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Handicrafts of Iran in Relation to Archaism and National Identity Discourses in Qajar Era
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Behrouz Soheili Esfahani *   , Zeynab Saber |
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Abstract: (14 Views) |
This article explores Qajar-era Iranian handicrafts through the lens of discourse analysis, drawing on Michel Foucault’s theories and Jacques Lacan’s views on identity. It examines how, amid competing discourses such as modernity, constitutionalism, monarchy, Shi'ism, and Archaism, handicrafts became functional objects that represented and constructed a new Iranian national identity. The study emphasizes that understanding the identity-related functions of these handicrafts requires analyzing them within the historical context of the Qajar period, marked by key events and cultural ruptures. Using qualitative, library-based research methods, the article situates handicrafts within a broad network of power, politics, culture, and knowledge systems. Findings show that the discourse of Archaism and national identity during the Qajar era formed through a complex intertextual network involving royal initiatives, literary works, archaeological discoveries, exhibitions, and orientalists’ activities. This discourse defined Iranian identity in opposition to the Islamic period and sought to revive the grandeur of ancient Persia by reflecting on Western perceptions. Within this process, handicrafts transcended their utilitarian purposes to become symbolic carriers of national identity. Examples include the reproduction of paintings from the “Nameye Khosravan” by Jalal al-Din Mirza across various handicraft media, world exhibitions, carpets, and tilework inspired by antiquity and constitutional themes. These diverse yet interconnected phenomena contributed to stabilizing the antiquarian discourse. Ultimately, the article argues that every exhibition and promotion of handicrafts during the Qajar era implicitly represented Iranian identity. Supporting handicrafts was thus synonymous with supporting the concepts of homeland and Iranian-ness, highlighting the essential role of these objects in constructing and expressing national identity. |
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| Keywords: Qajar Handicrafts, Archaism and National Identity discourses, Iranian identity, Discourse analysis, Nameye Khosravan |
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Full-Text [PDF 1469 kb]
(9 Downloads)
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Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
Special
Received: 2025/06/4 | Accepted: 2025/10/26
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