Semiotic approach 5

Objectively this is not a pipe. This is an representation of a pipe. wether it be a image, a painting or etching of a pipe it is not not a physical pipe.

The signified is the option, what we know. We might hear a work in another language and not recognise it. For an example, in Tamil (old indian language) thank you is nandre but we might not know that, but in a language we might recognise we would know it as thank you.

This pipe could represent who smokes it, is it a he? what makes it think it is a he? What does it means to them, have they lost their partner? Is the only thing in they have to look forward to, smoking their pipe? But what makes us think these things when it's not a real pipe.

Semiotics can have loads of different meanings in paintings and photographs. It can almost be known as it's own language, as you need to learn it to crack codes and meanings in images.