Rag Dolls and the Cultural Identity of Zoroastrian Female Society

After the collapse of the Sasanian Empire, the Zoroastrians of Iran formed a community united by a shared religious identity, later evolving into an ethnic group. The strategic importance of the Silk Road, combined with the familiarity of Zoroastrian textile merchants with this route, facilitated several waves of Zoroastrian migration. However, those who remained in Iran settled in various Silk Road stations and faced social pressures and discriminatory laws imposed by Islamic rulers. These circumstances led Zoroastrian women to promote textile and silk production as a means of preserving their cultural, gender, and ethnic identity. The garments of Zoroastrian women in Iran symbolize various aspects of the community’s identity and encompass both intangible heritage and material culture, which are passed down through oral literature and traditions. Zoroastrian silk costumes and puppet theater performances, using Rag dolls made from recycled silk or cotton textiles, not only convey dress codes, production processes, and components of Zoroastrian women’s clothing but also provide knowledge about medicinal plants and natural dyes. These practices contribute to the preservation of the Zoroastrians’ unique language. Keywords: Zoroastrian women, Iran, Textile, Rag dolls, identity.