Iranica Antiqua, vol. XLVI, 2011 doi: 10.2143/IA.46.0.2084421 ARDASHIR II OR SHAPUR III? REFLECTIONS ON THE IDENTITY OF A KING IN THE SMALLER GROTTO AT TAQ-I BUSTAN BY Bruno OVERLAET (Royal Museums of Art and History, Brussels / Ghent University) Abstract: Two Sasanian kings are depicted on the back wall of the smaller grotto at Taq-i Bustan near Kermanshah (Iran). They are identified by inscriptions as Shapur II (309-379 A.D.) and his son Shapur III (383-388 A.D.). However, the details of the crowns and the design of the relief oppose this idea. It makes it likely that the figure identified as Shapur III is in fact Ardashir II (379-383 A.D.), the immediate successor and (half)brother of Shapur II. It is suggested that the identifying texts were added when Shapur III came to power. Keywords: Sasanian, Shapur II, Ardashir II, rock reliefs, Taq-i Bustan. There are three reliefs at Taq-i Bustan near Kermanshah (Pl. 1-3). All three are placed at the foot of the mountains and next to some springs (34°23’15.15”N - 47°07’55.67”E). Taq-i Bustan I is a relief that is placed directly on the rock face and depicts the investiture of Ardashir II in the presence of Mithra. The other reliefs are placed in iwans cut out in the rock. In the smaller one, next to the investiture scene, there are two kings depicted on the back wall, identified by inscriptions as Shapur II (309-379 A.D.) and his son Shapur III (383-388 A.D.). The larger iwan is much later; it is ascribed to Khusrow II, and lavishly decorated on all walls and on its outer façade. Taq-i Bustan is located along a major road through the Zagros and received the attention of many western travellers and archaeologists from as early as the 17th century onwards (for a survey of these reports and studies, see Tanabe 1984). The present paper concerns the smaller one of the two iwans with the image of two kings. A detailed study of this iwan, which included a photogrammetric survey, was made by a Tokyo University team (see Fukai & Horiuchi 1972, Pl. LXIII- LXXIII; Fukai, Sugiyama, Kimata & Tanabe, 1983: Pl. XXII-XXIV; Fukai, Horiuchi, Tanabe & Domyo 1984: 143-151, 163-166). IA46010.pdf 1 24/06/11 11:34 94066_Iran_Antiqua_46_10.indd 235 21/06/11 12:00 236 B. OVERLAET The setting The surroundings of the reliefs have dramatically changed. Nowadays, the floor of the iwan is on the same level as the area in front of it and visitors to the site can simply walk in and out of the iwans (Pl. 1). How- ever, this used to be very different. The French travellers Flandin & Coste camped for a period of 18 days in the grotto to study the sculptures and to make detailed plans of its architecture (Flandin 1851: 433-448). They indicate springs at the foot of the Ardashir II relief and the smaller iwan and a platform or terrace in front of the larger iwan (Fig. 1, Pl. 1-3; Flandin & Coste 1843-54: 5-6, Pl. 2-3). The course of the waterways and the springs were changed when the Qadjar prince Imam Quli Mirza, grandson of Fath Ali Shah and governor of Kirmanshah from 1851 until 1872 con- structed a small palace next to the reliefs (Luschey 1979). The main spring (located underneath the palace) was kept visible but the area in front of the reliefs was raised and paved. This Qadjar palace was eventually demol- ished in 1963. Fig. 1. The iwans at Taq-i Bustan in 1840 A.D. with the watercourse still in front of them, drawing by P. Coste (after Flandin & Coste 1843-54: Pl. 3). IA46010.pdf 2 24/06/11 11:34 94066_Iran_Antiqua_46_10.indd 236 21/06/11 12:00 ARDASHIR II OR SHAPUR III? 237 On the drawings published by Flandin & Coste, the water still flows directly in front of the iwans and they were only accessible using a tempo- rary bridge which Flandin withdrew when he felt unsafe (Flandin 1851: 445-446). There is a vertical rock face (not clear whether natural or man- made) underneath the smaller iwan and its floor was well above the water level (Fig. 1, Pl. 1-3). Flandin & Coste marked a spring at the foot of the smaller iwan. Although it can not be ascertained that the course of the waterflow was identical at the time of its construction, it is clear that the iwan was set well above the level of the area in front of it. Possibly, it was accessible from the area where Khusrow II later constructed his iwan and terrace. People sitting inside would have been positioned as on a podium and would have had a clear view of the surroundings. The