Kashan Shenasi

Kashan Shenasi

An Analysis of Multidimensional Representations in Qajar- Era Mihrab Carpets of Kashan

Document Type : Original Article

Author
Soniya Nouri
Assistant Professor, Carpet Department, University of Kashan, Iran
10.22052/kashan.2026.257377.1146
Abstract
Representation in the field of art is the process of reflecting and reproducing reality, thought, and identity through symbolic and visual forms. Its significance lies in the fact that, through representation, works of art become a medium for conveying cultural, religious, and social concepts and provide an opportunity to interpret the underlying layers of collective thought and beliefs. Therefore, examining representation in works of art, particularly in handwoven textiles, is essential for understanding how the identity and cultural discourses of each period are reflected. The issue of representation in works of art, particularly in Qajar-period prayer rugs from Kashan, is associated with components such as culture, identity, religious beliefs, and the prevailing ideology. These representations often emerge indirectly through mystical, religious, Sufi, mythological, and symbolic themes within the visual structure of the rugs and provide a medium for conveying intellectual and ideological concepts. The semantic layers arising from indigenous, historical, and social contexts have contributed to the formation of representations that implicitly reflect the ideological and identity-related themes of the Qajar period through symbolic discourses. Despite their conceptual independence, these representations, in relation to one another, constitute the ideological structure of the work. The symbolic motifs of the mihrab and the inscriptions of Kashan’s prayer rugs, as a cultural medium, carry coded messages derived from the history and collective memory of Iranian Muslims; messages that have manifested themselves in the reproduction of the discourse of power and in legitimizing the ideology of the rulers. The aim of this study is to identify the artistic and cultural perspectives of the Qajar period, examine how they were employed by Kashani designers and carpet weavers, and investigate the symbolic and indirect representation of signs and social layers associated with the governmental structure of that period. The present study was conducted using a descriptive-analytical approach within the framework of qualitative research. Data were collected from library sources to answer the following questions: which identity-related components are reflected in the symbols and signs of Kashan’s prayer rugs? and how and through what methods does the process of representation take place in these rugs? The results indicated that aesthetic elements derived from nature, the architecture of the mihrab, symbolic motifs, and Iranian identity-related signs have served as effective mediators in the formation of mythological, mental, social, and realistic representations.


Keywords
representation
identity
prayerr
Qajar period
Kashan
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