Literary Interdisciplinary Research

Analyzing the Meaning of Two Qajar Pictorial Rugs "The Meeting of Shirin and Farhad" Using Panofsky's Iconological Method

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Abolghasem Dadvar 1
Elaheh Panjehbashi 2
Shaghayegh Godazgar 3

1 Professor of Art Research Department of Alzahra University, Tehran, Iran

2 Associate Professor of Painting Department of Alzahra University, Tehran, Iran

3 Master of Art Research, Art Research Department, Alzahra University, Tehran, Iran

10.30465/lir.2025.51367.1997
Abstract
Pictorial rugs of the Qajar period reflect the social, cultural, and artistic conditions of their time. Among literary themes, Nezami Ganjavi’s Khosrow and Shirin, composed in the 6th century AH, appears more frequently than other narratives on these rugs. This study aims to uncover the hidden meaning behind the depiction of the meeting between Shirin and Farhad on pictorial rugs, and the research question is how these rugs can be analyzed based on the iconological approach and Panofsky’s theories. This fundamental research follows a descriptive–analytical method. The samples include two rugs depicting the meeting of Shirin and Farhad, and data were collected through library research. The findings show that the spread of the myth of the “foreign woman” in the Qajar period reinforced the credibility of Shirin’s character in Nezami’s tale and contributed to the frequent representation of this story in pictorial rugs. The creation of 'Shirin and Farhad meeting' on carpets reflects an event in the collective unconscious influenced by the West and the spirit of the Qajar era. The depiction of Shirin and Farhad meeting could reference Qajar society’s unfavorable circumstances, gender discrimination, and the Shah and courtiers’ plots to eliminate experienced individuals.

Keywords

Qajar
Erwin Panofsky
Iconology
Pictorial Carpet
Shirin and Farhad

Subjects

Literary Interdisciplinary Research

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 06 December 2025

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