An Analysis of the Symbolic Expression of the Form of “Four Elements” in Baluch Nomads Rugs with the Approach of Bachelard's Imaginative Criticism

Motifs in traditional arts narrate symbolic and hidden concepts that generally originate from the artist's imagination based on his lived experience. According to Bachelard’s approach,, imagination is the source of existence and creator of an artwork. According to Bachelard's theory, an original and creative art work inherently uses a kind of artistic imagination related to the four elements of nature. Therefore, imaginative criticism is a suitable tool for evaluating the extent to which the aforementioned elements are represented in an artwork. The problem is that if we consider the Iranian hand-woven rug as an artwork, what is the philosophy of creation and the existential source of designs and motifs, its basis? According to Bachelar's imaginative criticism, the existential root of all motifs in an artwork should be sought in the four elements of nature, which have been deposited by God in a way in the artist's existence. Based on this, the research evaluates the symbolic expression of the images of the four elements in 16 panels of hand-woven Baluch nomadic rugs. Also, this study is trying to provide an appropriate answer to the following question: What are the visual and symbolic components of the motifs related to the four elements in the aforementioned rugs? The results show that the "creative imagination" of the Baluch weaver is related to the elements of nature, which has led to the formation and production of "original and far from imitation and repetition" visual images. Furthermore, although traces of the four elements can be observed behind the motifs of all the rugs, the greatest emphasis is on the vital element of water. This result is due to the pre-Islamic Zoroastrian religious beliefs of the Baluch people and also the lack of water in the geographical climate of Baluchistan.