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Ancient Iran Profile picture
@PersiaAntigua
Mar 11, 2023 • 23 tweets • 12 min read • Read on X
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Iranian Harp; چنگ در ایران باستان

Video: Recreation of an Elamite harp. I talked about Iranian musical instruments before, but will focus on the harp, used in Iranian music for thousands of years until the 17th C, and now being brought back by various musicians

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Recreation of harp from Choga Mish, Iran, 6800 BCE

چنگِ ایرانیِ چغامیش

See original videos as well.

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One of the sealings from Choga Mish

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Elamite depictions of various harps, including horizontal and vertical (also see: iranicaonline.org/articles/harp )

1: Kul-e Farah Musicians-Harps & Square drum
2: Instruments-Double Flute, Tambourine, Harp
3-4: Arjan bowl

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Other Elamite depictions ImageImage
Elamite harp parts, now @MuseeLouvre

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Surviving Pazyryk Scythian harp, and other Asian harps

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Parthian & Achaemenid depictions of harpist

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Another harpist

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Chorasmian/ Khwarezmian Harpist

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Early #Sasanian harpist, Bishapur

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Harpist from Sasanian bowl

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Bahram Gur and Azadeh

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Bahram Gur and Azadeh with harp

Sasanian & post-Sasanian

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Harp players from Taqe Bostan, Iran

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Harp players from Taqe Bostan, Iran Image
Taqe Bostan, drawings

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Post-Sasanian plate with musicians including harpist

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Kafir Kala, Sogdian depiction of harp among other instruments

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Depictions of Sogdian musicians in China

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Usrushana, 8C, Harps and Lute, photo with thanks to @eranudturan

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1256-1353, Ilkhanid depiction of harp, now @ClevelandArt

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Harpists from 1553 & 1529, along with Daf player ImageImage

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More from @PersiaAntigua

Ancient Iran Profile picture
Sep 15
Origin of the Sasanians?

Please forgive me, but I'm getting excited here... I may have connected some dots that were left unconnected before... Image
1: In "Ardashir and the Sasanians' Rise to Power" by Dr. @tourajdaryaee & "ReOrienting the Sasanians" by Dr. @sasanianshah I did not see these connections.

2: For some reason various sources note the name of a "Indo-Parthian" ruler as "Sasan", for example ...
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in "Problems of Chronology in Gandhāran Art":

and "The interrelation between Indo-Parthian and Kushan chronology", 1992. This second article seems to provide some clues:

3: if the chronology @ Taxila is accepted, we in fact have an interesting... cvaonline.org/PublicFiles/me…

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Read 9 tweets
Ancient Iran Profile picture
Sep 14
Detailed Study: Let's talk about this important motif & standard in ancient Iran 🧵⤵️ Image
Here's the deal: 1: various Iranian groups, like others in Eurasia, used various standards or banners in war

2: like others in Eurasia, Indo-European or not, Iranians valued various types of crosses for thousands of years, including the "swastika" ... 4000-3500 BCE, Susa, Louvre
3: In ancient Iran, various clans, parts of the army etc. had their own standards & symbols. But we can perhaps say 3 stand out:

1: largely in Achaemenid period; 2: with a long history
3: dragon standard: largely among eastern-northern Iranians (Sarmatians, Parthians, etc.) ...

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Read 35 tweets
Ancient Iran Profile picture
Mar 30
Rhytons are rather rare in Sasanian Iran. But one known shape shared with others in Central Asia as well is the compact horn & gazelle's head protome

This one only entered the Smithsonian in the 80s, though it was known since the 60s ... ⤵️ https://asia.si.edu/explore-art-culture/collections/search/edanmdm:fsg_S1987.33/
Based on the analysis in "Ancient Iranian metalwork in the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery and the Freer Gallery of Art" it's likely early Sasanian

In any event, similar ones were used for centuries in West & Central Asia

Partho-Sasanian rhyton, excavated @ Babylon ... Image
Rhyton in private collection, Russia ... Image
Read 7 tweets
Ancient Iran Profile picture
Jan 7
Achaemenid amphora & amphora-rhytons

Depiction: Armenian delegation, Persepolis

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Other depictions @ Persepolis:

1: Armenian
2: Lydian
4: Medes


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Amphora with griffin handles, Karaburun ...
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Read 15 tweets
Ancient Iran Profile picture
Sep 13, 2023
Some additional notes on Sasanian instruments, from the MP text Khosrow and Ridak:

A) This instrument is the barbat (with later changes called oud (photo 3)), not "win"/ ون, I made detailed notes on it in multiple threads



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B) Some sources note "win" and "win-kenār" are types of harp, e.g.,

بررسی ابزار موسیقی دوره ی ساسانی بر پایه ی متن پهلوی خسرو قبادان و ریدگ

Although some sources note these could be instruments from India

Azarnouche translates the first 3 to French as... Image
"Le joueur de (petite) harpe, le joueur de harpe (droite?), le joueur de lyre"

C) An interesting consideration is this: could we use the maxim of interpretation/ construction Noscitur a Sociis: “know a thing by its associates”?

It would make sense for tambur and barbat Image
Read 7 tweets
Ancient Iran Profile picture
Jun 18, 2023
Achaemenid Royal Audience Scene, inside shield of Persian soldier on so-called 'Alexander Sarcophagus'

4th C BCE, from Sidon, @ Istanbul Archaeology Museums, Photos: Fluorescent UV & Reconstruction

⤵️ Imagehttps://www.metmuseum.org/a...
An older drawing without some of the details (1);

There are parallels, precedents to #Achaemenid royal scenes in Assyrian, Elamite, other Near Eastern art. Drawing in photo 2 for example is likely of an older, Elamite seal which continued to be used in Achaemenid court

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We see examples of this royal audience scene @ Persepolis, here reconstructed from the fuller image @ Apadana, and another modern recreation @ Zinat al-Molk House

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Read 9 tweets

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