304

lunar) it is evident that he was a well-known tile-worker and tile-painter in the time of

Nasiraldin hah. Overall, his signature can be seen on three works, Shirin and Farhad,

Nasiraldin Shah's hunt, and the Battle of Shah Ismael and Uzbeks, all of which are painted

on multi-narrative arrangements with square tiles, ultramarine background, and octagonal

and crossed frames. Relying on these evidences we can attribute all the collections of these

types of tiles to Mustafa. Although by careful study of Mohammad Ibrahim’s drawing and

coloring techniques in the works that are signed by him, one can attribute to him some other

pictures existing in the gallery, but no reliable information exists about this artist who

paints in the style of late Safavid Isfahan school.

 A major part of the pause space in the first floor is dedicated to large portraits of kings.

In the Gooshvareh, also, a number of these portraits can be found although with different

framing and tile sizes. The large pictures of pause space are dated as 1318 (lunar calendar).

However, the octagonal Shamseh tiles of Gooshvareh are dated to 1316 (lunar calendar).

Although some differences exist between these tiles but the overall techniques are the same.

This type of tile-working was very common in the buildings of the upper class society in

the time of Mashroteh. Tile-workers of that time were using a book named "Nameh-e-

Khosravan (the book of kings)", [1] written by Jalalidin Mirza the son of Fathali Shah, as

their source of inspiration for reviving the forgotten heroes of the history of Iran (Zoka,

1382: 24). Bolokifar, a painter from the second generation of Qahveh Khaneh School,

insists that decorating tiles being inspired by Nameh-e-Khosravan was among the main

aims of Alireza Qollar (BolokBashi et al., 1382: 52). Such tiles have been made in the time

of Mozafaraldin Shah and his successors. The portrait of Sepahdar Rashti is located exactly

beside the entrance gate of the gallery and the title reads as The Minister of Post and

Telegraph which shows that the tiles have been made after the Mashroteh reform and
formation of the modern cabinet. Between the two groups of tiles with specified creation

date there is an interesting contrariety and interaction which demonstrates the change of

narrative discourse in pictorial art of Qajar era after Nasiraldin Shah [2]. While the

narrative themes of the tiles dated as 1304 were obtained from Persian literature, the themes

of the tiles made after 1316 are about reviving Sassanid and Parthian eras. The pictorial

discourse was also subject to drastic changes in these two periods. while the composition of

the narrative part in the tiles belonging to 1304 was based on scenographic principles of

Iranian miniature, in the second period that basis was changed to the superficial use of

portrait making techniques of the western prints found in lithographic books and state

newspapers which were made popular at that time by Ghafari family members (Pakbaz,

1386: 162). Among the painters of that time SanieAlmolk was an exemplar of such a

change in artist's approach to painting, from miniature-style composition to the borders of

western portrait making (pakbaz, 1386: 159). A significant point in the second period (from

1316 to 1318) is the attempt to repaint and revive the scenographs and reliefs from pre-

Islamic era (Carbonni and Massuya, 1381: 51). The tendency to use pre-Islamic pictorial

sources was significantly common among Fars tile-workers of Qajar era. It seems that a

group of Shirazi tile-workers who had immigrated to Tehran brought their vast knowledge

about pre-Islamic pictorial heritage of Fars territory to the tiles of Tehran, while the

Tehranian tile-painters of Isfahani origin were following the pictorial heritage of Safavid

era. It also seems that in the second period, along with the development of historical

consciousness and elite's growing attention to Iran's ancient history a new ground was

opened for the tile-painters of the first period. According to Bolokifar, Qollar family were

originally from Shiraz (Bolokbashi, 1382: 52), and this point shows why Alireza was

interested in painting a series of ancient kings' portraits. And this is while the other well-

known Isfahani artists, like Ostad Ali Mohammad (Makki Nezhad, 1387), Mirza Abdollah
(Zoka, 1382) and Hossein Kashipaz (Makki Nezhad, 1388), were somehow following

methods of tile-painting inspired by miniature painting of Isfahan school. It seems also that

the two less famous artists of the entrance gallery, that is Mustafa and Mohammad Ibrahim,

belonged to the Isfahan school as well.

The study of the way in which the tiles were installed on the walls of the gallery and

especially the margins selected for framing demonstrates the attempt for making a kind of

congruence between the tiles which although similar in ornaments and motif had probably

belonged to different places. Themes like ancient kings' portraits and octagonal and crossed

arrangements of literary stories had been produced and used many times for decorating

upper class buildings of Qajar era. Flat and relief framings with large underglaze tiles with

ultramarine background and a margin made by eslimi motifs was the most prevalent of all.

For this reason it was possible to gather an almost homogenous collection of tiles with this

general theme from different buildings and install them somewhere else. The collection of

kings’ portraits in the pause space in the first floor is an evident example of this practice. In

this arrangement the kings' portraits were installed not according to their actual historical

order; of which an obvious instance is the portrait of Afrasiab, Toranian king and Iranian's

archenemy, which is installed next to Abbas Mirza, Nasiraldin Shah Grandfather and one of

the greatest heroes of Qajar dynasty. In some cases there are irrelevant pictures, usually

with flower and bird or antelope motifs and in different framings, installed in the space

between two kings' portraits which it seems, due to their general similarity with overall

colorings, are used only to fill the empty spaces where no other proper tile were in reach to

cover. On the other hand, the tiles used in king's portraits, too, are not of the same size, and

some of them are longer than the others. For this reason the artist has tried to compensate

for the shorter tiles by adhering to them cut pieces of ultramarine tiles with motifs similar to

the margins of the main tile. Also, in some cases they have had to cut the tiles on the width
in order to fill the remaining narrow spaces. It is possible to demonstrate the same for other

arrangements in the gallery but we refrain from doing so due concerns of space. What is

important is the historical fact that the underglaze tiles of Qajar era were frequently

removed from their places and installed in other buildings, as if they were, due to their

special visual values and their inner painterly force, never meant to be forgotten. The

buildings for which these tiles were made wear down, fall apart and face from memories

but the tiles themselves continue to live being moved from place to place. However, a tile,

like all other things of the material world, will at last perish and be forgotten. The motifs on

these tiles have been reiterated many times. Even sometimes the artist himself made more

copies of a commissioned motif in order to preserve it. However, even the ideas will pass

on towards the way of oblivion. It is as if the entrance gallery is a static point for the long

journey of the tiles, as if the narrative and para-narrative discourses of these works are

fixated in some way.

5.2 Pictorial sources of the tiles’ motifs

As it was mentioned, various pictorial sources have been used for drawing the tiles. In

this paper we will attend only to one piece of the preserved tiles of the gallery and will

explain the existent historical records concerning the painter and his techniques with the

help of the theory of hypertextuality (Kangarany, 1388). The well-known picture named as

the king of India in presence of Shah Abbas (Seif, 1376: 196), 43x43 cm in size, is located

among the individual pictures in the Gooshvareh. With respect to the subject and

composition, this picture is reminiscent of Chehelsoton’s large murals; however it is not an

exact copy of any of them. The elements of this picture have been taken from different

pictures in Chehelsoton. In Chehelsoton Homayoun, the king of India, is in the presence of

Shah Tahmasb and not Shah Abbas. The face of the king of India in the tile-work is very

similar to that of Homayoun (Aqajani & Javani, 1386: 71-75). The comparison between

these pictures with regard to the face of Shah Abbas reveals that the Shah Abbas of the tile-

work is not Shah Abbas the First, known as Shah Abbas The Great, but Shah Abbas the

Second who has been portrayed in Chehelsoton visiting the prince of Turkistan. The

composition of the tile-work is also different with respect to the scenographic principles of

