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, and it lasted for four hundred years. The Sasanian Empire covered modern Iran, Iraq, and much more land to the east and north, and sometimes included parts of the Levant, Anatolia, Egypt, and Arabia.

We can see the beauty of Sasanian art in its buildings, carvings, and metalwork. There are also some paintings that have survived, even though many have been lost. Stone carvings are common, but most carvings were probably made of plaster and only small pieces remain today. There are not many free-standing statues, but one famous example is 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 and fancy life of the Sasanian kings. Many pictures show the rulers, although none are as big as the statue of Shapur I. People also liked to see pictures of hunting and battles. 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, with the Colossal Statue of Shapur I being a special exception.

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 over thirty special carvings made into rock. Most of these can be found 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 placed 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 a grand landscape and court life, which may have once been colorful with paint.

Stucco

In addition to carvings made in stone, artists in the Sasanian Empire often used a material called stucco to create beautiful designs. They thought buildings made from stone bricks looked plain, so they covered these buildings with layers of stucco. On these stucco walls, artists carved designs, mostly flowers, but also pictures of animals and people. Important buildings like palaces and offices were often decorated this way, and the designs were sometimes painted white to make them stand out.

Paintings

Main article: Sasanian Wall Painting

Paintings were important in Sasanian art, even though we don’t have many examples left today. One famous person from that time, Mani, was known for creating paintings, possibly for books or small artworks. While nothing from that time remains, later Persian paintings might have started from this tradition.

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

Other places like Hajjiabad in Iran and Dura Europos also have important paintings. At Bishapur, we can see floor mosaics made in a style that mixes Greek and Persian designs.

Architecture

Main article: Sasanian architecture

The grandest buildings of Sasanian architecture were large palaces made of brick, featuring high vaulted halls. These palaces helped develop the iwan style in later Islamic architecture. The Sasanians improved the use of vaults and arches, often creating a large opening on one side of the hall in iwan style.

Taq Kasra, the palace at Ctesiphon, is famous for its huge arched hall, with much of its impressive vault still standing today. The front of the palace is decorated with columns and spaces that once held colorful paintings and carvings.

The Palace of Firuzabad in Iran was built by Ardashir I. It sits beside a small lake and features a main arch with smaller curved halls on either side. Behind the main arch is a hall with a dome that is 22 meters high, along with two more domed rooms. The walls of these rooms have spaces that were once filled with beautiful decorations made of a special material called stucco. The palace was part of a garden that was built together 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 a larger area with the same length of wall compared to a square city. They also built cities in rectangular shapes, often using ideas from Roman architects who were brought to the Sasanian Empire. These rectangular cities are seen as another way the Sasanians planned their urban areas.

Firuzabad is a city built by Ardashir I and is a good example of Sasanian city planning. The city was circular with a diameter of 2 km. Two main roads split the city into four parts, and each part was further divided into five smaller sections, creating 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 are very useful for learning 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 that never goes out. These coin designs started with the stiff image of Ardashir I (224–242) and changed over time, becoming more detailed and stylized in later years.

Arts and crafts

Sasanian artists created beautiful metalwork, textiles, and glass. Metalwork included large silver plates and bowls with engraved pictures of kings, heroes, hunting scenes, and feasts. Some pieces had dancing girls carved into them and were used for serving drinks. These items were traded as far as China and Russia.

Textiles from this time included colorful carpets and fabrics with animal designs like peacocks and rams. These fabrics were highly valued and often showed animals arranged in patterns. Glass making was also advanced, with simple yet elegant glass pieces that were popular exports to places like Byzantium and China. The glass was made in one piece with decorations created in moulds.

Influence

Sasanian art greatly influenced Islamic art in Persia and across the wider Islamic world. One key feature from this time is the use of arches in Persian architecture. In places like Sogdiana, we can see that Sasanian methods and customs shaped the local art.

We also find Sasanian influences in medieval Byzantine textiles, jewelry, and architectural sculpture. For example, beautiful floor mosaics from the fifth- and sixth-century in Antioch show decorative designs that came from Sasanian art. These motifs became important and lasted for a long time.