SAR BE SAR; A Dual Exhibition of Installation/ Painting And Sculpture

Curator: Parsa Pour ebrahim

Researcher: Nahid Behboodian

Headpieces are the most diverse and extensive types of garments that have held various meanings and functions for civilizations, cultures, religions, and sects throughout history, and have always been worn on heads until the early 20th century. In ancient times, the head was perceived as a symbol of thoughts and a place for spirit, and as such, headpieces represented an individual's thoughts and authority. Headpieces have had covering, cosmetic, and presentational aspects, symbolizing the social status of individuals, professions, as well as presenting national, religious, and sectarian affiliations. Therefore, the symbolic nature of headpieces has inspired remarkable and diverse artistic creations throughout the history of headwear. These include pretentious and ornate feathers of the Mayans and Aztecs, plant fibers and shimmering, magnificent fabrics used in ancient Egypt, jeweled crowns in Europe, the headpieces made from various plants among African tribes, intricately patterned and woolen hats in Mongolia, and enchanting headpieces in the Middle East. headpieces have also been the most important symbol of an individual's social class. This importance was such that even the crowns of kings and gods had completely different characteristics, distinguishing myth from history. Reading headpieces can also reveal the wearer's profession, the region they live in, the religious beliefs they follow, their wealth status, and social rank and position. The exact origins of the first headpiece are uncertain. However, according to the documents obtained from archaeological excavations, the earliest known artifact is the "Venus of Willendorf," dating back to around 30,000 years ago. According to some theories, the rounded shape covering the head of the statue is believed to be a woven hat made of wool. Additionally, there are images dating back fifteen thousand years on the walls of the Lascaux cave, depicting several figures of humans wearing what appear to be headpieces. However, the first clear and unquestionable depiction of headpieces dates back to five thousand years ago in ancient Egypt. This depiction is a painting in the tomb of Tepes, showing a man wearing a hat known as the "Pileus." It is a conical, brimless hat worn by soldiers, laborers, and sailors. Among the historical artifacts of Greece, there are also depictions of the "Pileus" hat on the heads of the legendary twins Castor and Pollux, resembling remnants of the swan egg from which they emerged. Therefore, headwear in ancient Egypt had a symbolic, mysterious, and magnificent world, and their use was so extensive that even intricately pretentious headpieces were typically used as ordinary and everyday clothing. These headpieces were made from various materials, including metal, wool, palm fibers, blue lotus, bird feathers, and various fabrics, resembling what contemporary artists and designers do when engaging with art today. From a farmer to a priest, or to the pharaoh, gods and goddesses, everyone had a special headpiece. The most famous Egyptian headwear is the "Nemes." The image of the Nemes can be recalled from the sarcophagus of Tutankhamun. A striped fabric worn diagonally across the head, covering the entire crown, back of the head, and neck, with two large aps hanging down on both sides of the head, resembling large wings behind the ears, and sometimes combined with a double crown. While not a crown itself, the Nemes were recognized as a symbol of Pharaoh's power. Among the historical artifacts, there are spectacular headpieces ranging from the Temple of Tell Asmar to the Victory Stele of Naram-Sin, and from the famous Law Code of Hammurabi to the Dousheh Cave in Lorestan and the prominent relief carvings of the Persepolis Throne. On this basis, the "bashlyk," of which the clearest image comes from the Persepolis Throne, was prevalent among the Medes. This headwear is significant because, throughout history, it has evolved into one of the most important symbols of freedom. A sack-like, conical, and soft hat, curved forward or backward at the top, with two pieces hanging on both sides to cover the ears during cold weather, and also used as a face mask to prevent breathing in dust during public appearances of the king or contamination of the ¬re during worship. The bashlyk was prevalent among the Scythians, Parthians, Persians, Anatolians, Armenians, Caucasians, and Turkmen, extending to Northern Europe. The Ionians and Romans called it "Phrygian" because, with this hat, they became acquainted with the people of Phrygia, which was then a land between the Medes and the Greeks. This hat symbolized the freedom of Roman slaves, as it was given to them upon liberation. Later, in the French Revolution, the revolutionaries wore it and it became known as the red cap of liberty. Now this hat has been chosen as the symbol of the 2024 French Olympics. One type of headwear worth mentioning is the helmet. Helmets were typically made of metal to protect the heads of warriors in combat and warfare. From a cosmetic and ornamental perspective, helmets were highly significant as they indicated the military rank of warriors. Consequently, the most decorated helmets were reserved for kings, followed by military leaders, adorned with embellishments such as bejeweling, forging, chain weaving, goldsmithing, and silversmithing, along with fabrics and feathers in various colors. Moreover, the plumes were the most important part of helmets, installed on top of them, distinguishing insiders from outsiders. However, there was a headpiece that was more important than any other headwear, made from the most prestigious and rare materials, and the person who wore it was considered the first person in that society. This headwear was called a "crown," symbolizing sovereignty and power and during the coronation ceremony, the powers of the kingdom were transferred to the person. According to historical documents, mythical writings, and oral traditions, the coronation ceremony originated from ancient rituals of the Middle East, Mesopotamia, and Iranians, from which the tradition of coronation in the West also derives. The crowns of the Sasanian kings and queens had the most diversity in design. They were generally round hats with a serrated edge and a tail of thin silk. A bejeweled hoop, crescent moon, and bird wings were also placed on top of the main crown, and its decorations often featured extravagance and exaggeration. Additionally, coins bear images of Iranian queens wearing crowns, indicating that they also wore crowns and draped a fabric over it that was loose on