Karabagh Carpets

KARABAKH CARPETS

 

 

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arpet weaving is one of the most ancient kinds of arts and crafts of Azerbaijan. The archeological data gathered on the territory of Azerbaijan as well as the literature pieces testify that carpet weaving art of Azerbaijan originated in extreme antiquity.

 

An Azerbaijani carpet is impossible to describe. You must see it with your own eyes: it has incorporated the entire coloring of Azerbaijan nature - blue of the sky and greens of woods, deep shadows on of mountains slopes and whiteness of snow-capped peaks. Magically shimmering carpet colors have absorbed the ruby brightness of pomegranate seeds and golden light of quince, copper of saffron and lilac shades of grapes. An inexhaustible texture of patterns, the flight of creative imagination and great skillfulness - here is a brief characteristic of an Azerbaijani carpet.

 

According to the archeological materials and written documents, carpet weaving in Azerbaijan was already spread in Bronze Age. This was mentioned in works by Herodotus, Claudius Elian, Xenophont and other ancient historians. Under the Sassanid Dynasty (3rd - 7th centuries) carpet art in Azerbaijan went through another stage of development - magnificent carpets from silk, gold and silver threads appeared. Production of carpets weaved with gold and silver threads and decorated with jewels acquired traditional character in the 16th - 17th centuries. Azerbaijani silk carpets were celebrated in "Kitabi Dede Korkud" epos. In the 13th -14th centuries Azerbaijan exported great number of carpets and carpet related production to foreign countries.

 

Carpets and carpet related items made in Azerbaijan have been repeatedly eulogized in many historical books, classical literature and folklore. Carpet-weaving was historically a traditional profession for the female population of Karabakh

 

Azerbaijani carpets can be classified according to their technical features as pile and pileless. The pileless carpets are related to the early period of weaving art development. The pileless carpets are classified according to weaving style, composite structure, ornament richness and coloring. There are 8 basic kinds: Palas, Dzhejim, lady, kilim, shedde, verni, zili

There are 7 major carpet weaving schools distinguished by patterns, composition, color palette and techniques in Azerbaijan: Quba School, Baku or Absheron School, Shirvan School, Ganja School, Gazakh School, Karabakh School.

The Karabakh carpet is one of the varieties of carpets of Transcaucasia, made in Karabakh region of Azerbaijan. Karabakh carpet making was added to UNESCO's Representative Masterpiece of Intangible Heritage as part of Azerbaijani Carpets.

There are 33 compositions of Karabakh carpets. According to the traits of local sheep wool Karabakh carpets have long tight and mild pile. Karabakh carpets are distinguished for their colourfulness and bright colours. They are divided into 4 groups: with medallion, without medallion, carpets for Namaz and with a plot. These carpets are produced in the towns Malibeyli, Muradkhanli, Dashbulag, Jabrayil, Horadiz in Karabakh in mountainous part of Karabakh.

 

Karabagh carpet compositions are classical patterns of Karabakh carpet-weaving school: "Aran”, "Bagchadaguller", "Balıg", "Buynuz", "Barda", "Bahmanli", "Garabag", "Goja", "Gasımushagı", "Lambaran", "Mugan", "Talısh", "Lampa", "Malıbayli ", "Khangarvand", "Khanlıg", "Khantirma", "Chalabi", and "Shabalıdbuta". 

The motives of Karabakh carpets are unique for originality of value and depiction. These carpets are designed in national way of perceiving the subject of carpet by horizontal symmetry system.

Due to the specifics of the local sheep breeds the Karabakh carpets were known for their dense and fluffy pile. They distinguished from other Azerbaijan carpet schools by their artistic and technological ways of production and their size. These carpets are known for their vivid and flamboyant colors, symbolizing the nature of Karabakh. The ornaments widely utilize flower and vegetative motives made in geometrically symmetric manner.

 

The Karabakh carpets are also usually big in size, and have an oblong shape, because people in Karabakh have traditionally lived in big, oblong rooms and these carpets were placed in floors and walls not only for aesthetic but also to protect from winter froze.

 

Some of the famous Karabakh carpets are presently kept in various museums of the world. A Karabakh silk carpet (zili) of the 16th or 17th century made in Barda is currently kept in Berlin in the Museum of Arts. The Boston Museum of Fine Arts holds a Shusha carpet of the 18th century. The US Museum of Textiles possesses a Shusha carpet of the 18th century, called "Afshan", and the Metropolitan Museum in New York has in its collection a Karabakh carpet of the "Verni" group. A unique collection of Shusha and Karabakh carpets is currently kept in the State Museum of Carpet in Baku, Azerbaijan. Most of the collection in this museum was originally kept in the Shusha Carpet Museum. In 1992 not long before the town's occupation by Armenian military forces, the Shusha museum's director arranged for 600 carpets to be evacuated from the town in army vehicles. Today the carpets can be found at the Baku museum in an exhibition titled “Burnt Culture.