Interdisciplinary Studies in Media and Culture

Semiotic Analysis of the Carpet as a Cultural Sign in Tahmineh Milani’s Cinema

Articles in Press

Document Type : .

Authors

Zahra ArdakaniMovaghati 1
Effatolsadat Afzaltousi 2

1 PhD student in Comparative and Analytical History of Islamic Art, Faculty of Art, Al-Zahra University, Tehran, Iran

2 Full Professor, Department of Research of Art, Faculty of Art, Alzahra University, Tehran, Iran

10.30465/ismc.2026.55142.3074
Abstract
While Tahmineh Milani’s cinema is predominantly analyzed through its narrative themes on women’s issues, the semiotic exploration of her scenic elements has received less attention. This research aims to investigate the semantic functions of the Iranian carpet as a cultural sign and a visual-symbolic element in her films. Drawing upon Barthes’ semiology, the study’s theoretical framework is designed to elucidate the carpet’s symbolic connotations within the cinematic visual structure. Through a qualitative-interpretive approach, this research systematically examines fourteen of Milani’s feature films. The unit of analysis comprises shots where the carpet, interacting with elements of the mise-en-scène, plays a signifying role. The findings reveal that the carpet transcends its utilitarian function, operating in three primary patterns. First is a “concordant” function, which helps stabilize the myth of the traditional home and patriarchal authority. Second is a “discordant” function, which enables female agency by creating a rupture in the visual order. Third is an “interstitial” function, transforming the carpet into a signifier for complex states of transition. Ultimately, this study concludes that the carpet is not merely set dressing but a cultural sign of tradition, through which the patriarchal system is also represented within Milani’s cinematic visual order.

Keywords

Tahmineh Milani
Cinema
Carpet
Cultural Sign
Semiotics
Subjects
Interdisciplinary Studies in Media and Culture

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 25 October 2026

  • Receive Date 12 July 2026
  • Revise Date 25 October 2026
  • Accept Date 25 October 2026
  • Publish Date 25 October 2026

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