A Note on Sasanian Glassware and Zoroastrian Sacred Numbers (Sasanian to Post-Sasanian Periods)

Document Type : Research Article

Author

Research Institute of Culltural Heritage and Tourism,Research Center of Linguistics, Inscriptions and Manuscripts, (RCLIM),Tehran, Iran.

Abstract

The Sasanian Empire was one of the most important periods in ancient Iran and one that experienced flourishing
of the Zoroastrian religion. As the official religion in the Sasanian to post-Sasanian period, Zoroastrianism can be
understood better by studying evidence of the religion’s impact on artifacts such as glassware, coins, silver vessels,
pottery, and textiles. This paper shows the importance of “Zoroastrian sacred numbers” on glass fabrication and
its impact on a specific type of glassware. Based on his assumption that glassware designs reflect the beliefs
of artisans, the author focuses on the number of the facets on the related glassware. To test this hypothesis, the
Sasanian glassware is compared to other concomitant objects such as royal necklaces and flower petals used in
the Zoroastrian Pahlavi manuscripts. This religion-inspired decorative technique continued into the Early Islamic
period, during which Shiism strongly preserved the Zoroastrian legacy in glassware.

Keywords

References

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Iranian Journal of Archaeological Studies
Volume 12, Issue 2
2022
Pages 37-45

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