Quarterly Scientific-Research Goljaam

Ethno-archaeology is one of the main approaches that could help archaeologists to reconstruct the past behaviors, including social, cultural, economical and political behaviors. It is interesting to state that the most important aim of ethno-archaeology is to understand the past through observation of modern conservative societies. On the other hand, based on this framework, archaeologists attempt to make a bridge between the past (static) and the present (dynamic). In fact, via this approach, archaeologists are able to clarify background of traditional arts of modern societies. Better understanding of background of these arts enables scholars to represent worthy scientific methods to protect the traditions. Handmade carpet, which has two distinguished characteristics, namely genuineness and innovation, has developed in the Persian cultural region and has its roots in the ancient arts of this vast region. The objective of this paper is two folded, firstly to present a worthy scientific method to detect process of derivation of designs and patterns on the handmade carpets, and secondly to understand “how” and “why” of human past behaviors. In fact, the present paper will present suggestions to exploit past human behaviors of this vast region. Consequently, scholars who are studying handmade carpets will be able not only to derivate designs and patterns of carpets, but they will also be able to support this deep rooted art. 

It is not an exaggeration to say that Iran’s cultural, artistic and even national identity is to some extent related and tied with carpet. The history of carpet weaving is an honorable and glorious one. And today’s artists in this field would not be successful without relying on this rich and fruitful past and using their own creativity. Therefore, the scholars of this field have to closely examine and investigate patterns and motifs of carpets and introduce their findings to the carpet society. This way, they can recall us of a great identity which sometimes is being concealed in the shadow of innovations. Here the authors have tried to investigate an important part of the history of this art in the Qajar era and to introduce the especial characteristics of patterns and motifs in Carpet Museum of Iran. The method of this research is descriptive and analytical one and the data is collected by library-based and field study methods. Appearance and extension of pictorial patterns, extension of “Bandie Golfarang”, “Bandie Boteh” patterns, extension of "rose" ," Boteh" and "Mahi dar Ham" motifs, naturalism and simple and unassuming style are among the characteristics of Qajar carpets. 

There is a spiritual & intellectual power in Persian carpets which connects to the terrestrial world. Plant patterns that make gardens not only symbolize paradise in the heart of carpets; but also the patterns in the borders which sometimes are decorated by angels represent the spiritual world. Maybe the position of angels indicates the initial stage before paradise gate (in the middle of the carpet) and Judgment Day, which our acts will be evaluated by angels and God will visit us, or it comes from other Persian archetype that has intellectual power, known as Farvahr. This research is tried to find and analyze roots of the angel shape by the form of Farvahr archetype, and we use holy Verses and religious stories as documents for proving the cause of its human shape with two wings. Writers try to prove that the Angel pattern is connected conceptually with the symbol of Farvahr 

Arab Jinni rugs, illustrate special attitude of their creators who made exceptional and mysterious hand-made weavings. In 1993, Dr. Parham ascertained the name of this tribe as well as their weavings to Persian carpet literature for the first time. Despite unfamiliarity of this tribe in Iran's literature and historical documents, it is mentioned in detail in the lineage books of Arab and Quran commentaries. Apparently in the ethnic and ideological beliefs of this tribe, believe in jinni and tendency to their mysteries is one of the factors that affect their motifs and designs. Recognition of Arab-Jinni tribes and their beliefs, plausible ancestral and ideological relation of this mysterious and unknown tribe with them, totemic tendencies of creators of such rugs, the influence of cultural reconciliation of three important western Asia, Mesopotamia, and Persia-India civilizations on the formation of their motifs are among the most important outcomes of this research.

