Analyzing the form and content of the Metropolitan Museum’s Safavid candlesticks

Articles in Press

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Assistant professor, metal group, Islamic Art Faculty, Tabriz Islamic Art University, Tabriz, Iran.

2 Master's Degree Student, Metal Department, Faculty of Industrial Arts, Tabriz Islamic Art University, Tabriz, Iran.

Abstract

Metalworking was one of the most important artistic achievements of the Safavid period, and the change of the country's official religion to Shiite Islam, the attempt to establish a national government, and the approach of the Safavid kings to expand relations with Europe and the migration of Armenians to Iran had a great impact on the works created during this period, so that these events can be seen on the metal works created. One of the most important metal works of this period are candlesticks, which enjoy considerable fame in the field of Islamic arts in terms of form and decoration. The candlesticks of this period were often cylindrical in shape with a wide base and an upper edge curved outwards, which have no resemblance to the candlesticks of previous periods. These cylindrical candlesticks were made of brass alloy and had different designs from the designs common on previous candlesticks. The main question of this research is: What are the formal, decorative, and content characteristics of these candlesticks? The aim of this research is to introduce, examine, and analyze the form and content of 5 Safavid candlesticks preserved in the Metropolitan Museum from an aesthetic perspective.
The present research is applied in terms of purpose and descriptive-analytical in terms of research method. The method of data collection is also library and search in the Metropolitan Museum, where 5 samples were selected and examined in a purposeful manner. Data analysis was conducted using a qualitative method.
The results show that the decorative themes are in the form of Persian poetry inscriptions along with plant motifs, which in one case used animal motifs of lion, leopard, fox, antelope and rabbit.

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Journal of Applied Arts

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 28 October 2025

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History

  • Receive Date: 30 October 2024
  • Revise Date: 26 May 2025
  • Accept Date: 26 May 2025

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