Journal of Art and Civilization of the Orient

Iconographic Reading of Afghan War Rug (Case Study: The War Rug with Ahmad Shah Massoud as Majnun)

https://doi.org/10.22034/jaco.2025.455798.1406
Volume 13, Issue 47
Spring 2025
Pages 42-51
Journal of Art and Civilization of the Orient

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Laleh Ahani
Azadeh Yaghoubzadeh

Assistant Professor, Faculty of Carpet, Tabriz Islamic Art University, Iran.

Abstract
Arts are often influenced by significant political, social, economic, and cultural events within societies. One of the best examples confirming this notion is the Afghan war rugs. The designs of these rugs predominantly feature images of elements and motifs related to war. Among a subset of these rugs, there is a focus on depicting individuals influential in the course of the war. Ahmad Shah Massoud, as one of the key figures in the Afghan war, has been a recurring subject in Afghan pictorial rugs. However, in the rug analyzed in this study, Ahmad Shah Massoud is depicted alongside numerous elements that, at first glance, appear unrelated. This study aims to uncover the semantic connections between the various motifs present in the composition. This study seeks to answer the main question: what message is intended to be conveyed through the depiction of Ahmad Shah Massoud and the other elements present in this rug? The study examined one Afghan war rug featuring Ahmad Shah Massoud using Erwin Panofsky’s iconology approach, employing an iconographic method in two stages of description and analysis. The study employed a descriptive-analytical methodology and used a library study for data collection.  Through an iconographic approach and a semantic and symbolic analysis of the icons within the rug’s imagery, the findings reveal that the rug implicitly conveys a message through the diverse elements included in its composition. The rug evokes the tale of “Layla and Majnun,” with Ahmad Shah Massoud portrayed as Majnun—a world-renouncing lover of his country. The other elements in the rug symbolize the aspirations and dreams of the Afghan people, who long for a free nation.

Keywords

Afghan Pictorial Rugs
War Rugs
Ahmad Shah Massoud
Iconography
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