Thread by @PersiaAntiqua

Iranian quadriform/quatrefoil motif, now known as Royal Standard or Derafsh Kaviani (درفش کاویانی)

I've written about it before, but wanted to talk about a few points, focusing on excavated & reliable examples

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1) Symbol in various forms existed before Achaemenids among other cultures & in Iran. I provided examples before.

2) I've hypothesize it's a form of cross or sun wheel

Achaemenid examples: A) Pazyryk carpet;

B) Carved lid & carpet design, Persepolis (6 C BCE - ~ 330 BCE)

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Given its religious significance; appearance together with swastikas; and later the usual cross symbol on other ossuaries in Sogdiana...

3) We can trace the symbol/ motif from Achaemenid period, through...

Photos: Seal impressions from excavated seals, Achaemenid Gordion

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Frataraka & Kings of Persis to Sasanians. It's a western Iranian symbol for the most part.

4) It appears as a decorative & ornamental motif in Sasanian era. So do many other important symbols like the ram which I talked about before

In Frataraka era in Persis, the...

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motif, appearing fairly convincingly as a standard on coins, is present throughout Frataraka era for over a century (~ 3 C - 2 C BCE)

We can then trace a very crude form of the symbol on coins of Kings of Persis at least until middle of that period (2 C BCE - ~ 2 C CE)

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At this point, it would not be a leap in logic to propose that kings of Persis were aware of the symbol and its significance.

Note that I'm not including numerous other examples I have provided before to focus on excavated and reliable examples

Ardashir I was the ...

last king of Persis as Ardashir V.

5) In Sasanian era, we have some representations of the motif.

Jumping to reign of likely Khosrow I (531 – 579 CE), we likely see the motif repeated in circles around this plate now @laBnF ("King Solomon's Cup")

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At around the same time, we have the Iranian quadriform motif appearing in Roman decorations (Dr. Canepa)

A: Hagia Sophia, Justinian I, & ~ Khosrow I Era

B: Church of San Vitale, Ravenna, Italy, Justinian I, & ~ Khosrow I Era

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For quick reference and details of these Iranian motifs in Roman art, see the photos here from Dr. M. Canepa's book and articles on the topic.

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Chapel of Exodus, Bagawat Necropolis, Egypt has been dated to ~ 4 C CE

Attire of "Egyptian" soldiers in Exodus scene could be Roman, but could it be of a later, 6th C date? And soldiers a crude depiction of Sasanian soldiers in Egypt? No proper analysis on this has been done

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To see if this was a local imagining of ancient "Egyptian" armies

See clothing, headwear, Dragon standard which was indeed adopted by Romans, & possibly the same Iranian quadriform motif on shields

Also see these "Egyptian" soldiers which look very Iranian to me as well.

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From end of Sasanian era, see

A) Motif immediately below crescent & ribbons @ Taqe Bostan (~ 591 – 620 CE)

B) Late Sasanian or post-Sasanian @ Tell Khwaris, among other examples.

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On various Sogdian ossuaries, we see a fairly clear rep of the motif, ~ 6-7 C CE for most

A: Nurafshon (Toytepa), present Uzbekistan
B: Varakhsha
C-D: either the same one or 2 different ossuaries, Yumalak Tepe, Uzbekistan

Also see: sogdians.si.edu/believers-pros…

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6) The symbol/motif therefore appears to be important, given relatively frequent representation in various art forms, and its use in Roman art as a clear Persian/Iranian "exotic" motif

7) Its presence on ossuaries in Central Asia raises questions on religious significance

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in Zoroastrian religion. It's not clear to me if design on ossuaries is decorative or serves a deeper purpose, i.e., like other cross symbols with various meanings

8) It would be a jump in logic to call this symbol the royal Sasanian one. "Royal" symbol was in fact this one

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I've talked about this symbol in detail before too, which was originally Ardashir I's Nishan, then Nishan of Sasanian dynasty & "royal" symbol in sense of royal treasury etc. as discussed in various papers.

9) But names should not distract from importance of symbol

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Whether this or another motif/flag/standard was connected to Kāva or kays in late Sasanian or more recent era, we can nonetheless establish a clear presence of symbol for a few millennia in Iran

iranicaonline.org/articles/deraf…

10) It's not clear if Sasanians had anything like

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a "national" flag or standard. But we could imagine this symbol *possibly* used as a standard along the dynastic symbol, and other Nishans

Again, the political & contemporary use of the symbol shouldn't affect its historical importance. It should Not be mocked or dismissed 🙏

A few more Achaemenid examples of motif

1: Lydian treasure
2: Unprovenanced button, Christie's

3-4: Achaemenid-era marble threshold from Sardis, likely under Assyrian influence. See: jstor.org/stable/48649655

Also see coins of Achaemenid-era Miletus