آزمون آب در شاهنامه فردوسی به روایت تصویر

قابلیت‌های تصویری مضامین گوناگون شاهنامه سبب شده تا این شاهکار ادبی از مهمترین کتاب‌های ایرانی در زمینه‌ تصویرگری به شمار آید. مصورسازی بیش از هزاران نگاره از مجالس و صحنه‌های داستانی شاهنامه در ادوار و مکاتب مختلف هنر ایران، اقبال نگارگران را به این اثر ارزشمند نشان می‌دهد. بسیاری از باورها و اعتقاداتی که در متون کهن ثبت شده‌، در شاهنامه نیز تجلی یافته‌است. آب به‌عنوان اصلی‌ترین عنصر حیات بخش طبیعت که همواره در نزد ادیان و تمدن‌های باستان مهم انگاشته می‌شده در شاهنامه فردوسی نمود تصویری فراوانی دارد. یکی از نقش‌های نمادین آن در داستان گذر از خوان آب جلوه می‌کند. در این پژوهش با هدف بررسی 6 نمونه از نگاره‌های آزمون آب متعلق به عصر صفوی، به واکاوی وجوه بصری این عنصر گران‌مایه در ترکیب‌بندی نقاشی ایرانی پرداخته شد تا ارتباط میان نقش و نماد آب در برخی از نمونه‌های تصویری شاخص شاهنامه آشکار شود. روش پژوهش توصیفی تحلیلی است و گردآوری داده‌های پژوهش از طریق منابع اسنادی و مشاهده آثار انجام گرفته‌است. یافته‌های پژوهش نشان داد اهمیت آب در ساختار بصری نگاره‌ها، با اختصاص مناسب‌ترین فضا به این عنصر مشخص شده‌است و جزییات و عناصر تصویر حول محور جایگاه آن در ترکیب‌بندی ساماندهی شده‌اند. همچنین پویایی اجزا با ماهیت روان و مواج آب تطابق دارد. افزون بر این، نقش نمادین حیوانات و جانوران تصویرشده در نگاره‌ها، مبتنی بر خاصیت نمادینگی اسطوره آزمون آب شکل گرفته‌است.

water test in ferdowsi shahnameh according to the image

iranian painting has had a strong connection with persian literature for a long time, and the images of fantasy in poetry and painting have been consistent with each other. after the arrival of islam in iran, this kinship and connection becomes more apparent and the words of the poet are mixed with various themes and narratives by the painter’s line, pattern and color. over the years, the close relationship between poetry and image develops more and many illustrations come to the fore in the form of iranian book design art. in the meantime, novel effects of ferdowsi’s shahnameh appear as the largest national epic poem and a relic of iranian culture in the field of painting art of this land, and iranian painters leave various works inspired by ferdowsi’s poems. many beliefs and convictions recorded in ancient texts are also manifested in the shahnameh. ancient iranians considered useful and beneficial elements that were somehow effective in life as holy and considered god as their guardian. water is one of the beneficial elements that has been highly praised and prayed for. in the shahnameh, water is mentioned many times as the most familiar embodiment for the concept of life, and this vital element has many symbolic roles in this system which can be categorized in the following cases: a) creation: the myth of water in different human cultures has been a symbol of the beginning of the stage of material creation and the movement of the life cycle. this role is reflected in the initial creation of the world from water and the symbolic end of life in it. the myth of water has the most connection with the concept of life. b) immortality and partial treatment: the water of life or the water of animals is one of the world’s mythological essences, and the desire for immortality is one of the long standing wishes of mankind. the myth of water represents the immortality and continuity of material life. the main source of the legend of immortality, which has appeared in different forms such as the water of life, the tree of life, the fountain of eternal youth, and potion. another manifestation of life giving water can be found in the myth of the water healer. c) baptism and purification: water is a symbol of death and rebirth. an expression of the symbolisation and ritual appearance of water in connection with death and rebirth can be found in the long standing and mythological ritual of baptism. immersion in water is considered equal to a storm or the sinking of a continent from the ocean and a sign of the disappearance of the old face in order to give birth to a new face. d) fertility and abundance: another role of water in the myth and consequently in the national epic is to fertilise and give abundance to the creators of good forces. this function has existed in all ancient religions and nations, as it has become a ritual and sacred function of water. e) test and passage: water is a test of matter that must be passed in order to reach the kingdom of meaning, and the test or passing through water is a symbol of death and rebirth dying from the old form and living in a new form which manifests itself in the form of crossing the sea and the river, and a person who passes through this khan steps from a stage of material life to a stage of spiritual life. passing the water test, as a common theme in the shahnameh, has not been overlooked by the intelligent iranian painter. the mythological tradition of crossing water and gaining victory can be seen in the lives of many kings and legendary warriors of the shahnameh. fereydun from arvand and kaykhosrow from jaihun and ardashir crossed the sea, and rostam and esfaniyaresfaniyar passed this tough test in haft khan. in this essay, we intend to examine the visual reflection of the symbolic tradition of the water test by studying the pages of the shahnameh produced in the safavid era.