their shoulders like a cloak. Although the crowns of the Sasanians were widely renowned, with the arrival of Islam, Iranian monarchs no longer used crowns in that form and style until the Qajar period, when Agha Mohammad Khan ordered the construction of a crown and underwent a coronation. This crown was shaped like a at dome and made of copper, adorned with enamel decorations. Later, the "Kiani Crown," which resembles European crowns in style, was first commissioned by Fath-Ali Shah and became the crown of the Qajar kings. A crown of red velvet hat with rare decorations and jewels such as the famous Koh-i-Noor diamond, which was mounted on it as a separate Jaqe. Moreover, princesses wore a half-crown and a bejeweled crown adorned with a jaqe and feathers on a thin lace fabric. However, one of the most famous and ornate crowns in Islamic history is the seven maunds crown of Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni. This crown was so heavy that its weight on the head became unbearable, so they suspended it from the ceiling for the Sultan to sit underneath, allowing the crown to rest on his head without exerting pressure. This crown is reminiscent of the famous golden crown of Anushirvan, which was also suspended in a similar manner. Unlike previous periods, the Samanids did not pay much attention to crowns and instead wore hats with tassels, and around them, they tied Sakastanian scarves, often adorned with gold. Later, turbans replaced the crowns. The headwear during the Safavid era was the Sufi hat, around which a turban was wrapped. This hat, which later became known as "Qizilbash," gained fame because it was initially associated with Sufis, and a Sufi named Sheikh Haydar popularized it as a symbol of his own spiritual path. This hat was sewn from dense red broadcloth and had twelve cracks, symbolizing the twelve Shia Imams. The cracks at the top center were brought close to each other, and a wooden stick was placed in that part as an extension of the hat. They would tie the turban on the hat in such a way that sometimes only the wood was visible, and ultimately, it seemed like a turban with a wooden stick. When the Safavid government came to power, its soldiers wore it and called themselves Qizilbash. This turban linked Sufi mysticism to politics and became a significant symbol: a symbol of support for religious political movements. The turban was a common headpiece among various people. A turban (Persian: دﺳـــﺘﺎر، دﻟﺒﻨـــﺪ، ﻋﻤﺎﻣـــﻪ) is a piece of fabric ranging from six to eleven meters in length that is wrapped around the head, typically with a taqiyah (or Araqchin (Persian: ﻋﺮﻗﭽﯿﻦ)) worn underneath. Not having it was considered synonymous with immaturity, drunkenness, and not being manly. Various types of turbans were prevalent among the people of South and West Asia and North Africa and later found their way to Europe. The Europeans made it solid and heart-shaped, or they wrapped it in a pleated form so that the end of the cloth came out in the form of a forelock, and it was decorated with a peacock feather. Additionally, European women used to wear a solid-shaped turban. In Iran, noblemen, caliphs, judges, jurists, nomads, warriors, and people from various tribes each tied their turbans in a special way, and only slaves were prohibited from wearing turbans. It should also be noted that there are various styles of tying and wrapping the turban: Tabarestani style, Pakistan style, Qom style, Najaf style, Arabic style, and so on. Each individual had a specific style of turban based on their social status. "Taht-ol-hanak" was a type of wrapping the turban that was more common among the elite. They wrapped the cloth around the head and tucked the end of it under the chin and around the neck. Also, the scholarly rank of scholars (or ulama (Persian: ﻋﻠﻤﺎ)) was determined by how open the folds of their turban were; the more open the turban, and the lower it descended, the higher the scholarly rank of the person. Additionally, the colors of the turban varied, and each color was associated with a specific class or individual. For instance, Sayyids (descendants of the Prophet Muhammad) wore black turbans, other clerics wore white, and followers of Ali (Shi'a Muslims) wore green turbans. Merchants and traders, as well as the general public, mostly wore turbans in colors like yellow, white, and cream, often adorned with embroidery. Gradually, the turban lost its popularity and was replaced with the hat. According to popular belief, being hatless was seen as a sign of destitution and disgrace, often leading to poverty and insanity. Consequently, even those who couldn't afford a hat covered their heads with a handkerchief or a piece of cloth to avoid being labeled as insane. Indoors, men would keep their hats on and use a headpiece, such as an araqchin (nightcap), even while sleeping. Furthermore, during the Qajar era, the tall, cylindrical-shaped hat became popular. However, Mohammad Shah ordered it to be shortened to save on leather and wool consumption and to improve its proportions. Later, Naser al-Din Shah, who sought modernization in the appearance of his people, went so far as to assign guards specifically tasked with shortening men's tall hats in the streets and markets. Also, Naser al-Din Shah brought back a top hat (cylinder hat) as a souvenir from his trip to Europe, and a photograph of him with that hat has remained. The cylinder hat (top hat), tall and made of silk, which in Europe was part of the formal attire of nobility and dignitaries, became popular among princes and Western-oriented Iranians. With the beginning of commuting students to Europe, the top hat becomes a symbol of wisdom and personality. The students brought the "chapeau" to Iran, which became the primary emblem of the intellectual and modernist society of Iran. Even ignorant groups wore it to present themselves as progressive and cultured. The word "chapeau" in French means hat, but in Iran, it referred to the Fedora hat, which had a brim and was made of broadcloth. In fact, the Fedora was the last hat that anyone, regardless of their ethnicity, religion, race, or social class, wore. In the year 1307 AH (1928 AD), the Uniform Dress Law was enacted by the order of Reza Shah. According to this law, all Iranian men were required to wear the "Pahlavi hat." This hat was round and brimmed. In fact, this brim was added to the short Qajar hat to replace the brimless Qajar hats and serve as a symbol for the end of the Qajar era and the beginning of the Pahlavi era in Iran. It depicted a symbolic transfer of power by replacing the Qajar hats with the Pahlavi hats. Perhaps this is the last symbolic image of hats in today's world.

Nahid Behboodian | 1402