Comparative Study of the Form and Motif of Metal and Glassware in the 5th and 6th Centuries AH

During the Seljuk Period, Iran witnessed a socio-political stability which resulted in the expansion of various art forms including metal and glassware. The production of utility metal dishes with a good quality received high importance. The geographical, chronological and practical overlap of these utensils led to various similarities in form and motif of metal and glassware in the Seljuk period. The main purpose of this research is to study the application of artistic-visual patterns like form and motif in two applied works with different materials of this period. The main research question seeks to find the similarities and differences in the “form” and “motifs” of Seljuk metal and glassware. Thus, the purpose of this study is to, first of all, identify the general features of forms and motifs in Seljuk metal and glassware, then, to compare the structure of the forms and motifs of these works in order to identify the similarities and differences, and, finally, to expand the theoretical knowledge about art in the Seljuk period. This research takes a qualitative approach to analytically describe the data which included 30 samples (15 metal and 15 glassware) in a purposive sampling technique adopting library research and document analysis. The results indicated the form of metal and glassware followed a totally similar pattern and share similar details. The existence of motifs such as geometric chains, Arabesque, Palmette, Hexagonal flower, peacock and rabbit in both metal and glass works reveals their mutual influence from similar patterns. The most obvious similarity is the existence of benediction phrases for the object holder in Kufic script. The differences in the variety of motifs and forms such as color and transparency may be due the natural and mechanical characteristics of the materials used.