 In a competitive environment, identification of appropriate strategies improves a business by choosing the right passage. In this article the effects of competitive strategies of Michael Porter including differentiation, concentration and cost leadership on the expansion of domestic market of Iran’s hand-knotted carpet are evaluated. This research is descriptive and the survey methodology is used. A questionnaire is designed and after accreditation distributed among two respondent groups; i.e. technical staffs of Iran National Carpet Centre and carpet retailers in Tehran who have more than 10 years experience. The results show that all three competitive strategies could trigger the expansion of domestic market of Iran’s hand-knotted carpet. On the other hand, the concurrent implementation of these strategies has different influences on market expansion. In technical staffs’ view, cost leadership has the highest role in market expansion, while the other two strategies have a minor role in domestic hand-knotted carpet market. On the contrary, retailers evaluate two other strategies; i.e. differentiation and concentration, would have higher impact in hand-knotted carpet market expansion, respectively; whereas cost leadership would be insignificant. Although the research hypotheses are accepted, the statistical analysis shows a very significant difference between the views of the retailers and technical staffs of Iran National Carpet Centre.

Symmetric and asymmetric knots, as two original knots, possess different physical and mechanical properties that influence the function of a carpet. Jufti and U knots give different properties to the carpet compared to the original ones. If they were used to produce specific properties, they would enhance the carpet's quality. However, nowadays their applications are considered as methods that diminishes the quality of carpets. As these properties have significant influence on the carpets, some attention is paid to them in different papers and textbooks. Carpet samples are woven with each knot type and identical materials by a weaver. Then the effect of various kinds of knots measured on the carpet length, carpet thickness and pile height. Samples are woven in two different methods. The first one is a method in which the number of beating the comb is controlled; i.e., after each row of knots only and exactly two comb beats are applied to the row of knots. In the second method, the dimensions of samples were controlled and it is tried to weave the carpet with the dimensions designed; i.e., the number of times the comb is beating down the row of knots varies according to the weaving progress. In jufti and U knot samples, the number of beating times inevitably reduced to one, while in symmetric and asymmetric samples it increased to five to six times to obtain the designed dimensions. Results show that symmetric and asymmetric knots lead to an increase in the carpet length, whereas the other two knot types end in a decrease in the carpet length. To reach the designed length it is necessary to change the number of beating or to use different materials with suitable yarn counts. The thickness of the foundation of carpet is also influenced by the knot type; i.e., if the number of comb beating increases the foundation thickness increases as well, but if the number of comb beating remains constant there will be identical foundation thickness in carpets woven with different types of knots. 

Much has been written about aesthetics in carpet weaving art, particularly tribal and village carpet weaving, discussing various aspects such as symbolism and naturalism. Yet, the relation between art and sociology is propounded in a different manner by the German sociologist, Georg Simmel. With a different view on society and artwork, he believes that the origin of all principles of aesthetics resides in the principle of "symmetry", and that this tendency towards symmetry correlates to the type of society administration. The present paper investigates that whether types of administrations of the tribal society affect harmony and symmetrical designs of their carpet weaving. Descriptive and analytical methods, documentary and library tools, data gathering and theoretical interpretation are used in this research. Kerman Afshari tribe and the patterns of their rugs are taken as sample to be studied in the light of Georg Simmel's theories, particularly the Forms Theory. Overall, Simmel's aesthetic and sociology approaches may be applied to the art and society of Iran. Tribal carpets in their genuine form have symmetry and order, whereas the basic characteristic of the modern era is liberalism and individualism, which lead art to asymmetry and disharmony. The objective example of this characteristic is seen in modern carpets, which totally modifies the traditional carpet aesthetics. Although, there are examples of rural and tribal societies which are integrated and coordinated, it is the reflection of this form of society that has caused order and symmetry to be the basis of tribal carpet aesthetics, where the frame (i.e., the carpet border) is still the required basis and infrastructure. 

Findings and opuses of Islamic civilization era are designed and rendered on different surfaces such as wood, stone tablet, tore, cloth, kilims, jijims, carpets and rugs in geometrical or curvilinear forms of motifs existing in nature or purely spiritual symbols. The art of carpet designing and weaving which was mixed with its concurrent crafts and industry as well as naturalistic and visual symbols, is the key to the connection of the artist to his/her surroundings and even his/her thoughts, faith and beliefs and incorporated with novelty. This research is mainly concerned with such Persian carpets which their designs include a Mihrab on a carpet (prayer rug). This paper focuses mainly on Persian Mihrabi carpets to present the common concepts in the culture of Islamic era, such as, "Taqe Mihrab" and "Darvaze"(gate). Then the origins of such carpets are examined regarding the painting works, and some works are introduced. Some early examples, in which flowers, plants and birds are used as well as two common symbols in such carpets, i.e., Qandil and cypress tree, are discussed and analyzed.

