The Icon and Symbol of Dragon in Persian Literature and Painting

Abstract

Dragon, a significant mythological motif in Persian poetry and literature, has yielded to exquisite and unrivaled scenes in Persian miniature and art. This article inspects the mythical and literal origins of fighting a dragon and the wicked connotation of dragon in the Iranian dualistic cosmology. It tries to shed light on the liaison between the epic and mystic nuance of dragon as a devilish vigor, and illustrates its visual and aesthetic characteristics and status in miniatures. Through an analytical comparative approach, it is shown that the illuminators have acheived these vivid feisty scenes by designing a conscientious structure, diligent selection of color and texture, and applying a diverse range of figurative proportions.

Keywords

• dragon
• symbol
• cosmology
• persian literature
• persian miniature
• aesthetics