the survey of triple symbolic elements in susa- cup

nature has great importance on prehistoric human life and attention to the environment and discovering mysteries of life which influence their life, always have been considered as concerns of prehistoric people. the elements such as water, wind and earth for primary human were important elements because of no awareness of environment in primary stages of sedentary life. human beings always tried to know how to use these elements despite environmental changes and atmospheric factors. as long as science hasn’t reached to it, with symbolizing them tries to find a way for dominance on these elements through visualizations and fantasies and simulation of these elements with environmental creatures. always prehistoric painted potteries are used as a means of transferring concepts. the artist hunter’s prehistoric drawings represents his location and way of his life. these issues can be observed in painting art on patterns of that time that triple elements of nature consisting of water, earth and wind have been always observed in human life symbolically and also in different forms of prehistoric artworks. circulation of pottery and beginning of painting on it is one of the symbolizing ways and it can show beliefs and manners of prehistoric people. iran’s painted potteries have special position on among other prehistoric artworks. in addition to aesthetic aspect, paintings of prehistoric potteries involve symbolic function and reviewing the potteries like a book informs us about beliefs and lifestyle of people of that time. throughout iran’s ancient hills, painted potteries with various symbolic geometric, herbal and animal paintings in archaeologists’ excavation, gram pottery was like an important canvas in painting for an artist of that time. susa as one of the production centers of painted gram potteries has a special position among other ancient regions in which pottery has been found. susa painted potteries with special geometric rules have special position aesthetically. susa cup has a special triple animal painting such as long feet chickens, dogs and antelopes which has drawn researcher’s attention to itself. this article tries to study: susa cup symbolically, symbolic display of triple elements of nature on susa cup and visual connection between elements of this cup descriptively and analytically. this study tries to compare this cup with other homogeneous cups and representing theories to display the superiority of this cup for people who are interested in art of iran. this research tries to survey manner of design of each painting and proportion of paintings with comparison to paintings of homogenous cups. so that the result of this study is to present triple proportion and symbolic special properties which show awareness of prehistoric people and their thoughts about the environment and it can open a way to a more widespread and comprehensive research. besides, in this essay information for research about symbolic meaning, knowledge and reasons of using painting on prehistoric painted potteries has been prepared.