Ayineh : le miroir dans les dessins de tapis persans
Persian carpets have been recognized for their great variety of intricate patterns achieved with technical and aesthetic sophistication. At the same time, their intellectual motivations and symbolic role as carriers of personal and social meanings have been relatively neglected. The mirror ayineh is a theme with strong resonances in many dimensions of Iranian culture from metaphysical philosophy to religion and folk beliefs. Close friends are commonly said to be mirrors of each other. On the spiritual journey, the dervish polishes his heart to become a flawless mirror that perfectly reflects the divine pattern. In the practices of Sufism, the mirror leads naturally to speculations about the dualities of substance and essence, appearance and reality, sight and vision. We explore this theme as it appears in many Persian carpet designs of the modern period. Joining beautiful outer forms and profound inner meanings, these mirror designs embody and communicate a common vision uniting aesthetic values with