If a carpet is put under pressure during use or storage, its thickness decreases instantly and continues to decrease slowly as the pressure is not removed. Some part of this loss of thickness is not recoverable. This phenomenon is called creep and is influenced by parameters such as temperature and humidity, and it may cause breakage, burst, crease, bump, and folding line in the carpet. By studying creep of carpets, it is possible to predict their behavior under such loads to reduce the damages and effects of the creep. In this paper, a sample of folded–carpet is put under pressure of a 170 kg dead weight for 48 hours and its compression strain under various thermal and humidity condition is measured on-line. Then different statistical models were regressed on the collated data proving that creep-model of Voight-Kelvin is assumed as the best formula for determination of creep behavior of the folded carpet under different thermal and humidity conditions. Analysis of data variance detected a significant difference between various levels of thermal and humidity parameters in creep model implying their direct influence in the equation, although they are negligible compared to time effect. This research extended to calculate the Young modulus, creep constant and viscosity coefficient of the folded-carpet. 

In this paper, the specimens woven by the same weaver with identical materials but with four different types of knots, i.e., symmetrical, asymmetrical, jufti and U knots, which their details are given in a previous paper by these authors, are used. The effect of these knots on such physical properties as width of the weave, length of the motifs, length of yarn in a knot and the carpet weight are measured. The woven samples are produced in two different methods. Resulrs show that the width of jufti and U knot samples were reduced after cutting off the loom, while the change in the width of the other two is little. The change in the length of motifs depends on the change in the carpet length, i.e., in samples with change in carpet length, the motifs length change as well and in cases that there are little change or no change in the carpet length, accordingly no change or little change is observed in the motifs. In the meantime, by subjective investigation of shapes of motifs in the four different knots, the change in their details and the sharpness of the lines and curves in them are studied. The results of computation of the ratio of the wool yarn to cotton yarn demonstrates that in symmetric and asymmetric samples more than two third of the carpet weight is built up by wool yarns, so that it is predicted that they have better mechanical function compared with other knots. Jufti sample has the lowest ratio of wool to cotton yarn, so it would show the worst mechanical performance. 

University is a learning institution that train students in economic, social and cultural fields and develop their professional skills which causes opportunities for their progress and prepares them to enter the working areas. The growth and spread of these institutions have led to the significance of customer-centered strategies and to improve their services. To this end, the ServQual methodology was applied to identify customer perceptions of the actual service received. However, a questionnaire consists of 5 dimensions and 27 questions used to collected the data. Finally, characteristics/quality components were prioritized with fuzzy-TOPSIS technique that meets the requirements of students as customers of the educational system. The results show that the quality of educational services are in medium level. Also, ranking of quality parameters demonstrate that visually appealing facilities and recording educational documents of students are the best and worst quality components, respectively. Some suggestions are made to improve the most significant quality parameters of educational services. 

The study of Sun and Mehr motifs and symbols, their continuity and transformation, related religions and myths in all Iranian pre-historic cultural fields and Islamic period especially in the traditional carpet art is an inevitable necessity in order to get more acquainted with the content of the work. With the change of moon-worshipping custom to Sun-worshipping one, the elements and motifs of the past religion were realized in the elements of the new religion and left many motifs in various arts and particularly in the carpet of different regions of Iran, such as Fars area. Mithraism is the most important related religion with the sun that becomes a global religion and other related symbols with this religion are being illustrated in various Iranian fields, especially Iranian rural and tribal carpet-weaving until today. In this article, the semantic and visual motifs of Sun and Mehr in the Persian carpets and handcrafts have been analyzed by the comparative-analytical as well as library method. By studying various pictures from handcrafts with the required content in various urban, rural and tribal styles, all related motifs were examined in a three-fold categorization. Broad geographical understanding of motifs is among the findings of this research. 

