Iconological Analysis of the Man and Lion Fight Tilework in Golestan Palace: Representation of the Qajar Discourse of Legitimization

Kamandlou, Hossein; TaghaviNejad, Bahareh; Hashemi, Golamreza; Tabatabaei Jabali, Zohreh

doi:10.61882/jic.9.1.376

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Volume 9, Issue 1 (Semi-Annual 2025) JIC 2025, 9(1): 99-124 | Back to browse issues page

‎ 10.61882/jic.9.1.376

Research code: A-10-718-1

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Kamandlou H, TaghaviNejad B, Hashemi G, Tabatabaei Jabali Z. (2025). Iconological Analysis of the Man and Lion Fight Tilework in Golestan Palace: Representation of the Qajar Discourse of Legitimization. JIC. 9(1), 99-124. doi:10.61882/jic.9.1.376
URL: http://jih-tabriziau.ir/article-1-376-en.html

Iconological Analysis of the Man and Lion Fight Tilework in Golestan Palace: Representation of the Qajar Discourse of Legitimization

Hossein Kamandlou¹

, Bahareh TaghaviNejad ^*²

, Golamreza Hashemi³

, Zohreh Tabatabaei Jabali⁴

1- Department of Art studies, Faculty of Research Excellence in Art University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran
2- Department of Handicrafts Faculty of Handicrafts, Art University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran , b.taghavinejad@aui.ac.ir
3- Department of Handicrafts Faculty of Handicrafts, Art University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran
4- Islamic Art Department Faculty of Handicrafts, Art University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran

Abstract: (1608 Views)

The Qajar period is considered the last era of widespread use of literary, historical, and religious themes in Iranian tile decoration, adoring religious and secular buildings with scenes from epic, lyrical, and historical narratives. Some of these appear in the Golestan Palace courtyard tiles. On the eastern and southern walls, two panels depict a Horseman Fighting a tiger and a lion. A prominent example on the eastern wall shows a Horseman fighting a Tiger which is an archetype from Mesopotamian civilizations, But in Iranian art is known as the Fight of Bahram with the Lion. This theme, vividly depicted in historical sources, epic tales, and Persian lyrical literature, heled symbolic significance and appeared in various forms until the Qajar era. The large scale and placement of this panel likely conveyed beyond decoration. The main purpose of this research is to introduce, analyze, and interpret the Fight of Bahram with the Lion icon on the tile frame of the eastern wall of Golestan Palace, using historical sources to uncover its Symbolic values. The main question of the research is: What are the characteristics of the narrative scene of Bahram's Fight with the lion in the tile frame on the eastern wall of Golestan Palace’s courtyard, and what symbolic values do they contain? Using Erwin Panofsky’s three stages—description, analysis, and iconological interpretation—this study offers a new reading of this ancient motif in Qajar decorative arts. Based on library and field research, findings show that the Bahram's fight with the lion theme was used in Qajar decorative arts, since the era of Fath Ali Shah, for political and military purposes and legitimize the monarchy. Over time, this symbolic motif entered historical texts, where the title "Bahram" and his fight with the lion became associated with Fath Ali Shah and other Qajar rulers.

Keywords: Qajar, Golestan Palace, Tilework, Fight of Bahram and Lion, Iconology

Full-Text [PDF 7983 kb] (804 Downloads)

Type of Study: Original Research | Subject: 1
Received: 2025/03/9 | Accepted: 2025/05/31 | Published: 2025/06/30

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