Faravahar Wall Art

The Faravahar is the winged figure carved into the stone reliefs at Persepolis and Behistun: a human upper body rising from a ring, flanked by outspread wings and a tail of three rows of feathers. It is the most recognisable emblem of ancient Iran, and this collection puts it on canvas in contemporary treatments — gold, turquoise, silver and copper among them.

What the symbol means

The original meaning is still discussed. The readings given most often identify it with the fravashi, the guardian spirit of Zoroastrian belief, or with khvarenah, the divine glory associated with kingship. Alongside those sits the reading most Iranians grow up with, in which each element carries a moral sense — the three rows of wing feathers standing for Pendar-e Nik, Goftar-e Nik, Kerdar-e Nik: good thoughts, good words, good deeds. That reading took shape more recently than the carvings, and it is the reason the symbol reads today as an ethical statement rather than a religious one.

We look at all three readings, and where the wing-feather meaning comes from, in What does the Faravahar symbol mean?

Where it works

Because the Faravahar is horizontally symmetrical, it holds a wall on its own and suits a space where a single centred piece is wanted — above a console table, a fireplace, or facing an entrance. The gold and black treatments carry more weight in a dark or wood-heavy room; turquoise and silver sit more lightly.

Questions

Is the Faravahar religious?
It has Zoroastrian roots, but in contemporary use — particularly within the Iranian diaspora — it functions mainly as a cultural symbol.

Where does it come from?
The best-known carvings are Achaemenid, from the sixth to fourth centuries BCE, at Persepolis, Naqsh-e Rostam and Behistun.

How is it made?
Each piece is printed to order on gallery-wrapped canvas, stretched over a wooden frame and shipped ready to hang.