Marketing mix is one of the most important devices that is used in marketing planning. Marketing mix refes to factors and controllable variables that Marketing managers use to satisfy target customers. Marketing scholars identify different factors for different products. In this research at first we proposed five factor model for carpet marketing mix. Then we tested and ranked these factors. Findings showed that historical and artistic gentility is the most important factor in marketing mix. Then promotion, product, price and at last place are other factors in marketing plan. 

Section 1- The research question was that what the difference between Adobe and carpet is? By decoding this code, besides revealing this esoteric relationship, many other unexplained cases about rug can be clarified. Then, concepts and variables were defined and the literature was studied. Section 2- This part dealt with methodology, and introduced population, sample, sampling design, data collection method, research tools, reliability and validity, study design, and data analysis method. Section 3- Data was described then analyzed and classified; after that questions were answered and hypothesis was tested which was confirmed. Section 4- To conclude, research findings were compared with the literature that have indicated a new viewpoint on rug issues; and finally limitations and suggestions were listed.

Nowadays new industrial developments and its effects on fashion and consumers' taste have changed the aesthetical paradigms. Therefore it is so important to look contemporary art works in aesthetic perspective as well as commercial one. Hand-woven carpets cannot be suitable and fruitful if ignore either aesthetic condition or commercial requisites. Hand-woven carpets are our national heritage so it is necessary to study this field for developing the place of hand-woven carpets. Market of hand-woven carpet is as important as artistic viewpoint and because of that, this article studies the place of new designs of carpets and its influence. Market system and addressee’s attitude toward new design are the most important issues. Data gathering process that is based on reaching the information from real samples and completing the questionnaires concludes that instigating the need in addressees by new design and also effective advertisements cause that we face with demand, consequently the market gives new order of design to the artistic to enter the market new design. So creative new designs in carpet will attract the interest of consumers and developing the use of hand-woven carpets may play a crucial role in expanding the use of these kinds of national heritage in near future.

The present study is an applied research using quantitative method. In the first step, the intended factors of marketing mix, production-export consortium and branding of Turkman carpet were studied in existing literature, and then, the quantitative method of questionnaire was used for collecting needed data and extracting basic factors. The questionnaire was prepared by the researcher. After gathering the questionnaires, the collected data were put in the SPSS software and were analyzed through various methods of inferential statistics. For measuring the significance of each component of the questionnaire, the five-point Likert scale, which has ordinal scales, was used to measure the factors and convert them to quantitative data, with giving each factor a number from 1 to 5. The data of the research was collected in a period from October of 2010 to September 2011, and the research was conducted in Golestan province. The population was constituted of five groups: 1. experts, who became expert in managing, scientific and research affairs related to carpet through working in this field; 2. exporters, who sell hand-woven carpets wholesale; 3. importers, who import Iranian hand-woven carpets from Iran into the target countries; 4. retailers, who sell the carpet to the consumers; and 5. weavers, consisting of all real or legal people who produce carpets in workshops or at homes, in cities or villages. For selecting the sample subjects from the first four groups, simple random sampling method was used; and the sample subjects of the fifth groups were selected through the Morgan table and simple random sampling. Therefore, 406 subjects were selected as samples with a balanced and appropriate proportion. By following up the project and informing about the research's goals, all questionnaires were filled out and delivered to the researcher. The Chronbach's coefficient alpha was 93%, and for prioritizing the variables, the Friedman test, and for supporting or rejecting the hypotheses, the binomial test was used. The conclusions show that all hypotheses were significant in export of Turkman hand-woven carpets. Among the hypotheses, the great potential of the province in producing hand-woven carpets was a strong point, and lack of attention to marketing mix, absence of a production- export consortium, and lack of attention to branding were of weak points, which need the especial attention of the provincial and export companies' managers and planners. At the end, besides presenting detailed conclusions and findings, the mentioned issues were summarized, and applicable suggestions were offered to the managers and experts, and also future similar researches.

