From its earliest experiments to its most refined forms, the art of relief carving demonstrates the creativity and skill of Iranian artists. The first steps in this art were taken by the Lullubi people, followed by the Elamites, Medes, Achaemenids, and Parthians, who contributed to its evolution, culminating in its perfection by the Sassanids.
The Khaneh Takhti relief is the only Sassanid rock carving in northwest Iran. It is located 17 kilometers along the Salmas-Urmia Road, near the village of Minas, on the outskirts of the "Pirchavosh" mountain. The subject of this relief is the victory of the Sassanid kings (Ardashir I and his crown prince Shapur I) over their enemies and the conferment of power from Ardashir and his son Shapur I.
This rectangular relief, measuring five meters in length and two and a half to two and eight tenths meters in height, depicts four figures: two mounted and two on foot. The first mounted figure (on the left side of the relief) is Ardashir I, who is depicted taller and more prominent. The second mounted figure (on the right) is Shapur I, Ardashir's son and successor. Both are granting a ring, symbolizing power and sovereignty, to the foot soldiers, who are local rulers.
In this relief, the horses are shown in profile, the heads of the figures are three-quarters view, the torsos are frontal, and the legs are in profile. The facial features of the kings, the balanced composition, the prominence of the carvings, and the proportionate grandeur of the horses are qualities that make this work a masterpiece of Sassanid sculpture. Chronologically, this relief dates back to the third century AD (between 235 and 241 AD).
The purpose of creating this relief was to serve historical and propagandistic objectives, to display the majesty of the kingship, and to celebrate the king’s status and power.