Iranian Motifs reprinted for the eighteenth time

According to a report by the Iran Book News Agency (IBNA), the eighteenth printing of the book “Iranian Motifs,” authored by Masoud Tazhibi and Farideh Shahbazi, was published by Soroush Publications and released to the market.

The introduction to this book is penned by Ali Asghar Mohtaj, a designer, graphic artist, writer, poet, and painter. In a portion of this introduction, he writes: “What is a motif? A simple description of ‘naqsh-mayeh’ or motif is difficult. Distilling to a simple, unadorned essence, briefly and abstractly shaping the core of existence, is what it means to reach the simple expression of a motif. And of course, a motif does not mean a part of the whole, but rather reaching from the whole to the part, a part that possesses all the attributes and characteristics of the whole.”

A motif or ‘naqsh-mayeh’ is a ‘part’ that contains the attributes and characteristics of the ‘whole.’ This book gathers and visually reconstructs examples of the precision and attention of Iranian visual artists throughout various historical periods, which are depicted as simple yet rich shapes on the surfaces of buildings or handmade objects across the country. Having access to this collection and occasionally reviewing the more than 280 beautiful motifs compiled within it will undoubtedly inspire Iranian artists in various branches of visual arts and handicrafts.

The book “Iranian Motifs” includes three sections: “Closed Form Decorative Motifs,” “Motifs Inspired by Creatures,” and “Expandable Decorative Motifs.” The authors of this book have attempted to reconstruct or recreate a number of the thousands of designs remaining from ancient times. Some of these old designs are also included exactly as they appeared in the book.

The eighteenth printing of this book, in 103 quarto pages, with a circulation of 500 copies and a price of 240,000 Tomans, has been made available to enthusiasts in this field by Soroush Publications.