The Shāhnāmeh of Shāmlou is a newly discovered manuscript from the 17th century (11th century AH), containing 44 unsigned illustrations spread throughout the text, two illuminated headpieces at the beginning, and two triangular embellishments at the end. The Niavaran Palace Museum Library currently houses this manuscript, which Jānī ibn Mohammad Qāsem, known as Aṣaḥ Kermānī, wrote. It was first publicly introduced in 2011. One of the most notable features of this manuscript is the prominent presence of women in several of its illustrations. Considering the diverse representations of women in visual imagery, this study selects and analyzes six specific illustrations in which women play prominent and varied roles. The primary aim of this research is to investigate the social status of women in these illustrations and how it influences their clothing and decorative elements in the Shahnameh illustrated edition known as the Shamlou Shahnameh. Secondary objectives include examining women’s attire, motifs, and jewelry depicted in the Shamlou Shahnameh, as well as contributing to a deeper understanding and recognition of this version of the Shahnameh. This research follows a descriptive-analytical approach, with data collected through document analysis and the study of library resources. The imagery in historical travelogues is notably consistent with women’s clothing styles depicted in the Shamlou Shahnameh. Illustrators reflected the conditions of their society in the images they created, offering a visual interpretation of the social norms and hierarchies of their time. The depiction of women’s clothing in the Shamlou Shahnameh includes garments such as the pirahan or qamis (undershirt and outer shirt), rida or qaba (cloak or robe), and waist sashes. In many cases, the fabrics displayed are plain, but some have decorative patterns inspired by nature, like five-petal floral motifs and duck figures. The illustrators convey the social status of women through several visual elements, including attire, patterns and ornamentation, color choices, the size of figures, and their positioning within the illustrations. In royal workshops and libraries, artists frequently illustrated the Shahnameh throughout the history of Iranian painting, and many artists have excelled at depicting various scenes from the stories of this magnificent work. Many researchers have studied various paintings, but the role of women and their depiction have received less attention. The illustrations in the Shahnameh are rich in images, clothing, and decorations, providing researchers with the opportunity to explore the field of clothing. The detailed analysis of clothing pieces, patterns, and ornaments, and their relationship to the social status of women in the stories of the Shahnameh has been the main concern of the researcher. By carefully analyzing the images and examining the role of women’s social status in painting, we can gain insights into the evolution of clothing during the Safavid period. The painters, considering the visual features in the illustrations of the Shamlou Shahnameh, benefited from the schools of Herat, Isfahan, Tabriz, and Qazvin in their illustration techniques. The visual features of women’s clothing in this Shahnameh include a robe or robe, a shirt or shirt (undershirt and shirt), and a waist shawl, which are often made of simple fabric, and in some cases, animal and plant motifs such as duck motifs, Islamic motifs, and five-petaled flowers have been used. The head coverings of women in the Shahnameh of Shamlou include a variety of veils, headgears, and crowns. Lakhs are decorated with narrow ribbons that hang from the back of the head. Headgears are often adorned with colorful tapestries, some of which feature gold and jewelry, which can be seen as headbands in the images. The veils depicted in this period are plain and cover the women from the neck to the chest. The crown, often made of gold, can also signify the woman’s high status in the painting. Considering the characteristics expressed in the Safavid period and the depicted images from the Shahnameh of Shamlou, which dates back to the 11th century, it can be inferred that there is a correspondence between the type of clothing worn by women in the Shahnameh of Shamlou and the images found in travelogues. The painters have depicted a reflection of the conditions of their society in their paintings. The position of women in the paintings is such that women with higher social status, such as Rudabeh or Qidafeh, are often placed in the center of the frame, and other women of the court are also placed in different positions according to their social status. Such as a female musician playing the daf or a court servant serving. In general, it can be said that painters depicted the social status of women by considering factors such as depicting larger figures, bright colors, clothing, patterns, and decorations on clothing, headgear, and the position of the figures in the painting.
Based on the analysis of the six selected illustrations and the depicted social roles of women in the Shamlou Shahnameh, the distinct social groups categorize the female figures into four groups.
• Ruling women (sovereigns)
• Queens, wives of heroes, and princes
• Upper-class court women
• Middle- and lower-class court women