An Intertextual Analysis of National Symbols in the Armorial Pictorial Carpet



Pictorial carpets woven in Kerman during the Qajar period (1789–1925), emerged from a complex interaction of political, economic, and cultural forces. The prosperity of carpet production in Kerman was closely associated with political stability, expanding commercial networks, and the patronage of influential governors, particularly Abdolhossein Mirza Farmanfarma, whose support enabled royal commissions and encouraged artistic innovation. These carpets should therefore be understood not merely as luxury textiles but as visual documents that reflect the intellectual, cultural, and political climate of nineteenth-century Iran.

Although pictorial carpets have attracted considerable scholarly attention, the Armorial Carpet examined in this study has remained largely unexplored. The present research originated from the author's observation of several examples of this carpet during an exhibition held in Kerman in March 2024. The exhibited pieces included both inscribed and non-inscribed versions displaying only minor compositional variations. Informal discussions with manufacturers and local experts produced inconsistent and undocumented interpretations, most notably the claim that the central emblem represented the legendary Derafsh-e Kaviani. The absence of reliable scholarly evidence surrounding these interpretations revealed a significant research gap and provided the principal motivation for undertaking the present investigation.

This study employs a descriptive-analytical methodology. Primary visual data were collected through field observation and photographic documentation of the carpet, while historical and theoretical materials were compiled from library resources and digital archives. The analytical framework is based on Gérard Genette's theory of transtextuality, particularly his concept of hypertextuality, because the Armorial Carpet demonstrates multiple relationships with preceding visual and cultural texts. Within this framework, imitation is understood as the reproduction of an existing structural model, whereas transformation refers to the reinterpretation and recontextualization of inherited symbolic elements to generate new meanings. These concepts provide an appropriate methodological foundation for investigating the multilayered visual references embedded in the carpet. Accordingly, the central research question asks: Which visual elements and symbolic components represented in the Armorial Carpet derive from earlier textual, artistic, and cultural traditions? The study aims to identify the carpet's intertextual and hypertextual relationships and to demonstrate how the reproduction and reinterpretation of historical symbols contributed to constructing a visual discourse of Iranian national identity while simultaneously reflecting the international cultural interactions of the Qajar period.

The transtextual analysis demonstrates that the Armorial Carpet functions as a hypertext whose visual composition is generated through simultaneous processes of imitation and transformation. The overall heraldic arrangement—including the symmetrical composition, central shield, supporters, crest, and hierarchical organization of visual elements—reveals a clear process of imitation derived from European armorial traditions. However, the semantic content of this imported structure is fundamentally transformed through the incorporation of Iranian historical, royal, religious, and mythological imagery. Rather than reproducing European heraldry, the designer appropriated its compositional system as a visual framework for expressing indigenous cultural meanings. Consequently, the carpet should be interpreted as a creative reinterpretation of a foreign visual model rather than as a direct copy.

From the perspective of Genette's theory, the carpet's hypertextual construction operates primarily through three mechanisms: pastiche, forgery, and transposition. Pastiche is evident in the respectful imitation of royal and heraldic conventions without satirical or critical intention. The artist faithfully reproduces formal characteristics associated with political authority while adapting them to the medium of carpet weaving. This process represents an act of cultural continuity rather than parody or ideological criticism.

The second mechanism, forgery, functions through the re-creation of authentic royal and national symbols within a new artistic medium. Detached from their original political and ceremonial contexts, these symbols acquire renewed significance as woven images. Their relocation into textile art does not diminish their authority; instead, it establishes an alternative visual context in which historical legitimacy is reconstructed through artistic representation. The carpet therefore serves as an independent semiotic system that redefines inherited symbols while preserving their cultural authority.

The third mechanism, transposition, involves transferring both the meanings and functions of political iconography into the broader sphere of cultural memory. Symbols originally associated with monarchy, dynastic legitimacy, or military authority are reinterpreted as visual expressions of collective identity and historical continuity. Through this process, political emblems transcend their original administrative functions and become enduring cultural signs capable of communicating national values across different historical periods.

In conclusion, the Armorial Carpet exemplifies the dynamic processes through which visual cultures appropriate, reinterpret, and transform external artistic models without abandoning indigenous traditions. The study demonstrates that Qajar pictorial carpets functioned not only as luxury textiles but also as powerful cultural media capable of preserving historical memory, negotiating national identity, and communicating political and religious concepts. By applying Genette's theory of transtextuality to Persian carpet studies, this research contributes a new methodological perspective for understanding the relationship between visual form, cultural symbolism, and historical meaning in Iranian textile art.