Iranian traditional motif

UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA

IRANIAN TRADITIONAL MOTIF: THE BOTEH DESIGN

Najmeh Davari 2007140521

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the Master Degree of Fine Art and Technology (AD772) Faculty of Art & Design October 2009

IRANIAN TRADITIONAL MOTIF: THE BOTEH DESIGN First Author: (Davari, Najmeh) Universiti Technologi Mara, Shah Alam, Malaysia

Abstract

Researcher tried to introduce Iranian motifs specially one of the most famous one (Buta). It is all about the importance and variety of Buta in decoration. As many people such as artists, artisans, and publics do not know about history or different decoration of Buta. The idea of searching about traditional motifs is necessity of Iranian’s knowledge of the roots of culture.

At present Buta is going to change its origin design to modern and famous artisans who created new design of Boteh, passed away. This research is a short survey on Iranian traditional motifs and comparison between different decoration of Boteh and similarity of its shape with Art Noveau and researcher artworks.

The researcher hopes this research can be helpful for Iranian and all people around the world, to know about roots of traditional Iranian motifs and remind Iranian about their culture.

Keyword: Boteh, Cypress, Art Noveau, Printed cloth (Ghalamkar), 1|P a g e

Introduction Iranian art forms have a long tradition and distinctive style, as exemplified in architecture, carpets, ceramics, metal ware, painting and wood work. The government patronage of artists dates from more than 2,000 years ago. Since ancient times, repeated patterns have been used in decoration, ornament and design. Motif in a work of art is a distinctive recurring pattern, design and shape or form. Some artists and artisans choose to expose elements of nature, such as leaves, in their works of art. Some leaf designs are traditional, handed down through generations, while others are original with the artist. By noticing and identifying natural elements in works of art, viewers can think about the significance of the element to the artist, culture, religion, and to himself.

In this research, it is worked on an important motif Buta. The lacy pattern is Persian in origin, but its western name derives from the town of Paisley, in central Scotland.

Boteh motif is an ancient motif inspired from a leaf. Even though, there are different ideas about the inspiration shape of this motif and the best corrected speech is that Boteh is inspired of Cypress tree a Zorostrian symbol of life and eternity. Paisley is a design - that is not being given much attention by the people to-day as well as before, as most of the artisans had passed away and now nobody can do the same work as they were professionally. ( Hossein Esmaiili, May, 2009 ) In this research, all the shapes of Boteh was introduced such as Tufted Paisley, Deer Horn Paisley, Termeh Paisley, Saraband Paisley, Kherghei Paisley, Isfahan Pen case Paisley, Kordestani Paisley, Eight bush Paisley, Broken Mir Paisley, Sanandaj Paisley, Afshari Paisley and Armlet Paisley. It showed also the function of Boteh in contemporary style and traditional function that is continuing until now on one of the most popular handicraft called printed cloth ( Ghalamkar). As the craftsmen choose some kinds of colors for their crafts, the researcher explained about tribal colors in Iran and in Iranian motifs.

The purpose of this study was to investigate about traditional Iranian motifs specially Boteh, and comparing it with Art Nouveau artists and art works. The researcher’s art works contribute to the way of Iranian artists in drawing and coloring. She saw the variations of Paisley motif, but did not draw the motifs exactly as they existed in Bazaar.

She tried to change to a new motive.

Figure 1: my art work

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She combined the characteristics of Art Noveau and its relation to Iranian painting.

Figure 2: Comparison between Art Noveau and miniature

In miniature, they discussed about another world and showed the metaphor of another world, something like imagination. To expose the artist's character with Iranian background or even an Iranian dream. Color in Iran has a special and worthy effect. Iranian artists in different eras in choosing the colors had special taste. Color in Iran has a special and worthy effect. Iranian artists in different eras in choosing the colors had special taste. Using unique and bright colors in the most possible delicate way, Iranian paintings are highly commended. In Art Noveau Colors were muted or dusty in appearance. Gold, green, beige, black, silver and some maroon. Blues were light with tint of green. Pink too was muted to almost a salmon. It is easy to compare Iranian colors and Art Noveau colors. In this research, she described about her association with symbolism and Romantisism. Romanticism is a period of art and life style including the emotional and dramatic ideas. Natural view, emotional picture in nature, admire freedom and mystery’ pictures and ideas are the character of that. The nature’s forms were the powerful ability for Art Nouveau artists. Art Nouveau with Symbolism focused on the similarity between nature and female.

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The researcher is going to introduce Iranian artworks that are contemporary with the background of tradition.

Figure 3: My art works

The researcher tried to prove importance of Boteh and its origin and analyzing different Iranian Boteh motifs and interpret the finding of her artworks. The researcher went through interview of three major groups of people, public, artisans and artists to find how many percent know about Boteh design and how much important it is in Iranian culture as traditions should be continue and introduce more to other nations. For example, in a diagram shows about 70% Boteh is an important motif in Iranian culture.

