Sasanian art

Sasanian art

Sasanian art, or Sassanid art, was made during the time of the Sasanian Empire, which ruled from the 3rd to 7th centuries AD. This empire started when Ardashir I defeated the last Parthian king in 224 AD. The Sasanian Empire covered modern Iran, Iraq, and much more land to the east and north.

We can see the beauty of Sasanian art in its buildings, carvings, and metalwork. There are also some paintings that have survived. Stone carvings are common, but most carvings were probably made of plaster and only small pieces remain today. There is one famous statue called the Colossal Statue of Shapur I, carved from a stalagmite in a cave.

The art from this time often shows scenes from the royal court and stories of knights and heroes. The style was very grand, showing the rich life of the Sasanian kings. Many pictures show the rulers. People also liked to see pictures of hunting. Artists sometimes showed people from the side or at an angle, unlike earlier Parthian art which usually showed people facing straight forward.

Sculpture and rock reliefs

Free-standing sculptures are rare from this time, but the Colossal Statue of Shapur I is a special example.

Large carved rock reliefs were a common way for Persian rulers to show their power. These were usually placed high up near roads and water sources. They began long before the Sasanian Empire and continued for many years. One famous example is the Behistun relief and inscription, which has important writing in three different languages.

Naqsh-e Rostam is a place with tombs of earlier rulers. Below these tombs are reliefs showing Sasanian kings, sometimes meeting important figures or in battles. These reliefs often showed the kings with different crowns to help us identify them today. Other important sites with Sasanian reliefs include Taq-e Bostan, Firuzabad, and Bishapur.

Many reliefs include symbols of plants and animals that represent ancient beliefs.

Reliefs

Some of the most famous works from this time are special carvings made into rock. Most of these carvings are in the area known as Fars province, where the ruling family began. These carvings were made mostly between the 3rd and early 4th centuries. They show important events and are often linked to particular kings.

One famous carving at Naqsh-e Rostam is near very old tombs. It shows a king, Ardashir I, standing with a god named Ahura Mazda. Both are shown as equals, which suggests the king was very important. The style of this carving shows some influence from ancient Greek art.

Another group of carvings at Taq-e Bostan is inside a natural rock arch. On one wall, there are detailed figures, including a king named Khosrow II shown riding a horse in strong armor. The sides show scenes of a royal hunt. The king appears very large compared to the other smaller figures, giving a sense of grand court life.

Stucco

Artists in the Sasanian Empire used a material called stucco to make pretty designs. They covered stone buildings with layers of stucco because they thought stone looked plain. On the stucco walls, they carved flowers, animals, and people. Important buildings like palaces and offices were decorated with these designs, sometimes painted white to make them stand out.

Paintings

Main article: Sasanian Wall Painting

Paintings were important in Sasanian art, but only a few examples exist today. A famous person, Mani, made paintings, maybe for books or small artworks. Later Persian paintings may have started from this tradition.

Some of the best wall paintings are from Panjakent in modern Tajikistan. These paintings are in old homes and palaces. They show kings, feasts, battles, and beautiful women. They also include scenes from Persian and Indian stories and many gods. These paintings are from the 7th and 8th centuries and are now in museums in the Hermitage Museum and Tashkent.

Other places like Hajjiabad in Iran and Dura Europos also have important paintings. At Bishapur, there are floor mosaics that mix Greek and Persian designs.

Architecture

Main article: Sasanian architecture

The largest buildings in Sasanian architecture were grand palaces made of brick. They had high halls with curved roofs. These palaces helped create the iwan style that later appeared in Islamic architecture. The Sasanians were good at building curved roofs and arches, often making a big open space on one side of a hall in iwan style.

Taq Kasra, the palace at Ctesiphon, is known for its huge arched hall. Much of its impressive roof still stands today. The front of the palace had columns and spaces for colorful paintings and carvings.

The Palace of Firuzabad in Iran was built by Ardashir I. It is next to a small lake and has a main arch with smaller curved halls on each side. Behind the main arch is a hall with a dome 22 meters high, along with two more rooms with domes. The walls of these rooms once had beautiful decorations made of a special material called stucco. The palace was part of a garden built with the lake and the palace.

Urban planning

The Sasanians built many new cities with careful planning. Many of these cities were circular, which helped protect them during attacks. A round city could cover more space with the same length of wall as a square city. They also built cities in rectangle shapes, often using ideas from Roman architects brought to the Sasanian Empire. These rectangle cities show another way the Sasanians planned their areas.

Firuzabad is a city built by Ardashir I and is a good example of Sasanian city planning. The city was round with a diameter of 2 km. Two main roads split the city into four parts, and each part was divided into five smaller sections, making 20 sections in total. The planning even continued into the land around the city. Bishapur and Gundeshapur are examples of cities laid out in a cross shape. Bishapur’s palace has decorations made by Roman craftsmen, showing a style from ancient Greece and Rome.

Coinage

Sasanian coins help us learn about history because they can be dated easily. The front of the coins usually shows the ruler's picture, sometimes with a son or wife. The back often shows scenes like a special ceremony or an altar with a fire. These coin designs started with the stiff image of Ardashir I (224–242) and changed over time, becoming more detailed later.

Arts and crafts

Sasanian artists made lovely metalwork, textiles, and glass. Metalwork had big silver plates and bowls with pictures of kings, heroes, hunting, and feasts. Some pieces showed dancing girls and were used for drinks. These items were traded to faraway places like China and Russia.

Textiles from this time had colorful carpets and fabrics with animal designs such as peacocks and rams. These fabrics were very valuable and often had animals in patterns. Glass making was also good, with simple and pretty glass pieces that were popular in places like Byzantium and China. The glass was made in one piece with decorations in moulds.

Influence

Sasanian art had a big effect on Islamic art in Persia and around the Islamic world. One important idea from this time was the use of arches in Persian buildings. In places like Sogdiana, we can see that Sasanian ways and traditions changed the local art.

We also see Sasanian ideas in old Byzantine fabrics, jewelry, and architectural sculpture. For example, pretty floor mosaics from the fifth- and sixth-century in Antioch have designs that came from Sasanian art. These designs became important and stayed for a long time.