Analytical and Cognitive Symbolism of the Dragon Head in Persian Togh from Pre-Safavid Period to the Present

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Art, Islamic Azad University of Central Tehran

2 Department of Drama, Faculty of Arts, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran-Iran.

3 Department of Visual Communication, Faculty of Arts, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran-Iran.

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the studies done on the dragons in Iranian Islamic art, especially the signs of Ashura. On both blades of Togh, you can see a less known element, i.e. dragon’s heads.

These heads have been considered as symbols of the Geniis’ army who asked Imam Hussein to let them enter the battlefield on the day of Ashura but he did not agree (as a symbol of good and help)

Others consider them as the symbol of the punishment of the oppressors caught in the fires of hell and "Ghashiyah snake”)as a symbol of evil). But according to the ancient myths of Iran and old paintings, the dragon is a dual symbol of both the evil of drought and ugly temperament Like Zahak's shoulder snakes and a symbol of the life tree’s guardian and precious treasures. Since the Agh-e Quyunlus era, Togh has been used in Iran but since the Safavid period and after that, Shiites have lauded it as a special mourning tool for Sayyid al-Shuhada.

This study shows that this dragon can indirectly refer to the lack of water, the martyrdom of Imam and his companions while they were thirsty or a symbol of the guards, a cypress (freedom) and hidden treasure of the universe.

The research method is descriptive-analytical and its basic questions are as follows

1. What does the dragon on the Ashura symbol stands for?

2. How has the torpedo mouth been evolved?

Keywords

Political Sociology of Iran
Volume 5, Issue 2
June 2022
Pages 285-317

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics