The Beribboned Cross in Christian Art of the Early Islamic Period in Iraq and the Gulf
One of the most wide-spread motifs in Christian art of the early Islamic period in Iraq and the Gulf is the beribboned cross. It derives from the Sasanian composition of a fire altar decorated with fluttering ribbons. The symbolic meaning of ribbons in the Sasanian period was associated with the not...
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| Pubblicato in: | URI:https://journals.openedition.org/beo, |
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| Autore principale: | |
| Natura: | Article ou chapitre numérique |
| Lingua: | Anglais |
| Pubblicazione: |
Bulletin d’études orientales
2023
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| Accesso online: | Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM |
| Riassunto: | One of the most wide-spread motifs in Christian art of the early Islamic period in Iraq and the Gulf is the beribboned cross. It derives from the Sasanian composition of a fire altar decorated with fluttering ribbons. The symbolic meaning of ribbons in the Sasanian period was associated with the notion of authority and kingship, known as xᵛarənah (Avestan) or farr (Middle Persian). The same notion could also have been expressed in this period by other motifs such as, among many others, a pair of wings, or a ram and a pomegranate. It has been argued that the combination of such motifs (multiplication of farr symbols) in a single composition expresses farrah afzūn, which should be translated as: ‘may glory be increased’. This provides context for the possible reading of the representation of a cross (which can be understood as a Christian symbol of farr) decorated with ribbons as a Christian expression of farrah afzūn, the increased glory of Christ, the victorious King of Kings. |
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