reflection of simurgh (phoenix) pattern in islamic art pottery of iran

abstract the subject matter of this paper is study of the simurgh pattern's reflection in islamic potteries and tiles of iran. author intends relying on some historic and literary principles as well as identification of drawing characteristics and symbolic concepts of simurgh, detect the cause of difference between islamic simurgh and sassanid simurgh. in addition, he aimed at tracing of probable use of this motif in islamic period before invasion of mongols to iran in 13th century a.d. it is clear that, identification of factors related to use of simurgh pattern as well as its drawing characteristics and its symbolic concepts in islamic potteries and tiles can help us for brighten important part of islamic decorations aspects and offering real interpretations of this motif. in this way, characteristics of several examples of potteries wares and tiles with simurgh pattern belonging to different technique and different islamic periods in some iranian or foreign museums have surveyed. the most important factors in this study is making and decorating characteristics such as patterns drawing and coloring as well as using and meaning factors. we can say one of reasons involving ambiguity of simurgh characteristics in persia art especially in islamic period is multiplicity of effective factors including of pre-islamic persian myths, sufism and literary concepts as well as characteristics of similar birds as kuknos, angha, and homa. origin of this ambiguity come backs to sassanid art that famous pattern of simurgh (combine of animal and bird) has low similarity with simurgh in islamic art (combine of 30 birds). one of possibilities may propose for remove this ambiguity is existence of two kind of simurgh design in sassanid period, one of them is in shape of dog-faced and another is in shape of eagle. probably dog-faced simurgh was a kind of the sassanid insigne (similar to dragoon for chinese emperors) whiles avestan simurgh was a big bird similar to eagle. in another words, sassanid eagle-shaped simurgh is the evolved kind of eagle. it is necessary to remind that eagle was symbol of bahram in pre-islamic period of iran and therefore had great sanctity. naturally, part of this ambiguity derived of translated name of avestan senmurv to simurgh word (30 birds) in new persian language in islamic period and has used for high sufism concepts. therefore, differences between islamic simurgh and sassanid simurgh became more and more. towards this important matter as well as different inspire resources, simurgh motif has different patterns of drawings especially in parts of tail and head. toward the results, in case of using simurgh pattern in islamic pottery of iran we can recognize two different periods including before and after mongols invasion to iran. in before mongols invasion simurgh pattern has applied with influence of eagle-shaped sassanid simurgh alongside indian phoenix and after mongols invasion has applied with influence of chinesephoenix. also regardless of irrefragable influence of chinesephoenix, iranian artists have drawn simurgh approximately different of its chinesekind with inspiration of iranian literature and myths alongside with mysticism meanings and their innovations.