Parthian Art (هنر اشکانی) and Civilization: Between East and West

A bronze statue of a Parthian nobleman from the sanctuary at Shami in Elymais

The story of Parthian Art (هنر اشکانی) is inseparable from the story of the Parthians (اشکانیان) themselves — a people who emerged in the 3rd century BCE from the northeast of Iran, transformed regional politics, and shaped cultural identity across a vast empire. Positioned at the intersection of East and West, the Parthians (اشکانیان) created a world where Iranian tradition conversed with Hellenistic influence, and where artistic exchange moved along the arteries of the Silk Road.

Though celebrated first as warriors and horse-archers, the Parthians (اشکانیان) left behind a legacy of innovation in architecture, urbanism, and visual culture. Their reign, lasting nearly five centuries, represents one of the longest dynastic periods in Iranian history. With capitals in Nisa, Ctesiphon, and Hecatompylos, they ruled a realm that stretched across Mesopotamia, Central Asia, and beyond. Their political pragmatism was mirrored in their use of languages: Parthian Pahlavi for daily life, Greek for diplomacy and trade. This duality reflects the very essence of Parthian Art (هنر اشکانی): hybrid, adaptive, and dialogical.

Architecture of Power

One of the Parthians’ (اشکانیان) most enduring contributions was architectural. The iwan — a monumental vaulted hall — first appeared in this era and became a defining feature of later Sasanian and Islamic architecture. Through the iwan, the Parthians (اشکانیان) abandoned the column-heavy halls of the Achaemenids in favor of vast open spaces that emphasized grandeur and authority.

Other structural innovations included domes, barrel vaults, semi-columns, and circular city plans. Exteriors often bore Hellenistic ornamentation, but interiors spoke the language of Iranian ritual and geometry. This dual aesthetic embodied the Parthians’ (اشکانیان) role as cultural negotiators, balancing foreign influence with local traditions.

Phases of Parthian Art (هنر اشکانی)

Scholars often divide Parthian Art (هنر اشکانی) into three phases:

1. Imitative works borrowing from Greek, Persian, and Eastern traditions.

2. Synthesis and maturity, especially in the 1st century BCE, when motifs of hunting, ritual, and heroic figures gained new vitality.

3. Late period art, extending into the 2nd century CE, where decorative exuberance sometimes replaced earlier balance.

Excavations at Nisa, Hatra, and Dura-Europos reveal murals, reliefs, and sculptures marked by one striking feature: frontality. Figures face the viewer directly, rejecting Greek perspectival depth. This “confrontational gaze” became a hallmark of Iranian and later Byzantine art — a visual dialogue that draws the viewer into presence rather than illusion.

Bronze statue of a Parthian nobleman from the sanctuary at Shami in Elymais (modern-day Khūzestān Province, Iran, along the Persian Gulf), now located at the National Museum of Iran. Dated 50 BC – 150 AD, Parthian School

Objects, Rituals, and Exchange

Beyond architecture and sculpture, Parthian Art (هنر اشکانی) thrived in everyday objects. Bronze figurines, ivory cups, and ceramic sarcophagi reflected the same hybrid style. A rhyton might carry the shape of an Achaemenid vessel, decorated with Greek motifs, yet infused with Iranian symbolism. Jewelry, coins, and weaponry reveal not only technical mastery but also the integration of political iconography and sacred imagery.

The Silk Road intensified these exchanges. By the 2nd century CE, Parthian (اشکانی) territory became a vital artery for trade, carrying not only goods but also artistic forms. Designs, motifs, and techniques moved fluidly across borders, embedding Parthian Art (هنر اشکانی) into a global artistic network.

Performance, Literature, and Music

The Parthians (اشکانیان) were not indifferent to performance. Greek tragedies were staged in Ctesiphon; masks unearthed in Hatra remind us of a culture deeply invested in theater. Musicians and storytellers — the gusan (گوسان) — preserved and performed epics that would later form the foundation of Persian literary tradition. The Khwaday-Namag, composed in this era, became the seed of Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh, ensuring that Parthian voices echoed long after their empire faded.

Door lintel with lion-griffins and vase with lotus leaf Parthianca. 2nd–early 3rd century CE

Legacy and Artistic Continuity

Although sometimes overshadowed by the Achaemenids before them and the Sasanians after, Parthian Art (هنر اشکانی) shaped the foundation of Iranian visual culture. The architectural vocabulary of the iwan, the stylistic directness of frontal figuration, and the hybridization of East and West all carried forward into later centuries. Parthian (اشکانی) influence extended beyond Iran, shaping art in Byzantium, India, and Central Asia.

For me, as an Iranian artist, the study of Parthian Art (هنر اشکانی) is more than academic curiosity — it is a wellspring of inspiration. In my own work, I often return to history not as a distant archive, but as a living current. The Parthians (اشکانیان) remind us that identity is not about isolation but about synthesis. Their art thrived in the spaces between cultures, where trade routes became routes of imagination.

When I incorporate Persian miniature, calligraphy, or architectural geometry into my contemporary practice, I feel that I am continuing the same dialogue that the Parthians (اشکانیان) once began. Their art teaches us that hybridity is not weakness, but strength — that from encounters, new forms emerge.

Silver drachm

Parthian Art (هنر اشکانی) remains a mirror: it reflects both who we were and who we continue to be.

— Keyvan Shovir