An Analysis on the Background and Visual Characteristics of the Wooden Ornamentations of Hamzeh Dehdasht Imamzadeh from the Buiid Period (Preserved at the National Museum of Iran)

Most museums worldwide behold valuable artifacts that despite their magnificence, do not have a specific identity, in this regard, The National Museum of Iran is no exception. Many of the works preserved at the museum have little or no recorded information. One of the exquisite and artistic works of the Islamic section of the National Museum of Iran is a wooden door numbered as 3292; this magnificent door is ornamented with a variety of inscriptions and plant adornments. According to the Museum's information, the door is attributed to the city of Behbahan and dates from the fifth century AH. By first studying the inscriptions and door decorations and comparing them with the specimens of the wooden doors with the initial dating information and the text of the inscriptions beholding Shi’ah concepts, it appears that the above door is related to the late fourth or early fifth century AH and is related to the Buyid period. In regard to Islamic ornamentations, wooden door inscriptions partake a vast array of decorations; hence, many decorations have religious contents. The names of the five figures of Al-e Aba, the Divine names of Allah neatly settled in frames of circle and rhombus shapes, sections of “Tobeh” prayer of Sahifah of Sajadiyyah, verse 1 to 52 of Surah Yasin, the prayer of Imam Zaman (pbuh) and inscriptions relating to the ruler of the time are the inscriptions engraved on the mentioned door appearing in four rectangular frames. The present article follows a descriptive and analytical approach and the goals of the research include classifying, identifying and completing the door's historical identity. After interpreting and reading all the inscriptions of the door including all four historical inscriptions by the authors of the article, it can be concluded that the ancient door was built between 440 and 448 AH at the Fars province of Iran by the order of the last Buyid ruler. Regarding the original location of the mentioned door, by studying the documents regarding the missing door of Imamzadeh Hamza of Dehdasht in the 1920s by the trustee of the Imamzadeh to the Minister of Culture and Art of the time, provided an effective factor in specifying the identity of the main door location. Examination of the letters and documents found that the stated door belongs to Imamzadeh Hamzah of Dehdasht locating 60 kilometers from Behbahan. The present study, by clarifying the historical and spatial status of the ancient door, presents this unique wooden artwork as a valuable artifact of Buyid Shi’ah art of the fifth century AH.
Research aims:
1- A study on the historical background and identity of the wooden door in the National Museum of Iran.
2. An analysis of the features of visual decorations in the wooden shrine of Imamzadeh Dehdasht.
Questions:
1. What are the temporal and spatial identity of the wooden door preserved at the National Museum of Iran?
2- What are the features of the wooden door preserved at the National Museum of Iran in regard to visual decorations?