The Role of Artistic-ritualistic Gifts Exchange in the Consolidation and Continuity of Social-cultural Values of Iranians (Case of Study: Exchange of Gifts in Celebration and Mourning Rituals in Abyaneh)

Gift-giving is one of the most common categories in most local cultures and communities of Iran. The process of exchanging gifts in different situations and occasions has increased the meaning of those situations and occasions for Iranians. Moreover, it has also caused those situations and occasions continuity and, in general, the stability of the elements and symbols of Iranian culture over time. Therefore, reflecting on the place of gifts in diverse Iranian cultures and the “things” that are exchanged as gifts is a window to understanding the ways of consolidation of Iranian local communities and their social and cultural values continuation. For this reason, the present article, first examined the category of gifts in Iranian culture using the library method. The study then surveyed the exchange process of the artistic-ritualistic gifts in Abyaneh village in Natanz County of Isfahan Province, located in central parts of Iran. The second part of the research employed an in-depth anthropological approach, utilizing ethnographic research techniques such as observation, participant observation, and interviews. Specifically, this research studied the process of gift exchange in celebrations and mourning rituals, emphasizing two important rituals: weddings and Nakhlgardani. In this study, we seek the answers to these questions: What is the role of gift exchange in the value system of Iranian society and culture, especially in Abyaneh society? And what is the relation between the ritual context of the gift exchange and the artistic characteristics of the gifts exchanged in the two mentioned rituals? The results of this research show that the design of the exchanged art objects represents the religious values ​​of the givers and receivers, and their exchange is actually the exchange of values ​​that induces security and power in society. The exchange of these objects in the rituals causes the continuation of the descent and responsibility chains through the continuation of the gift chain. In fact, gift exchange brings cultural values into circulation and keeps them alive. When gift exchange occurs in contexts that are focused on specific cultural values, such as rites of passage and religious or national rituals, and integrates into the structure of these rituals, a larger part of the society enters the cycle of exchange, strengthening the force that reproduces the society and its values.