Ancient Iran Profile picture
May 14, 2023 8 tweets 7 min read Read on X
چنان بد که یک روز بی انجمن
به نخجیر گه رفت با چنگزن
کجا نام آن رومی آزاده بود
که رنگ رخانش به می داده بود
به پشت هیونی چمان بر نشست
ابا سرو آزاده، چنگی به دست...
به پیش اندر آمدش آهو دو جفت
جوانمرد خندان به آزاده گفت... Bahram Gur & Azadeh, from C...
کدام آهو افکنده خواهی به تیر
که ماده جوان است و همتاش پیر
بدو گفت آزاده کی شیرمرد
به آهو نجویند مردان نبرد...

Photos: Story of Bahram Gur & Azadeh, 1: also from Chal Tarkhan, slightly post-Sasanian. 2: @ Hermitage, Sasanian era

⤵️ ImageImage
...کمان را به زه کرد بهرام گور
برانگیخت از دشت آرام، شور
دو پیکان، به ترکش یکی تیر داشت
به دشت اندر از بهر نخچیر داشت...

Photos: 1: Hermitage; 2: Private UK Collection; 3: @metmuseum , Sasanian era

⤵️ ImageImageImage
هم آنگه چو آهو شد اندر گریز
سپهبد سروهای آن نره، تیز
به تیر دو پیکان ز سر برگرفت
کنیزک بدو ماند اندر شگفت...

Photos: #Sasanian era seals of Bahram Gur & Azadeh hunting scene ImageImageImage
هم اندر زمان نر چون ماده گشت
سرش زان سروی سیه ساده گشت
همان بر سروگاه ماده دو تیر
بزد همچنان مرد نخچیر گیر
دو پیکان بجای سرو در سرش
بخون اندرون لعل گشته برش...

Photos: Post-Sasanian depictions of the story, 1-3 @metmuseum

⤵️ ImageImageImageImage
The depictions appear to continue from Sasanian era to modern times in Iran

1: @MuseeLouvre

This is a violent story which in one version ends in the harpist's death. But we can be fairly certain it goes back to Sasanian era

⤵️ ImageImageImageImage
There doesn't seem to be any moral to the story. It's just a violent legend.

Why such a story became so popular among illustrators is not known to me.

⤵️ ImageImageImageImage
2 other post-Sasanian depictions:

1: @ Berlin, 12-13 C CE
2: @ Brooklyn Museum, 12-13 C CE. ImageImage

• • •

Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to force a refresh
 

Keep Current with Ancient Iran

Ancient Iran Profile picture

Stay in touch and get notified when new unrolls are available from this author!

Read all threads

This Thread may be Removed Anytime!

PDF

Twitter may remove this content at anytime! Save it as PDF for later use!

Try unrolling a thread yourself!

how to unroll video
  1. Follow @ThreadReaderApp to mention us!

  2. From a Twitter thread mention us with a keyword "unroll"
@threadreaderapp unroll

Practice here first or read more on our help page!

More from @PersiaAntiqua

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 ...
Image
Image
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…

Image
Image
Read 9 tweets
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.) ...

Image
Image
Image
Read 35 tweets
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
Jan 7
Achaemenid amphora & amphora-rhytons

Depiction: Armenian delegation, Persepolis

⤵️🧵 Image
Other depictions @ Persepolis:

1: Armenian
2: Lydian
4: Medes


Image
Image
Image
Image
Amphora with griffin handles, Karaburun ...
Image
Image
Read 15 tweets
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



Image
Image
Image
Image
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
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

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

⤵️ ImageImage
Read 9 tweets

Did Thread Reader help you today?

Support us! We are indie developers!


This site is made by just two indie developers on a laptop doing marketing, support and development! Read more about the story.

Become a Premium Member ($3/month or $30/year) and get exclusive features!

Become Premium

Don't want to be a Premium member but still want to support us?

Make a small donation by buying us coffee ($5) or help with server cost ($10)

Donate via Paypal

Or Donate anonymously using crypto!

Ethereum

0xfe58350B80634f60Fa6Dc149a72b4DFbc17D341E copy

Bitcoin

3ATGMxNzCUFzxpMCHL5sWSt4DVtS8UqXpi copy

Thank you for your support!

Follow Us!

:(