Nazar Research Center for Art, Architecture and Urbanism (NRC) The Monthly Scientific Journal of Bagh-e Nazar 1735-9635 21 133 2024 06 21 A Visual and Content Analysis of the Fireplace Tile Panel at the Shangri-La Museum through the Lens of the Legitimacy and Hierarchy of Power in the Qajar Era A Visual and Content Analysis of the Fireplace Tile Panel at the Shangri-La Museum through the Lens of the Legitimacy and Hierarchy of Power in the Qajar Era 65 74 197791 10.22034/bagh.2024.386258.5339 FA Reyhaneh Keshtgar Ghasemi Ph.D. Student in Art Research, Faculty of Art, Shahed University, Tehran, Iran. 0000-0002-7433-6493 Alireza Baharlou Ph.D. in Islamic Arts, Faculty of Art, Tarbiat Modarres University, Tehran, Iran. 0000-0001-5836-4980 Journal Article 2023 02 21 Problem statement: Like any other government in Iran, the Qajar dynasty required authority and legitimacy for its establishment and existence. The structure of government and political power of this dynasty was organized on the basis of positions and ranks, at the head of which was the king, and at the next hierarchical level, there was mulūk al-ṭawāʾif (feudal). The artworks of the Qajar period, especially the high ones at the court, can in one way or another be the reflection or product of these non-objective features and currents. The tile panel of the fireplace in “Shangri La Museum” (USA), a piece of artwork with special visual and conceptual components, is an example that sheds light on these features. <br />Research objective: The purpose of this article is to study the features of this tile panel in terms of images and visual techniques and to examine the content of these characteristics based on the legitimacy and the hierarchy of power in the Qajar era.<br />Research method: This research is qualitative employing a descriptive-analytical approach.<br />Conclusion: The results of the research accentuate these points that, in addition to the practical and decorative aspects, the above-mentioned work portrays the political-governmental supports of the Safavid government and antiquarianism as legitimizing factors in the form of an image. The array of people at three consecutive levels represents the structure and levels of power in this period. The level includes the main core of power, the entertainers (the royal court), and the military. Problem statement: Like any other government in Iran, the Qajar dynasty required authority and legitimacy for its establishment and existence. The structure of government and political power of this dynasty was organized on the basis of positions and ranks, at the head of which was the king, and at the next hierarchical level, there was mulūk al-ṭawāʾif (feudal). The artworks of the Qajar period, especially the high ones at the court, can in one way or another be the reflection or product of these non-objective features and currents. The tile panel of the fireplace in “Shangri La Museum” (USA), a piece of artwork with special visual and conceptual components, is an example that sheds light on these features. <br />Research objective: The purpose of this article is to study the features of this tile panel in terms of images and visual techniques and to examine the content of these characteristics based on the legitimacy and the hierarchy of power in the Qajar era.<br />Research method: This research is qualitative employing a descriptive-analytical approach.<br />Conclusion: The results of the research accentuate these points that, in addition to the practical and decorative aspects, the above-mentioned work portrays the political-governmental supports of the Safavid government and antiquarianism as legitimizing factors in the form of an image. The array of people at three consecutive levels represents the structure and levels of power in this period. The level includes the main core of power, the entertainers (the royal court), and the military. https://www.bagh-sj.com/article_197791_fb542a52dcf53937450639ad7e769abd.pdf