Iconography is a type of art that has a deep connection with human religious beliefs. Throughout history, people of different religions have been interested in depicting and portraying the faces of prophets and saints. In this way, they will have more connection with the world of spirituality.
This art has had many ups and downs and has been faced with sanctions many times at different periods. In Islam, iconography was banned from the beginning due to the Arabs' history of idolatry. But gradually, images of living beings found their way into the books, and especially in the works of Iranian artists, human images of heroes and myths were seen.
Iconography flourished in the Islamic period from the time of the Bouye’s period. This trend reached its peak in the Qajar period and a large number of images of Imams were depicted, which were used for installation in religious places.
Among the various themes of iconography, the most attention has been paid to the face of Imam Ali (AS). The image of Imam Ali (As) can be seen in various murals of the Qajar period, including painting on plaster, painting behind glass, and painting on tiles.
In the continuation of this report, we take a look at some of the icons of Imam Ali (AS).
By Esmail Jalayer- Qajar era
By Mohammad Hassan Afshar- Qajar era
By Abolhassan Sani Homayoun- Qajar era-Cultural museum and manuscripts, Dr. Mohammad Sadegh Mahfouzi
By Agha Mostafa-Museum of Islamic Consultative Assembly
By Abolhassan Ghafari- Malek National Library & Museum
By Abolhassan Meherali -Museum of Islamic Consultative Assembly
By Esmail Naghashbashi- Cultural museum and manuscripts, Dr. Mohammad Sadegh Mahfouzi