Chehelsoton. The pictures of Chehelsoton have been painted completely in accord with

narrative conventions, but the tile-painter of Qajar era, rather than considering the historical

narration and principles of expression, attended to the Chehelsoton paintings themselves as

a part of a national cultural heritage. Here we will briefly mention one of these narrative

principles. In the murals of Chehelsoton, all of which portray assemblies of Safavid kings

with the kings of the neighboring territories, the guest king, as well as his attendants, is

portrayed as refugees and in a disadvantaged position. In these paintings the Safavid kings

are portrayed among their fully armed guards while the guest king is sitting humbly with

his unarmed attendants in king’s presence. Unlike these pictures, the Qajar artist has

painted the Indian attendants behind the Safavid king and vice versa, probably aiming to

create a balance in the whole picture with regard to the clothing of the figures, diminishing

the bipolarity of the picture. But the interesting point is that among all the figures only one

of the figures has a sword in his hand and that figures is an attendant of the Indian king.

Both groups of attendants are portrayed in an equal position, with their hand on their chests

as if they are ready to serve a feast rather than attending a political gathering. It seems that

the Qajar artist deliberately manipulates the composition and social-political narration of

the Safavid painting, changing it in accord with the aesthetics of his times. Like this he

connects a historical pretext to a hypertext. In this way both the old and the new contexts in

a mutual interaction make a dynamic presence in the mind of the audience.

5.3 Line Composition

It is possible to study the line composition of the works of the entrance gallery from two

aspects: I) line composition in arrangements II) line compositions of individual tiles. As

mentioned before the composition of the collection of tiles is dependent on the one hand on

the peculiar qualities of each individual tile and on the other hand on the attempt made by

the artist in presenting a homogenous collection of tiles gathered together from different

places and times. In some of these collections a considerable portion of the arrangements

are dedicated to non-narrative elements. The narrative elements have been confined inside

frames with geometrical forms like circle, octagonal Shamseh, regular octagon, or

ornamental Toranj. The empty spaces between narrative elements have been filled with

non-narrative elements, which are mostly abstract Eslimi and Khataei motifs, and

sometimes even with the geometrical frames themselves. Non-narrative elements, by their
repetitions and order, give a rhythm to the arrangement and the make the picture integrated

and coherent. Due the position of narrative parts of the pictures and their being small in

size, the viewer is chiefly engaged with the rhythm and weight of the non-narrative parts.

Reading the narrative parts then, require the view to get close to the picture and locate in an

appropriate position. Providing rhythm, the para-narrative elements keep the narrative

elements out of the reach of the impatient viewer and preserve them, and at the same time

invite the interested viewer to contemplate them. Overall, this is the para-narrative element

that plays both the roles of a veil and revealer. The other aspects of this point will be

discussed in the part about coloring. It is worth mentioning that confining narrative parts

inside geometrical frames likes medallions and Shamseh, provides the artist with many

peculiar narrative possibilities that are not available in common rectangular frames. In his

approach to these kinds of frames, the Qajar artist has had in mind the history of painting

with Mina and golden shade pen in the tiles of Seljuk and Ilkhani era.
5.4 Coloring

It is possible to study the above mentioned tile arrangements with respect to the coloring

matters. For this purpose a collection of multi-narrative tiles has been selected. According

to the colorimetric system based on the Lab parameters, the coloring of this collection can

be studied with respect to I) its effect on creation of dark and bright spaces and II) the

composition of hues.

The gray scale picture made from the works demonstrates that the medallions are darker

than the other parts, and this has made the narration stand out in the context of the

arrangement. However, in this picture and also in the high contrast picture of the same work

shows high brightness in Toranjes between medallions. In this way the tile-painter, by

selecting ultramarine, which was the darkest color in his palette, for the background of the

narrative part and also by painting the Eslimies that form the Toranjes of the margins of the

medallions in white, has chosen a hybrid approach in combining narrative and para-

narrative elements with high values of darkness and brightness as a visual basis for the
composition of work. These patterns, due to being repetitive, have continuity and rhythm

and do not make the viewer anxious and tired.

