Research Journal of Bakhtiari Studies and Iranian Ethnicities

Research Journal of Bakhtiari Studies and Iranian Ethnicities

Anthropological Analysis of the Representation of Iranian Ethnic Attire in Children''''s Book Illustrations, with a Focus on Bakhtiari Symbols (Case Study: "The Elephant in the Dark House"

Document Type : Original Article

Author
Razieh Mokhtari Dehkordi
Department of Visual Communication, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, Shahrekord University, Shahrekord, Iran
10.22034/BSRIIT.2025.15371.1219
Abstract
The study provides an anthropological analysis of how Bakhtiari and other Iranian ethnic costumes are represented in Firoozeh Golmohammadi’s illustrated children’s book The Elephant in the Dark Room. The research explores how material elements of ethnic dress are transformed into visual signifiers and examines the implications of this transformation for children’s visual memory and the construction of cultural identity. It pursues two main objectives: first, to analyze the semiotic and aesthetic structures employed in the visual representation of Iranian ethnic costumes and assess their symbolic fidelity to anthropological evidence of Bakhtiari attire; and second, to evaluate the educational and identity-forming effects of these representations in consolidating children’s cultural perception. Using a visual-semiotic approach within a hybrid theoretical framework, the study analyzes four purposefully selected illustrations from the book. Findings indicate that the illustrator preserves the fundamental characteristics of Bakhtiari dress while employing stylization of color, form, and motifs to achieve artistic reinterpretation. This strategy sustains cultural identity at a symbolic level, enhances the visual prominence of costume elements, and reinforces children’s capacity for cultural visual memory. The research concludes that maintaining equilibrium between anthropological authenticity and aesthetic creativity produces a responsible and pedagogically effective form of representation in children’s literature, offering useful insights for illustrators, publishers, and scholars interested in visual culture and educational art.
Keywords
Bakhtiari costume
cultural representation
children’s book illustration
anthropological analysis
visual memory

  • Receive Date 16 June 2026
  • Accept Date 21 June 2026