Karabakh carpet
Encyclopedia
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...
and Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
named after the Karabakh region, which comprises present Nagorno-Karabakh
Nagorno-Karabakh
Nagorno-Karabakh is a landlocked region in the South Caucasus, lying between Lower Karabakh and Zangezur and covering the southeastern range of the Lesser Caucasus mountains...
and adjacent lowland territories ('lowland Karabakh').
History
Carpet-weaving was historically a major traditional profession for the majority of the feminine population of Karabakh, including many Azeri families. Prominent Karabakh carpet weavers there were men too. The oldest extant Armenian carpet from the region, referred to as ArtsakhArtsakh
Artsakh was the tenth province of the Kingdom of Armenia from 189 BC until 387 AD and afterwards a region of Caucasian Albania from 387 to the 7th century. From the 7th to 9th centuries, it fell under Arab control...
during the medieval era, is from the village of Banants (near Gandzak
Gandzak
Gandzak may refer to:* Gandzak, Armenia - a village in Armenia* The old Persian name for Ganja, Azerbaijan* An alternative spelling of Ganzak, Iran....
) and dates to the early 13th century. The first time that the Armenian word for pile carpet, gorg, was used in historical sources was in a 1242-1243 Armenian inscription on the wall of the Kaptavan Church in Artsakh, whereas Armenian word "carpet" was first used in the 5th cantury translation of the Bible.
Carpet-weaving in Karabakh especially developed beginning from the second half of the 19th century, when the population of many areas in Karabakh was engaged in carpet-weaving, mainly for commercial sale purposes. At this time Shusha
Shusha
Shusha , also known as Shushi is a town in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh in the South Caucasus. It has been under the control of the self-proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh Republic since its capture in 1992 during the Nagorno-Karabakh War...
became the center of the Karabakh carpet-weaving. Karabakh and Shusha carpets have greatly influenced the Nakhchivan and Zangezur schools of carpets. Some experts actually consider these schools to be sub-categories of the Karabakh carpet school.
Shusha's carpet-weavers, Meshedi Bayram Gurban-oglu, Djabbar Haji Akber-oglu, Fatima Aga Sherif-gizi, Ahmed Dashdamir-oglu participated and were awarded prizes in an international show in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
in 1867. Shusha carpets also received awards in 1872 in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
Polytechnic Exhibition.
Types
Besides usual carpets, carpet bags and coverlets of different types were widely spread. These included pileless məfrəş (translit. mafrash, a trunk); xurcun (translit. khurdjun, a doubled travel bag); heybə (translit. heiba, travelling bag); çuval (transli. chuval, sacks for holding loose products); çul (chul, all kinds of coverlets); yəhər üstü (translit. yahar ustu, saddle cover) and other objects.Armenian
Art historian Hravard Hakobyan notes that "Artsakh carpets occupy a special place in the history of Armenian carpet-making." Common themes and patterns found on Armenian carpets were the depiction of dragons and eagles. They were diverse in style, rich in color and ornamental motifs, and were even separated in categories depending on what sort of animals were depicted on them, such as artsvagorgs (eagle-carpets), vishapagorgs (dragon-carpets) and otsagorgs (serpent-carpets). The rug mentioned in the Kaptavan inscriptions is composed of three arches, "covered with vegatative ornaments", and bears an artistic resemblance to the illuminated manuscripts produced in Artsakh.The art of carpet weaving was in addition intimately connected to the making of curtains as evidenced in a passage by Kirakos Gandzaketsi
Kirakos Gandzaketsi
Kirakos of Gandzak was an Armenian historian of the 13th century and author of the History of Armenia, a summary of events from the 4th to the 12th century and a detailed description of the events of his own days. The work concentrates primarily on the history of Medieval Armenia and events...
, a 13th century Armenian historian from Artsakh, who praised Arzu-Khatun, the wife of regional prince Vakhtang Khachenatsi, and her daughters for their expertise and skill in weaving.
Armenian carpet
Armenian carpet
The term Armenian carpet designates, but is not limited to, tufted rugs or knotted carpets woven in Armenia or by Armenians from pre-Christian times to the present...
s were also renowned by foreigners who traveled to Artsakh; the Arab geographer and historian Al-Masudi
Al-Masudi
Abu al-Hasan Ali ibn al-Husayn ibn Ali al-Mas'udi , was an Arab historian and geographer, known as the "Herodotus of the Arabs." Al-Masudi was one of the first to combine history and scientific geography in a large-scale work, Muruj adh-dhahab...
noted that, among other works of art, he had never seen such carpets elsewhere in his life.