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Methods: The researcher in some interviews found that Boteh design is too important in Iranian culture, but the matter is most of people do not know about the variety of this motif and they do not know about the reason of its importance.

Figure 4: Analysis of general question (P-Q1)

Out of twelve public, 58.3 percent agree that Paisley is an important motif in the Iranian culture, 8.3 percent disagree and 33.3 percent strongly agree.

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Figure 5: Analysis of general question (Ar-Q2)

Out of eleven artisans, 63.6 percent agree, 9.1 percent have no interest and 27.3 percent strongly agree that Paisley has an emotional attraction on people.

Figure 6: Analysis of general question (A-Q5)

Out of nineteen artists, 89.5 percent know the original shape of paisley and 10.5 percent do not answer.

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This research was about traditional motif specially Boteh, the results of this study indicated the progress of Boteh from the first that it is related to Zorostrian era. First it was like a tree and after pasting the time, it changed to a shape called Boteh. Nowadays it is decorated with fancy and curvy line the same as Art Nouveau lines.

Figure 7: Motif Development

When the researcher interviewed the craftsmen in Bazaar, most of them told her “these days we are going to change this motif to a modern motif and it also maybe vanish in the future.� The researcher also observed that there are some new motifs that are not related to her tradition.

Discussion: Paisley is a motif that is clearly in my artworks. I used it as an excuse or concept representing the Iranian identity. The faces and figures are repeated in my dream. The lines are floating like a dream. I want to show my emotion. Sometimes the mood of drawing changes as it is inspired from the music or some special happenings that are effective on my dream. In my artworks my own dreams are specifically identified. I tried to produce unlimited editions in order to have the number of desirable artworks and gathering the best quality. For each design, I have one plate but I reproduced some in one design but different colors and compositions. So the print at first will be original but not in using the colors. Colors were introduced to the Iranian beside Art Noveau and dream atmosphere around it.

The variety of colors in Iran expanded and also the colors used in Art Noveau caused me to have different colors. Maybe you see Iranian colors in majority of the artworks and in some, the colors used in Art Noveau.

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Conclusion There are a lot of different motifs in the Iranian culture; the designs are inspired from the shapes of plants.

The names of motifs are considered from the way of craftsmen’s decoration or artists. These motifs are used in different kinds of crafts in Iran like printed cloth, enamel, emboss, and tile work.

In this research, the researcher studied the special and important motif of Iran (Boteh). From the research, findings showed that most of the people do not know about the different kinds of Boteh/Paisley, even though this motif is recognized around the world.

After all, the motif of Paisley is used in my artworks with new decoration.

The time available to do the research was too short to get more information from artists and professional artisan.

Acknowledgment I would like to express my deepest gratitude and appreciation to my dear and honorable Assoc. Professor Ponirin Amin, for his inspiring and invaluable guidance throughout the research. His immense enthusiasm and supreme supervision during the whole period of this investigation have encouraged me to learn more and more and have enabled me to achieve the best. I truly appreciate all his advice, support, help, kindness and everything that I learnt from him.

Reference 1. Hal Rubenstein and Jim Mullen – 1995 - Paisley Goes with Nothing - Main Street Books – USA, New York 2. abdolali sherveh - 1991 - Iranian miniature - Asre jaded – Iran 3. Gholamreza Nasr Isfahani – 2009 - Method of Graphic print production with Iranian & Islamic Identification Base on Islamic Architechture, The Twelve Examples - cultural recreational Organization of Isfahan Municipality – Iran 4. Meredith L. Clausen – 1987 - Frantz Jourdain and the Samaritaine, Art Nouveau Theory and Criticism - Brill Academic Pub – UK 5. Catherine Dean – 1996 - KLIMT - Phaidon press Limitted - UK 6. Ruin Pakbaz – 1999 - Encyclopedia of Art - chapkhane vezarat farhang and ershad eslami Iran 7. Ali Hassouri – 2003 - Foundation of Iranian Design - Cheshmeh Nashr - Iran 8. Ali Dowlatshahi – 2006 - Persian Designs and Motifs, for artists and craftsmen - Sorroush Press - Iran 9. Dr. Mohammad Khazaie – 2002 - Islamic Art Collection, Hezar Naqsh - Institute of Islamic Art Studies – Iran 10. Tahereh Atrvash – 2006 - What is Boteh-Jegheh? - Cibal Honar - Iran 11. Ruyin Pakbaz – 1999 - Encyclopedia of Art - Farhang Moaser - Iran 8|P a g e

12. Farhangestan honar Oraganization - 2005 Eastern Imagination - Farhangestan honar – Iran 13. Oleg Grabar – 2009 - Mostly miniature, an introduction to persian painting - Princeton University Press - USA

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