Strategic Studies of Art

Strategic Studies of Art

A Mythological Reading of the Henna Flower Motif Based on the Concept of the Sacred in the Thought of Mircea Eliade

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
1 Assistant Professor, Department of Traditional Arts, Research Center of Cultural Heritage and Tourism, Tehran Iran
2 MA. Textile and Fashion Design, Pars University of Art and Architecture, Tehran, Iran
10.22083/ssa.2026.566176.1111
Abstract
Iranian carpets, beyond their visual appeal, embody profound layers of meaning, such that each motif and color refers to ancient beliefs, enduring worldviews, and sacred concepts rooted in myth. Myths narrate foundational events that are believed to have occurred in the primordial time of creation, through which the semantic structures of cultures are formed. Mircea Eliade, the prominent Romanian scholar of religion and myth, understands creation and its fundamental elements as a realm for the manifestation of the sacred—a realm in which the world acquires meaning through signs and symbols. Iranian carpets, as visual texts, powerfully present this manifestation of sacredness to the viewer.

Within this context, the present study raises the question of how a motif from the carpets of the Arak region—specifically the relatively forgotten Henna Flower motif—can be interpreted in relation to Eliade’s mythological perspectives. Accordingly, the research hypothesis posits that there are meaningful correspondences and overlaps between Eliade’s concepts of the sacred and creation and the mythological beliefs of ancient Iran, which can be traced in motifs such as the Henna Flower. The aim of this study is to examine the myths associated with this motif and to analyze it through the lens of Eliade’s mythological framework.

The research adopts a fundamental approach and employs a descriptive–analytical methodology. Data were collected through library research and field studies. The findings indicate that the Henna Flower motif embodies mythological concepts such as the manifestation of paradise, meanings associated with protection and guardianship, and the notion of renewal and rebirth understood as the repetition of creation. The Henna Flower motif is therefore not merely a decorative element, but a mythological–symbolic structure that renders Arak carpets readable as sacred visual texts within the Iranian artistic tradition.
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Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 22 April 2026