Abstract
One of the most fascinating and also enigmatic artistic motifs of the Sogdian art flourished in 7th-8th centuries, might be so-called winged camel or camel bird. The reasons why this unprecedented composite animal was invented only by the Sogdians might be found out within the cultural background of Sogdiana. Therefore, the present author tried to collect the archaeological documents of the camelus bactrianus unearthed mainly in West-Turkestan from 3rd millenium BC up to 10th century AD. These varied documents confirm us that camelus bactrianus symbolized the water and river (canal) and consequently the fertility of the cultivated lands in West-Turkestan. Secondly, the author tried to explain why bird's wings were attached to the un-winged camelus bactrianus by citing the Sasanian royal benchthrone (Kline), the legs of which are decorated with such winged animals as winged horses, winged rams and griffins. This Sasanian zoomorphic royal throne signified the ascension or apotheosis of the Sasanian King of Kings and was adopted by the Iranian rulers and chieftains in Afghanistan and Transoxiana. Based upon these two-sided arguments the author concludes that the unique image of winged camelus bactrianus was created through the cultural contact between the Sasanian royal ideology (zoomorphic throne) and the cultic reverence of camelus bactrianus among the Sogdians. From the iconographical view-point, the winged camelus bactrianus as well as the nonwinged camelus bactrianus signifies the Iranian xvarnah which is invested by fravashi (ancestral spirit) and in wider senses means fertility, riches, possession of many domesticated animals and so on.
