This study examines a pictorial carpet from the Qajar period, housed in the Carpet Museum of Iran, previously interpreted as scenes of zurkhaneh and bathhouse associated with the Shahnameh. Through analysis of verbal signs, narrative structure, and visual comparison, it has been determined that this carpet represents the oral narratives of the Iskandarnameh (Alexander Romance). Accordingly, this research asks: How are the oral Iskandarnameh narratives reflected in this carpet, and what ideological meanings of "kingship" do they reproduce in the Qajar context? The present study aims to analyze this carpet as a narrative visual text and identify the semantic mechanisms of Alexander's representation. Using a descriptive-analytical approach and Panofsky's three-level method (phenomenal description, iconographic analysis, and iconological interpretation), alongside cross-comparison with lithographic sources and literary texts, the findings show that this carpet drew inspiration from the lithographic illustrations of the Iskandarnameh (1273–1274 AH) while presenting a selective and symbolic narrative of Alexander. In this narrative, his character is represented as a simultaneous manifestation of legitimate kingship, mythical heroism, and world-generating fertility. This unique composition constitutes a cultural reproduction of the "king" concept in the Qajar period, where political, military, and generative authority are all integrated into a single unified symbol.
Erfanmanesh, S. and Barati, B. (2025). Iconological Analysis of a Qajar Era Pictorial Carpet Preserved in the Carpet Museum of Iran. Visual Art Studies, 2(2), 355-370. doi: 10.22111/jart.2026.53470.1090
MLA
Erfanmanesh, S. , and Barati, B. . "Iconological Analysis of a Qajar Era Pictorial Carpet Preserved in the Carpet Museum of Iran", Visual Art Studies, 2, 2, 2025, 355-370. doi: 10.22111/jart.2026.53470.1090
HARVARD
Erfanmanesh, S., Barati, B. (2025). 'Iconological Analysis of a Qajar Era Pictorial Carpet Preserved in the Carpet Museum of Iran', Visual Art Studies, 2(2), pp. 355-370. doi: 10.22111/jart.2026.53470.1090
CHICAGO
S. Erfanmanesh and B. Barati, "Iconological Analysis of a Qajar Era Pictorial Carpet Preserved in the Carpet Museum of Iran," Visual Art Studies, 2 2 (2025): 355-370, doi: 10.22111/jart.2026.53470.1090
VANCOUVER
Erfanmanesh, S., Barati, B. Iconological Analysis of a Qajar Era Pictorial Carpet Preserved in the Carpet Museum of Iran. Visual Art Studies, 2025; 2(2): 355-370. doi: 10.22111/jart.2026.53470.1090
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