Slow Looking
King Zahhak & Serpents
The primary artefact is a 12-13th-century10 brown circular bowl with 20th-century alterations, crafted from ceramic earthenware adorned with a transparent brown and green glaze and it features an intricate depiction of King Zahhak and his two serpent metonymy. Standing at 6.7cm in height11 and 16.5cm in diameter12, the bowl showcases a detailed carving capturing Zahhak's enraged form, with two snakes protruding from his shoulders13. Notably, Zahhak is portrayed stepping on a man within the bowl's interior, symbolizing his pivotal role in sowing devastation and terror. The symbolic elements such as Zahhak's facial expression and the subdued figure beneath his feet, effectively conveys the extent of his fury, contributing to a compelling visual narrative that underscores his profound destruction on humanity.
Manuscript of the Shahnameh
One of the secondary artefacts is a manuscript of the Shahnameh and this was created by the author, Ferdowski, ca 935-102014. It was created in Iran and has dimensions of 29cm x 19cm x 6cm.15 The date of publication is 1492-149316 and the manuscript is filled with "opaque watercolour, ink, silver and gold on paper."17 The binding of the manuscript is "leather, paint, lacquer and pasteboard."18 The design on the manuscript cover is a dense pattern of grape-bearing vine scrolls19 and the pattern matches the interior of the main artefact in the case that they both are of vine designs. Moreover, the vines and serpent image share the common theme of rebirth, however the vines stem from rebirth in the form of a “blessing and giving of life”20. This contrasts with the rebirth of serpents which is cursed because it serves as a powerful representation of Zahhak's malevolent influence to propagate evil and perpetrate acts of murder. This dichotomy encapsulates the story of destruction within the artifact, where the vines symbolize the flourishing essence of life, while the serpents represent a destructive force that takes away this very vitality.
Folio of Zahhak's Downfall
This secondary artefact is a folio from the Shahnameh manuscript portraying the death of Zahhak.21 The creator of the folio is attributed to Sultan Muhammad and it was created in Iran.22.The dimensions are 46.8cm x 32.3cm and the artefact is dated in ca. 1535.23 The folio matches the materials used to fill the manuscript. The illustration depicts Zahhak bound to a cave on Iran’s highest mountain where he is doomed to hang from chains for eternity. This image presents the ending of the tale of King Zahhak and his tyranny as he is overthrown by the people of the land. This contradicts the idea presented through serpent imagery that a king’s reign is an immortal life cycle because under an evil king, the whole realm is tainted and in order to eradicate the evil slaughter and destruction, the ordinary people successfully rebelled against King Zahhak. Additionally the end of his reign is symbolized through his plain clothes as he is dressed in “blue underwear and red pantaloons” 24 as opposed to when he “was covered with gold”25 as king. From this folio, we also witness the moment once Zahhak is casted away from the world, demons cease their celebration of evil, signaling the termination of dark forces' influence. This underscores the intimate correlation between dark forces and destruction, emphasizing that harm follows wherever darkness prevails.