Persian lion, bull and sun: Emblem of power on Persian arms and armor
Some pieces of Iranian arms and armor bear the symbol of the lion and the sun. The symbol of the lion appears on the so-called Iranian trade blades in a similar form to the European heraldic image of a lion passant reguardant. Sometimes, the raised image of the sun with facial features is found in the center of steel shields or on the surface of steel helmets. Although it is true that a large number of these images stem from the Qajar period, one should not automatically assume the emblem of the lion and the sun as a distinguishing feature for identification and attribution of a piece to the Qajar period. One should note that one of the titles of Imam Ali was “Assadollāh” (the lion of God), and even Šāh Abbās was addressed as Farzandzādeye Assadollāh (the grandson of the lion of God) since he considered himself seyyed (a descendant of the Prophet’s family). Sorry for the poor quality of the sound. See my article on the subject: [ Ссылка ]
To read more you can order my book Arms and Armor from Iran: The Bronze Age to the end of the Qajar Period, see: [ Ссылка ]
