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Central Asian Textile Motifs in Late Sasanian Art: On the Origin of Some Decorative Elements at Taq-i Bustan

  • Received : 2021.06.25
  • Accepted : 2021.11.10
  • Published : 2021.12.15
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Abstract

This paper discusses textile motifs depicted in the hunting panels inside the late Sasanian larger grotto at Taq-i Bustan. Scholars of Iranian art have referred to these rock reliefs in order to trace the origin of Sasanian textile decorations and their exportation in the whole medieval Eurasian continent. This however does not seem to be the case. In fact, the textile motifs reproduced at Taq-i Bustan could be a good term of comparison only for late Sasanian textile production. Moreover, nothing like this has appeared in previous Sasanian rock reliefs. For this reason, the present paper argues that some of those motifs could actually be importations from Central Asia where reproductions of textiles embellished with those motifs were very popular. Islamic written sources on Taq-i Bustan rock reliefs could be very useful to support some ideas expressed in this paper.

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References

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