smaller iwan Exact measurements of the iwan were taken by Flandin & Coste (see Pl. 2; Flandin & Coste 1843-54: Pl. 2), by the Tokyo University expedition (Sekiguchi 1984: 143) and in 1975 by the Belgian Expedition headed by Louis Vanden Berghe. Minor differences between the various sources are easily explained by the irregularity of the rock. The inside of the iwan is approximately 5.80 m wide, 3.58 m deep and 5.34 m high. On the outside, flat rectangular panels next to the side walls have been cut. The walls (H. 2.35 m) and the vaulted ceiling are separated by a small recess of about 10 cm. The same recess is also present on the back wall and on the recessed semi-circular/oval panel the sculptors started their work. The two standing kings were sculpted in a rectan- gular panel of which the background is ca. 10 cm deep. The relief is thus rela- tively flat and particularly in the lower part of the figures, many details are executed in a flat, almost engraved manner. When facing the relief, the left king measures 2.85 m, the right one 2.90 m (measurements taken by L. Vanden Berghe in 1975). A more or less triangular section next to both kings is slightly deepened and carries the text that identifies them. The text is thus placed on a panel that is situated in between the original surface (visible below the text) and the background of the sculptures. The front panels and the walls below the recess are all plain and there is no indication that they were once painted, plastered or decorated in any other way (as it is the case in Khusrow II’s larger iwan). Nevertheless, one could imagine that wall carpets or other textiles were used to decorate the iwan. They could have been somehow fixed on the top of the ridge. IA46010.pdf 3 24/06/11 11:34 94066_Iran_Antiqua_46_10.indd 237 21/06/11 12:00 238 B. OVERLAET The relief with the two kings The relief on the upper back wall of the iwan represents two slightly over-life size royal figures (for extensive descriptions, see Domyo 1984 and Sekiguchi 1984). They are shown in full frontal position and turn their heads towards one another. Their hands rest on the grip of their sword. Both men are wearing almost identical clothing; a knee length tunic with rounded apex, trousers and shoes that are tied with ribbons. They are only differentiated by their crown/headdress and the decorative details of their sword-belt, sword, dagger, shoes and the rim of their sleeves. The regalia of their royal position are a necklace with large beads, a diadem, an apesac and ribbons. Double fluttering ribbons, each with three ring shaped hem- weights (through which the fabric was pulled, similar as on the Taq-i Bustan I relief of Ardashir II), appear from behind them and were attached to the back of their bejewelled apesac. They also have a very similar physio- gnomy. Both display the royal korymbos; have a similar hairdo and a tufted beard. The king on the right, Shapur II, is depicted with his characteristic mural crown. He wears a diadem with two rows of pearls around the head, knot- ted at the back with two very long folded ribbons. Two short ribbons are visible at the base of his korymbos. The king on the left wears a similar diadem which has, however, a large crescent on the front. He wears no crown but a cloth-covered korymbos. It seems he also wears a thin skull- cap through which the hair curls can be seen since some lines indicating textile are visible inside the crescent (Pl. 6 top). His general position mimics that of Shapur II but his right arm is slightly more bend which makes the figure narrower and allows a view on the bejewelled belt around his waist (Pl. 4-5). The inscriptions The two kings are identified as Shapur II and Shapur III by two stereo- typic inscriptions that are engraved next to them in the more or less trian- gular recesses. They are known as STBn-I (Shapur/Taq-i Bustan, text I) and STBn-II (Shapur/Taq-i Bustan, text II) (Back 1978: 490-491; Kamioka 1984). Antoine de Sacy was the first to decipher them. He identified the kings as Shapur (II) and –erroneously– as Bahram (de Sacy 1793: 241-263). This reading was corrected by Ch. Hoeck who established the identity as IA46010.pdf 4 24/06/11 11:34 94066_Iran_Antiqua_46_10.indd 238 21/06/11 12:00 ARDASHIR II OR SHAPUR III? 239 Shapur III inscription line Shapur II inscription STBn-II STBn-I (Drawing from Fukai, Sugiyama, Kimata & Tanabe 1983: Pl.