Close view of Bahram II’s audience scene at Naqsh-e Rostam, said Naqsh-e Rostam II. A contextual view of the relief can be seen there

Naqsh-e Rostam II is one of the many rock reliefs attributed to the Sasanian king Bahram II. During his reign, the art of carving rock relief raised to a culminating importance like never before. Bahram II’s The singularity lay not only in the high number of reliefs he ordered (not less than 10), but also in the diversity of their locations and thematic. If Bahram re-used some of the places already hosting some of his Sasanian predecessors reliefs such as Bishapour, or Naqsh-e Rostam (also hosting 4 royal achaemenian tombs ( see it on Rob’s stream), an achaemenian temple, and at last 1 elamite rock relief), he also choose 5 new places never carved before such as Sarab-e Bahram, Sar mashhad, Guyum, Barm-e Dilak, and Sarab-e Qandil. None of these places will ever be carved again, and then, will definitely remain attached to his reign. As Bahram didn’t match any substantial military victory, he could not be represented in any victorious or blessed investiture posture but then introduced some new iconographic themes such as the royal audience given to courtiers (Sarab-e Bahram)

or embassadors (Bishapour II on Rob’s stream)

, love scene (Barm-e Dilak I), or fight against fierce lions (Sar Mashhad)

The scene is aimed to produce an impression of majesty and power for the downer spectator. The king stands at the center, holding his sword with his 2 joined hands, wearing his typical winged crown. His Korymbos (hairs fastened into a big spherical bow, all contained into a veil forming this typical Sasanian royal hairdressing) disrupts the upper level of the frame. The scene is contained into a large rectangular frame deeply carved. This is intended to produce a strong volume effect by using the artifice of exaggerating the deepness on a convex rocky cliff. The dimensions of the large thoraces compared to the legs is intended to restore by a kind of optical illusion effect, the impression of normal proportions for a spectator watching the scene from down. The king’s dressing is now perfectly executed, with gracious floating bended wrinkles on the baggy trouser. If the body of the king is shown with a frontal posture, his head is turned on his right, which is an original position. On the left of the register, one can see 5 characters: A noble man, the high priest (“moebed”) Kartir (unbearded), 2 closer characters probably from the royal family as their animal head hats testify, then an unbearded servant or priest. On the right side, 3 noblemen are shown. All the characters pay respect to the king by a typical gesture, curving forward their 2nd finger.

It is not precisely known whether the fact that only the bust of the non royal person is seen was intentional or not. Some think it was aimed to back the importance of the king, while some other stated the relief was not finished. The cautioned polishing of the surface, the precision and regularity of the top of the panel hiding the secondary characters probably is the evidence that it was finished and intentionally left this way.

This relief was carved on the exact place of a former Elamite relief who probably shown a religious tribute in a similar fashion as the relief of Kurangun, near Fahlian. The elamite register is nearly completely erased but some artefacts can still be distinguished, better viewed when the sun comes to the midday: a Crowned head can be seen positioned on the left side of the Sasanian scene, the top of an Elamite hat lay over the top of a Sasanian courtier, a complete Elamite character head, probably a prince is seen at the right side of the Sasanian scene, and a few paralleled lines testify of the former existence of a bended snake formed throne, probably aimed to support a sitting divinity.

Thx to YoungRobV for posting his precious pictures