Persian carpets, standing as one of the most distinguished manifestations of the art and culture of this land, have always reflected the cultural, artistic, and historical richness of Iran. During the Qajar era (mid-19th to early 20th century), significant developments emerged in the realm of carpet design and weaving. One of the most critical features of this period was the advent of pictorial and narrative carpets. In these works, contrary to the ancient and conservative traditions of Persian carpet weaving, the figurative representation of humans, portraiture of kings, complex narrative scenes, and realistic landscapes became prevalent. These transformations were not merely expressions of the shifting tastes of the court and aristocracy; rather, they positioned the carpet as a visual and cultural medium serving the nascent discourses of nationalism and archaism. The emergence of pictorial carpets can be viewed as contemporaneous with the expansion of Iran's relations with the West and the Iranian society's acquaintance with modern concepts such as nationalism. This influential ideology permeated the politics and culture of various nations, including Iran, prompting Iranian artists to reflect nationalist signs and themes in their works in response. Qajar pictorial carpets serve as brilliant examples of this nexus between traditional art and modern identity-constructing discourses.

In this research, fundamental concepts such as the pictorial carpet, national identity, nationalism, and archaism in the Qajar era, as well as narrative literature, are first examined as theoretical underpinnings. In the "Analysis of Samples" section, a table titled "Examples of Motifs and Patterns Articulating Nationalism Separated by Dimensions of Iranian National Identity in the Studied Carpets" is presented. In this table, through selected images of carpets, concepts and components related to dimensions of national identity are explicated, and analytical descriptions are provided for each example. Furthermore, in another table titled "Sources of Narrative Themes Articulating Nationalism within the Context of Iranian National Identity Dimensions in Qajar Pictorial Carpets," an attempt has been made to separately extract and introduce concepts and elements related to nationalism based on various dimensions of national identity. These tables, acting as analytical tools, have played an effective role in a deeper understanding of how nationalism is manifested in Qajar pictorial carpets. The present research seeks to answer two fundamental questions: 1) What are the origins of the national identity-constructing narrative tales in Qajar pictorial carpets? 2) What is the relationship between the identity-giving motifs and images used in these carpets and the narrative themes and nationalist contents?

The results of the analyses indicate that Qajar pictorial carpets are considered cultural and multi-layered texts—transcending their status as decorative commodities—that convey profound messages regarding Iranian national identity. The statistical population of this research comprises 85 carpet images. From these, six indexical examples were selected and analyzed via purposive sampling, taking into account the geographical diversity of weaving centers (Tabriz, Kerman, and Kashan) and based on the criteria of "narrative richness," "thematic diversity," and "technical quality."

The research method is historical with a descriptive-analytical approach. Qualitative data were collected through documentary and library studies. The findings reveal that the visual motifs and visual concepts in Qajar pictorial carpets predominantly stem from two intellectual and literary sources:

Lyrical Poems (Romances): Particularly the Khamseh (Five Treasures) of Nizami Ganjavi, which reached the zenith of its glory in the 12th century. Motifs such as "Bahram Gur in the Seven Domes" or "Khosrow and Shirin" in these carpets, in addition to their decorative values, reflect the glory of Sassanian kings and emphasize the concept of justice in Iranshahri thought.

Epic Texts: Particularly Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh, which, as the primary source of archaism in the Qajar era, inspired scenes of battles involving Rustam and other mythological heroes. These carpets, acting as visual media, are regarded as carriers of the collective memory of Iranians and have played a fundamental role in the continuity, reproduction, and explication of national identity.



Regarding the second research question, data analysis based on the analytical tables demonstrated that among the various dimensions of national identity—including social, historical, geographical, political, religious, cultural, and literary-linguistic dimensions—the highest frequency is assigned to the political and religious dimensions. Each of these two dimensions, possessing six examples from the identified sources in the studied carpets, exhibits the greatest presence and influence in the representation of national identity. Conversely, the geographical and literary-linguistic dimensions, possessing only two source origins among the samples, displayed the least manifestation and reflection compared to other dimensions.

The significance of this research lies in elevating the carpet beyond the status of mere "handicrafts" or "commercial commodities," examining it instead as a dynamic cultural text. This cultural text, in interaction with other artistic and literary texts such as classical literature, lithography, and photography, has been effective in the formation and propagation of the nationalist discourse. In conclusion, the results of this study indicate that Qajar pictorial carpets not only deepen our knowledge of the history of Persian carpets but also invite us to reflect on the role of art in the redefinition of national identity and its interaction with politics and culture. Therefore, the present research, in addition to enriching the scientific literature in the field of Persian art history and carpets, can provide a model for examining other artistic branches of the country and pave the way for interdisciplinary studies linking art, politics, and national identity.