In applying different hues, the artist by using ultramarine for the back ground of the

medallions, red for the Toranjes, and bright green for the overall background of the work

has created a sense of depth in the work, leading the viewer gradually from the para-

narrative layers towards the narration and at the same tome preserving the narration by

keeping it distant in the depth of the work. In this way the tile-painter of the Qajar era

despite the common conventions has put the narration in the last plan. This fact alone

intensifies the challenge between narration and para-narration and provides a chance for the

audience to take part, contemplate and reach out for the para-narrative level. Meanwhile the

artist, using little motifs and compact distribution of them in all of the spaces and plans, has

provided the possibility for the colors to move and circulate in all of the spaces without

disturbing the overall divisions of the work.

5.5 The arrangement of the motifs

As done in the previous sections, small motifs and visual elements can also be

investigated with respect to their role in the expression of the narration and in completion of

the picture as non-narrative. For an example we can study the line composition of the

picture named “The Rider with a Lance in His Hand”. In this work we can distinguish two
classes of motifs: I) Toranjes and Eslimi motifs inspired by traditional manuscript

illuminating techniques and II) flowers like roses, ladybells, lilies and tulips. While the

flowers used in the narrative part (inside the medallion) are all representations of real

flowers, in the second plan, encompassing the medallion with a green and ultramarine tape,

we can see a combination of these flowers and elements of manuscript illumination. The

artist’s subtlety in using plant motifs for connecting the three narrative, medium and non-

narrative layers together is spectacular. The flowers used in these works have first been

seen in the tiles and potteries known as Iznik in Ottoman territories (Porter, 1381: 109). The

popularity and reputation of these works attracted much attention in late Safavid period,

and after a few centuries, these elements eventually became a standard ornamentation in

Iranian visual arts.

Although Eslimi motifs and above all dragon mouth have been used in non-narrative

parts of the works, but there are some interesting cases among these collections of tiles the

interpretation of which by narrative/non-narrative discourse would lead to interesting

results. Among medallions filled with familiar scenes from old stories, there are a few

medallions painted with grotesque pictures of monsters with complex bodies, mostly riding

creatures as grotesque as themselves. Some of these creatures do not have hands and

sometimes instead of hands they have multiple heads fighting with each other, and

sometimes they have multiple wings attached to their necks like radius of a half Shamseh. It

seems that these creatures belong to a place beyond that of expression. In painting these

creatures the artist has used the same elements of manuscript illumination he had used

before in painting non-narrative parts; especially the dragon mouth motifs used for

ornamenting Toranjes, here has been used to form the dragons themselves. It seems that in

these few pictures para-narrative discourse has reached its highest level.
6. Conclusion

The construction of the Golestan Palace is concurrent with the rise of those discourses in

social-cultural thought that leaded way to the re-interpretation of the past historical-artistic

heritage in the context of the new aesthetic-technological developments, domestic cultural

exchange and new relations with the world. In this way the artists of the time have tried to

present a new interpretation of their native art and study the historical art works of the past

and re-appropriate them relying on their numerous available sources. In order to do this

they have adopted new approaches to the relation between visual arts and literature the

ultimate aim of which was to cast the past in new forms. The artists’ return to narration as a

significant aspect of native art was not only for illustrating books but for bestowing

valuable meaning to all their artifacts including architectural spaces. Reviving the past by

painting historical characters, literary themes and interpreting art history were the most

significant of those approaches. The collection of underglaze tiles preserved in the entrance

gallery of Golestan Palace is strong evidence that such investigation has occurred among

painters and tile workers of that time. The study of the manner of presenting the narration in

these works demonstrates that Qajar artists have succeeded in presenting new forms of

these ancient themes.