Azerbaijani
Azerbaijani carpets are traditionally divided into four types, so-called "carpet schools", all of which have distinct characteristics. These carpet schools are: 1) Guba-Shirvan with manufacturing centers in Guba, ShirvanShirvan
Shirvan , also spelled as Shirwan, Shervan, Sherwan and Šervān, is a historical region in the eastern Caucasus, known by this name in both Islamic and modern times...
region and Baku
Baku
Baku , sometimes spelled as Baki or Bakou, is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. It is located on the southern shore of the Absheron Peninsula, which projects into the Caspian Sea. The city consists of two principal...
; 2) Ganje-Kazakh, with centers in Ganje
Ganja, Azerbaijan
Ganja is Azerbaijan's second-largest city with a population of around 313,300. It was named Yelizavetpol in the Russian Empire period. The city regained its original name—Ganja—from 1920–1935 during the first part of its incorporation into the Soviet Union. However, its name was changed again and...
town and Qazakh
Qazakh
Qazakh is a rayon of Azerbaijan. It has two exclaves inside Armenia, Yukhari Askipara and Barkhudarli, both of which came under Armenian control during the Nagorno-Karabakh War.- History :In antiquity, this rayon was part of the province of Utik...
region; 3) Karabakh (with major centers in Shusha
Shusha
Shusha , also known as Shushi is a town in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh in the South Caucasus. It has been under the control of the self-proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh Republic since its capture in 1992 during the Nagorno-Karabakh War...
, surrounding villages; and 4) Tabriz with centers in Tabriz
Tabriz
Tabriz is the fourth largest city and one of the historical capitals of Iran and the capital of East Azerbaijan Province. Situated at an altitude of 1,350 meters at the junction of the Quri River and Aji River, it was the second largest city in Iran until the late 1960s, one of its former...
and Ardabil
Ardabil
Ardabil is a historical city in north-western Iran. The name Ardabil probably comes from the Zoroastrian name of "Artavil" which means a holy place. Ardabil is the center of Ardabil Province. At the 2006 census, its population was 412,669, in 102,818 families...
in South (Iranian) Azerbaijan. The carpets from various regional types differ by three features: ornaments, manufacturing technique and the kind of article in question. Karabakh carpets comprise 33 different compositions in total. Some of them were partly borrowed from the Tabriz and Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
ian carpet schools, some are completely original.
The Karabakh carpet school have traditionally developed in two areas: in lowland and mountainous parts of Karabakh. The last one often is often called "the Shusha carpet group", as at highland part of the area Shusha was a leader.
Buynuz
The carpets named Buynuz belong to the Karabakh type. They are made in various carpet workshops of the Upper (Mountainous) Karabakh. Some of the oldest Karabakh carpet weavers still refer to this carpet by its old name, i.e. “Goradiz”. In the Central Asia and in the Middle East, including Azerbaijan, the horned cattle (ram, bull, goat) were treated like holy animals. In association with farming, harvesting, and later with totemism and astronomy the horn represented different notions and symbols. The bull as a source of strength and courage, was at the same time considered a symbol of the heavenly forces and the embodiment of the God of water and agriculture. The composition of the center field is formed by totally stylized images of horns. Elements of a similar shape that constitute the decoration of the center field of the Buynuz carpets, following the artistic traditions and the general rule are lined up to form horizontal rows. Asymmetric arrangement of these “buynuz” (horns) enlivens the carpet. On the other hand, such arrangement makes it possible to weave carpets of any size. Details of various shapes and forms, which surround the “buynuz” as the key elements of the carpet, serve as filling elements.Balyg
This carpet, which is considered to be one of the most common carpets of the Karabakh type, is called “Balyg” in the north of Azerbaijan and “Mokhi” in the Iranian Azerbaijan. Despite the fact that the Balyg carpet is made in all carpet weaving shops of Karabakh, its primary production center used to be the town of Barda, and since the second half of the 18th century it was made in Shusha as well. Beginning with the second half of the 19th century around 35% of all carpets and khals made in Shusha belonged to the Balyg type. The famous carpets “Erag”, “Bijar”, “Mustofi” and others were woven mainly on the basis of the Balyg pattern. The composition of the Balyg carpet largely follows the same principle, with the spirals on the short length rapports. The leaves bent towards the end of the spiral (sometimes folded lengthwise) resembled the image of a fish, hence the conventional name of the composition, “the fish”.Karabakh
The carpets known under the name “Karabakh” were and still are made in all carpet workshops of Azerbaijan. Depending on the location, the carpets were given different names but the art experts referred to all of them as “Karabakh”. The khals with such composition, which in the 19th century were made in Shusha to be then sold in Istambul markets, were given various names – “Khan” or “Khan Karabakh”, while the carpets woven on the basis of the same design in the Kuba villages were called “Afurja”. There are several types of the Karabakh carpets:- 1. The composition of the center field consists of gels only and resembles the ornamental fabric of Iran in India, especially the curtains made of printed cloth. Their gels, which are decorated by foliate elements, can be also encountered on the Koran’s cover and on the jackets of the books designed by the Tebriz artists of the 15th-17th centuries. The bashlygs in the upper and lower parts of the gels fill the vacant spaces between the gels in the center field.
