Semiotic Analysis of Iranian World Children's Day Stamps from 1979 to 2023 on the Basis of Peirce's Semiotic Approach

A postage stamp is a national symbol and cultural icon that serves as a small ambassador, transmitting the culture of countries to the far corners of the world and the currency of the letter world. World Children's Day is one of the important global events that focuses on raising awareness about children's rights. Since the World Children's Day stamp also serves as a measure of the cultural level of countries, the semiotics of its visual qualities are significant. This research aims to identify the themes and semiotics of visual and graphic of Iranian stamps for World Children's Day.

Method and Research Design: 

Four samples of Iranian Stamps of World Children's Day (issued in 1979, 1990, 1999, and 2016) were studied, described and analyzed on the basis of Pierce’s sign theory/ semiotics.

The results show that the designed themes and visual qualities are highly compatible with the concepts of World Children's Day, and the images, symbols, and colors are suitable for children. Over time, the visual quality and importance of the stamps have diminished, and Iran's postal service has not issued stamps for World Children's Day since 2016."