From the Greek Goddess Isis Holding a Flower to Sasanian Dancers with Blossoms in Hand

The cultural ties between Iran and the Hellenic world are ancient and well-documented. However, this article focuses on the influence of a particular aspect of Roman art on a distinct form of Sasanian performance. The author refers to this combination as a ritual performance. This dance style retains the overall structure of Sasanian art but is significantly influenced by Roman art. There are many important gilded silver vessels housed in well-known museums that depict dancers who share strikingly similar features. They have been found across a wide geographic range, from northern Iran – such as Mazandaran – through Central Asia and into Eurasia. These semi-nude dancers, with prominently displayed chests, typically hold a long-stemmed flower in one hand. In the other, they may be seen holding a bird, a sugarcane, or even the hand of a child. For the background of such a style, carrying a flower branch in one hand and another instrument in the other, it is quite possible to refer to Hellenistic art. The sculpture of the Greek Goddess Isis was one of the most important statuettes and, of course, the best known in Iran, Mesopotamia and Central Asia.