Globalization as a part of modern economy has been of huge controversies in different countries including Iran. Since Iran is attempting to increase its non-oil exports and its presence in global markets. Enduring in this competitive worldly market necessitates evaluation of tastes and creation of new markets for the products. Accordingly Iranian hand-woven carpets are among the top exports of the country is looking for a proper position in global trade. Traditional production and concentration on out-dated designs beside blind-weaving and neglecting the customers taste in target markets are the main reasons of the recession in its trade that are in an urgent need of reconsideration. Although carpet is of a great artistic value, its commercial value ought to be kept in mind as well. Studies show that there is a huge gap between carpet production in Iran and its marketing and evaluation of potential customers' taste around the world. It seems as if lack of interest in utilizing modern information technology tools among Iranian carpet traders abroad has caused them not receive enough information about customers' taste and as a result fail in relating the tastes and domestic production. This survey type descriptive study attempts to collect data through field, libraries and internet.

 Among various Persian carpet designs, medallion and medallion with spandrels designs have special status due to their both aesthetic and frequency of use in carpets. It seems that the medallion in Persian carpet has not achieved this significance only for its aesthetic aspects. In this paper, the significance of this pattern is investigated from symbolic point of view using library-based survey and content analysis. Medallion in the carpet has reached such maturity and aesthetic climax from both conceptual and appearance aspects that this can hardly be seen in other arts. Medallion pattern has developed from mythical beliefs and it symbolizes garden and pool; but its evolution to today's state is in fact the manifestation of the beliefs, thoughts and dreams of the Iranian Muslim artists that are manifested in a heavenly garden and spiritual space. On the other hand, visualizing heavenly concepts in the medallion departs from mortal and earthly state, and seeks introducing a holy space by using abstract patterns. In this way, an eternal world, which cannot be depicted in any mortal form, is portrayed by applying a symbolic rendition. For realizing all of its connotations, the designer and/or weaver chooses the center of the carpet to stimulate this prominent concept.

 The ancient motif of vase, whether individually or in combination with other motifs, is one of the most basic patterning motifs in visual culture of Iran and is among the manifestations of eternal verdancy. Multiplicity of its types, its various forms, flexibility of its structure and its combination with other motifs have caused that the vase motif become a basic and guiding elements for other motifs. Nomadic and rural hand-woven textiles manifest the power and value of vase motif fully and obviously and the motif has become a model for urban artifacts and styles. Abundance, variety and especially innovative presence of vase motifs observed in the rural brick-shaped rugs of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari raise many questions, for example: How is the variety of vase motif on brick-shaped rugs? What are their main components (form and structure)? What are the causes of changes of this motif? This research has been conducted using descriptive-analytic method and data collection has been performed using library-based and field studies. Keywords: Vase motif, Rural brick-shaped rugs, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, Form, Figure, Structure.

The Persian carpet has invariably been a means for expression of the beliefs and traditions of various people of this country. Among various plant and animal motifs, the carpets with the motif of the "Talking Tree" which are also known as “vaq vaq”, have replaced the allegorical and symbolic representation of the decorative designs of carpets with anecdotal motifs due to their pictorial characteristics. The present research aims at achieving the visual qualities and concepts of this tree by means of a comparative study among the present works in three civilizations, i.e. Persia, India, and Middle Asia. This research was conducted on the concepts and within the field of pictorial tradition, relying on the remaining records in the culture, literature, and pictorial tradition of the carpets of Persia, India, and Middle Asia. The result obtained indicates that vaq vaq has its roots in the ancient Indo-Iranian culture. It has however adopted different meanings through the separation of the branches of this civilization. From a conceptual perspective, this tree is an image of the tree of knowledge and a picture of Kelileh va Demneh, as wisdom uttered by animals. However, as it enters eastern regions, this conceptual aspect is retained and in northwestern regions of Iran, a part of fertilization rituals and the haven of the residence of spirits create its present shape, due to a connection with the roots of shamanism remained from the Middle Asia. This decorative motif is gradually manifested in various manners since sixth AH/ twelfth AD century, as the Middle Asian tribes enter the homeland of Iran. This research was conducted using descriptive/analytical approach.