The Art of Ancient Iran - Elam and Achaemenid Persia
Ancient Iran, called Persia, has been the melting pot of various civilizations, owing to its strategic geographical position.
As a result, its art evolved through the confluence of varied styles & cultures, mergers and refinement, developing finally into a distinctive new style.
The art of ancient Iran, especially Elam and Achaemenid Persia, is one such hallmark of creativity.
Achaemenidae was one the clans of the Pasargadae tribe, the predecessor of Persian Empire.
Pasargadae was one of the nobler Aryan tribes among the ones settled in the south of the Iranian Plateau, the others being the Maraphians and the Maspians.
From the middle of the third millennium BC, until the arrival of Cyrus the Great, Southwestern Iran was called the land of Elam.
The underlying principle of the 'Elamite Art' was the simplified depiction of living creatures in the form of patterns, as is evident from the remains at Sialk and Susa.
Besides the art of glazing bricks, metalwork was a particularly accomplished art form in the Elamite era.
Evidences from excavations, such as inscribed tablets, suggest that weaving, tapestry, and embroidery too were practiced in Ancient Iran.
The Achaemenidian period began in 549 BC when Cyrus the Great came to power, and continued through his successor, Darius the Great.
Achaemenidian Art under Cyrus reflected a distinctive style, wherein relief sculpture was used as an adjunct to huge buildings and palaces.
The remains of Cyrus' Palace in Fars reveal great columned audience halls and wide-open spaces, implying a distinctive emphasis on space and scale in architecture.
The decorations in the palaces had a clear influence of the earlier empires of Assyria and Babylon.
Although Darius constructed a number of buildings at Susa, he is better known for his palace at Persepolis he started, with Xerxes completing it.
The carved wall slabs portray the endless processions of noblemen, ministers, guards, and lords of the Achaemenid Persian Empire.
This symbolic style seemed to be used for displaying the might and the grandeur of the king in the Ancient Iran.
Though neat and elegant, 'Achaemenidian Art' exuded a dry and almost coldly formal feeling, opposed to the movement and zest integral to the empires of Assyria and Babylon.
The sculptures of Elam and Achaemenid Persia followed the principles of simplicity and clarity.
The art forms subtly blended 'Realism' too, manifested in the representation of animals and the royal splendor.
Carved or cast, the animal figurines served as supports for vases or as the guardians of the entrances.
Truly, the arts of Elamite and the Achaemenid Persian periods are one of the best-treasured landmarks of creativity.
As a result, its art evolved through the confluence of varied styles & cultures, mergers and refinement, developing finally into a distinctive new style.
The art of ancient Iran, especially Elam and Achaemenid Persia, is one such hallmark of creativity.
Achaemenidae was one the clans of the Pasargadae tribe, the predecessor of Persian Empire.
Pasargadae was one of the nobler Aryan tribes among the ones settled in the south of the Iranian Plateau, the others being the Maraphians and the Maspians.
From the middle of the third millennium BC, until the arrival of Cyrus the Great, Southwestern Iran was called the land of Elam.
The underlying principle of the 'Elamite Art' was the simplified depiction of living creatures in the form of patterns, as is evident from the remains at Sialk and Susa.
Besides the art of glazing bricks, metalwork was a particularly accomplished art form in the Elamite era.
Evidences from excavations, such as inscribed tablets, suggest that weaving, tapestry, and embroidery too were practiced in Ancient Iran.
The Achaemenidian period began in 549 BC when Cyrus the Great came to power, and continued through his successor, Darius the Great.
Achaemenidian Art under Cyrus reflected a distinctive style, wherein relief sculpture was used as an adjunct to huge buildings and palaces.
The remains of Cyrus' Palace in Fars reveal great columned audience halls and wide-open spaces, implying a distinctive emphasis on space and scale in architecture.
The decorations in the palaces had a clear influence of the earlier empires of Assyria and Babylon.
Although Darius constructed a number of buildings at Susa, he is better known for his palace at Persepolis he started, with Xerxes completing it.
The carved wall slabs portray the endless processions of noblemen, ministers, guards, and lords of the Achaemenid Persian Empire.
This symbolic style seemed to be used for displaying the might and the grandeur of the king in the Ancient Iran.
Though neat and elegant, 'Achaemenidian Art' exuded a dry and almost coldly formal feeling, opposed to the movement and zest integral to the empires of Assyria and Babylon.
The sculptures of Elam and Achaemenid Persia followed the principles of simplicity and clarity.
The art forms subtly blended 'Realism' too, manifested in the representation of animals and the royal splendor.
Carved or cast, the animal figurines served as supports for vases or as the guardians of the entrances.
Truly, the arts of Elamite and the Achaemenid Persian periods are one of the best-treasured landmarks of creativity.
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