Kaitag textiles
Encyclopedia
Kaitag textiles are an unusual embroidered
textile art form
from the Kaitag district of southwest Daghestan, Russia, inhabited mainly by Dargins
. Kaitag textiles are of simple construction, being laid and couched
silk
-floss
embroidery on a cotton
ground. The designs are generally in the style of classical Safavid Persian art, often illustrating horsemen and hunting scenes. Abstract Kaitag designs have been compared to those of Matisse and Paul Klee
, though it is unlikely that either artist ever saw a Kaitag textile. Surviving examples are mostly from the 17th and 18th centuries. These embroideries were apparently made for local use in weddings, funerals, and for cradle trappings. Sadly, the traditional Kaitag art of embroidery was reportedly stamped out under Soviet rule.
Kaitag: Textile Art from Daghestan, by Robert Chenciner, 1993, Textile & Art Publications, London. ISBN 9781898406006. Review
Embroidery
Embroidery is the art or handicraft of decorating fabric or other materials with needle and thread or yarn. Embroidery may also incorporate other materials such as metal strips, pearls, beads, quills, and sequins....
textile art form
Textile arts
Textile arts are those arts and crafts that use plant, animal, or synthetic fibers to construct practical or decorative objects.Textiles have been a fundamental part of human life since the beginning of civilization, and the methods and materials used to make them have expanded enormously, while...
from the Kaitag district of southwest Daghestan, Russia, inhabited mainly by Dargins
Dargin people
The Dargwa or Dargin people are a Northeast Caucasian ethnic group of the Caucasus who live mainly in the Russian republic of Dagestan. They speak the Dargwa language...
. Kaitag textiles are of simple construction, being laid and couched
Couching
In embroidery, couching and laid work are techniques in which yarn or other materials are laid across the surface of the ground fabric and fastened in place with small stitches of the same or a different yarn....
silk
Silk
Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The best-known type of silk is obtained from the cocoons of the larvae of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori reared in captivity...
-floss
Embroidery thread
Embroidery thread is yarn that is manufactured or hand-spun specifically for embroidery and other forms of needlework.Threads for hand embroidery include:...
embroidery on a cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
ground. The designs are generally in the style of classical Safavid Persian art, often illustrating horsemen and hunting scenes. Abstract Kaitag designs have been compared to those of Matisse and Paul Klee
Paul Klee
Paul Klee was born in Münchenbuchsee, Switzerland, and is considered both a German and a Swiss painter. His highly individual style was influenced by movements in art that included expressionism, cubism, and surrealism. He was, as well, a student of orientalism...
, though it is unlikely that either artist ever saw a Kaitag textile. Surviving examples are mostly from the 17th and 18th centuries. These embroideries were apparently made for local use in weddings, funerals, and for cradle trappings. Sadly, the traditional Kaitag art of embroidery was reportedly stamped out under Soviet rule.
Further reading
Kaitag: Textile Art from Daghestan, by Robert Chenciner, 1993, Textile & Art Publications, London. ISBN 9781898406006. Review