Tiling and Tilework in Gilan Published
According to the correspondent of the Iran Book News Agency (IBNA) in Rasht, the book ‘Tiling and Tilework in Gilan, 7th to 14th Centuries AH’, written by Milad Jahanisiyahroodi, has been published by Dobon Publications in Rasht in 201 pages, in a quarto format, and entered the publishing market at a price of 480,000 Tomans.
After the introduction and preface, which cover the first 20 pages of the book, the author explains ‘Tile in the Context of Ideology; from Ornamentation to Incitement’, ‘Tile in the Period of Transformation; from Dependence to Independence’, ‘Tile as Income; from Zenith to Decline’ in separate chapters. Subsequently, in other chapters including ‘The Period of Decline’, ‘Summary of Three Assumptions’, ‘Introduction and Examination of Styles’, ‘Tile as a Place Identifier’, ‘Scattered Observations’, and ‘Final Words’, the history of tiling and tilework in Gilan is elaborated.
In the introduction published in the book, the author writes: It is very difficult to say when tiling and tilework began in Gilan, difficult because no document regarding the exact history of tilework and tile manufacturing in Gilan has survived. It is even difficult to mention tile artists who have left exquisite works today. Perhaps one of the most important reasons was the lack of attention given to these artists during their lifetime. For example, today we mention the names of Gilan’s tile artists, but we do not have precise information about their artistic lives. In this book, most of the information has been obtained from the comparison and analysis of works. The book’s primary goal is not to present a linear history of tiling and tilework in Gilan, but rather considers its most important mission to be a comprehensive analysis and interpretation of these artistic objects (tiles) and the reasons for their use.
The criterion for discussion, based on research necessity, is the period of modernization in Iran, namely the Qajar era. Since this period coincided with growth and development in various fields, including social and cultural aspects, compared to the preceding era, it is necessary to pay more attention to it. Gilan, in particular, due to its geographical location in northern Iran and its natural resources such as mountains, forests, and the sea, provided an important communication channel during the Qajar period. In addition to the mentioned conditions of Gilan, countries like Russia and England held Iran as a colony; Russia controlled northern Iran, and England occupied southern Iran. Conflicts existed both within Gilan and Iran, and extended beyond the country’s geographical borders. Therefore, it can be said that the productions, interactions, and culture formed in Gilan during the Qajar era were both influenced by and influential on the prevailing circumstances, and were of great importance.
This book, based on field and library findings, attempts to prove three specific hypotheses. In other words, by considering the importance of the geographical environment, political conflicts, economic role, and their impact on the artistic process, it tries to present a different outcome regarding the mission of tile.
In the book’s preface, Jahanisiyahroodi also cited travelogues, memoirs, documentary images such as photographs and paintings, and reliable Persian sources as his references for writing the book, stating: The most, and indeed the most important, sources we encountered are travelogues specifically written about Gilan during the Qajar era. If we hypothetically divide the Qajar rule into pre-Nasserian and post-Nasserian periods based on modernization growth, we will find that most texts pertain to the post-Nasserian period. Among the important travelogues that exclusively dealt with Gilan is the travelogue of Sanson Louis Rabino, who diligently traveled throughout Gilan to Mazandaran and documented what he saw. One of the most interesting points Rabino addresses is the description of other foreign travelers and ambassadors of Gilan before his time, and he included these descriptions in the book ‘Wilayat Dar al-Marz Gilan’. Another travelogue relates to the first British ambassador in Gilan, Charles Francis Mackenzie, written during Naser al-Din Shah’s time. Mackenzie’s descriptions of Gilan include the location of mountains, rivers, roads, taxes, population, number of shops, historical buildings, and Imamzadehs. Another travelogue important for art enthusiasts is ‘Persia and the Persians’ by S. G. W. Benjamin, the United States Ambassador during Naser al-Din Shah’s time, who provided detailed information about Iranian art and brief information about Gilan, explaining his route from Anzali to Rasht and then to Tehran, and documenting what he saw in his travelogue. However, one of the oldest and most important written sources is by an orientalist named Alexander Chodzko, a Russian, regarding the land of Gilan; he was in Gilan between 1246 AH and 1260 AH, coinciding with the reign of Mohammad Shah Qajar, and described the history and geography of Gilan at that time. ‘History of Iran during the Qajar Period’ by Clement Markham is another written source compiled during Mohammad Shah Qajar’s time. The present book has utilized two important sources, namely Rabino’s ‘Wilayat Dar al-Marz Gilan’ and Manouchehr Sotoudeh’s ‘From Astara to Astarabad’, as reliable references for the upcoming research.