 The results of this paper demonstrate the influence of two collections of internal and

external factors on the creation of these works. On the one hand, the diversity of trends and

the gradual change in the art patrons’ taste and, on the other hand, the existence of various

cultural bases among the artists made way for the emergence of a vast range of works in

this palace. Moreover, constant replacement of the tiles in a period lasting around a century

caused the breaking and retrieving of the relation between these tiles and the architecture

and the form of these tiles in the entrance gallery is the result of a long experience in

creating such a relation. Although these experiences often had an interventional aspect and

have caused changes in the logical form of the presentation of works, but at the same time,

by interrupting the narrative relations and temporary aims in designing and installing the

tiles and instead paying more attention to the internal aesthetic structure of the works, they

made possible a new kind of connection with the works that although pay attention to the

narration but give a new share to the expression and the aesthetic relation of the different

collections of these works with the architectural space.

Besides these external factors, there is significant evidence inside the works themselves

regarding a considerable change in the attitude of the artists for breaking the border

between fictional narration and non-narrative aesthetic principles in order to achieve a new

level of narration that can be named para-narration. For this purpose the artist disturb the

familiar form of the known paintings and suspend them by creating various divisions,

framing, using underglaze technique for extending painterly possibilities, developing new

palette and choosing colors with subtlety. However, using the same possibilities, the artist

provides new strategies for inviting the viewer to reread the known themes of the past. In

this way the artist do not refrain from any manipulation and distortion in the known

compositions and even proceeds to the point where the known narration would collapse.

Sources like lithograph prints, ancient reliefs and paintings, photographs and ancient tile-
works have all been used by the artist.

References

- Aqajany. Ravanfar. Hamidi, Hussein. Hamid. Saghar, The Restoration of Architectural

decoration of Aligholi Agha Bath of the Safavid era Isfahan, Proceedings of the Sixth
Conference of the Conservation and Restoration of Cultural-Historical Monuments and
Related Architectural Decorations, Cultural Heritage Organization, 1385, 34-11

- Aqajani. Javani, Hussein. Asghar, Wall Painting of Safavid era in Isfahan, The Academy of
Arts, 1386.

- Blokifar. Satari. Darsh. Tabatabai. Arabshahi. Mojabi, Ali. Abbas. Jalal. Behrooz. Jazeh.
Masoud. Javad, Qahvehkhaneh Painting: Painting or Naqali?, Honar va Mardom 2 & 3,
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- Burckhardt, T., Immortality and Art, translation, Seyed Mahmoud Avini, Barg, 1370. 20

- Pakbaz, Rooeein, Iranian Painting From Ancient Times to Today, Zarin & Simin
Publication, 1386

- Porter, Venetia, Islamic tiles, translator M. Shayestehfar, The Institute for the Study of
Islamic Art Pub., 1381

- Zoka, Yahya, Tiles of The Farmaniyeh Palace, Honar va Mardom, 2 and 3, 1382.

- Saif, Hadi, Painting on Tiles, Soroush, 1376

- Sherato, Mario. Umberto, Sassanid And Parthian Art, translations Yaqob Azhand, Mola,
1376

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translations, Yaqob Azhand, Il Shahsavan Baqdadi Pub, 1381

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Institute for the Study of Islamic Art Pub., 1381

- Corbin, Henry, Temple and Revelation, translations Rahmati E., Sophia Publishing, 1390

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Arts, 1388, 82-55.

- Lings, Martin, The Art of Calligraphy and Illumination in Qur'an, translation M. Qaiyoomi
Bidhendi, Gross Publishing, 1377
- Mostofi, Abdullah, My Biography or Social and Administrative History of the Qajar era,
Zavvar, 1365

- Makki Nezhad, M., Unknown Tile –Workers of Qajar era (1): Ostad Ali Mohammad
Isfahani, Golestan-e-Honar, 13, 1387, 112-105

- Makki Nezhad, M., Unknown Tile –Workers of Qajar era (2): The House Khak Negaar
Moqadam, Golestan-e-Honar, 15, 1388, 86-80

- Nojoumian, Amir Ali, The Report of the Seminar on Semiotics III, http:
//anthropology.ir/node/7651, Date of Access 91/7/23