"Nišānscheibe": Nishān (personal/clan device) discs in #Sasanian art
1: Well known one from Ctesiphon
These are, when more complex, usually referred to as monograms
⤵️
2: also Ctesiphon
Also with the famous wings motif from Sasanian era
⤵️
3: possibly another one
⤵️
4: From Kish, Iraq. Not sure if someone has read this as a monogram yet
⤵️
I previously talked about how some scholars have attempted to tentatively read some monograms
Some examples here similar to the last one on our list
⤵️
5: Tepe Hissar
Not sure if someone has read/ deciphered this one either. But it shouldn't be too hard given many similar ones have been published in the past couple of decades.
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
Please forgive me, but I'm getting excited here... I may have connected some dots that were left unconnected before...
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 ...
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:
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
⤵️
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
⤵️
We see examples of this royal audience scene @ Persepolis, here reconstructed from the fuller image @ Apadana, and another modern recreation @ Zinat al-Molk House