- 2. There are “Karabakh” carpets that are referred to by carpet makers as “Chini-cheshni”. The composition of these carpets is formed by octagonal gels lined up in a row.
Khanlyg
Khanlyg is one of the most famous carpet making center in Azerbaijan. The local carpets still represent an example of the finest piece of art and are marked by top quality. The carpets made in the 19th century in Jebrail, specifically in the villages of Mirzajanly, Efendiler, Dashkesen, Suleimanly, were thought the most beautiful among those carpets that were exported to the world markets and fairs. In the middle of the “Khanlyg” center field there is a large gel with two gubbs in its upper and lower parts and four lyachaks, which are symmetrically placed in the four corners of the center field. Typically for the “Khanlyg” carpets, their borders consists of stripes. The most peculiar samples of the “Khanlyg” carpets represent khals of a complex composition made by a special request. For example, in the 19th century, poetess Khurshudbanu Natavan who was commonly called “Khan gyzy” supervised the weaving of the carpet, which was then called “Khanlyg”.Kasymushagy
The name of this carpet is associated with the name “Kasym ushagy”, the residents of the villages Shamkend, Erikli, Gurtajly, Chorman and Shenva, located to the north of Lachin, the present-day district center. Kasym must be the name of a respected local person who used to live in this area. In these villages up to recent times craftsmen had made top quality carpets. The composition of the center field consists of various details and elements, and is quite peculiar from the decorative point of view. In the center of the carpet there is a large gel surrounded by an edge. In the middle of the gel there is a tetrahedral medallion (khoncha). From the sides of the gel there are four pairs of scrolled branches, pointing sideward. In the lower and upper parts of the center field there is a pair of large “gols”, the shape of which is similar to the branches coming off the central gel. Between these gols (in the upper and lower parts of the large gel) there are gubps, which are only typical to this carpet and chime in with the overall pattern.Bakhmanly
The name of this carpet is associated with the village of Beyuk Bakhmanly in the present-day Fizuli district. The composition of the center field is formed by the figures of a peculiar shape, lined up in a row. Of special interest are the compositions with one or two figures on the center field. The oldest carpet weavers assume that these figures represent “heykal” (a statue), “mangal” (a brazier) or “chang” (paw or foot), others believe that this is an image of a turtle. One can conclude that the figures resembling an animal were associated with the image of a turtle which used to be a totem for a certain tribe.Mugan
Geographically, this carpet is classed under the Shirvan group. Technically, it should be regarded as a Karabakh type carpet. In Azerbaijan, there are about 17 villages whose names contain “Mugan”: Mugan Ganjali, Muganly, Muganjlig Mekhrab and Muganjik Muslim. However the carpets are famous under the name of a vast area in the SE Azerbaijan called Mugan or Mogan. The “Khudud al-Alyamin”, which was written in the 10th century, mentions the fact that a lot of palases and chuvals were made in Mugan. The décor of these carpets is mainly composed of the hook-like elements, which are called by carpet weavers “Kekhne nakhysh”. These elements, which are widely used in the carpet art of Azerbaijan and date back to ancient times, can be also encountered in the carpets of Central Asia and Afghanistan.Talysh
This carpet derives its name from a large area, which spreads along the Talysh mountain range on the Caspian seashore. The center field of the Talysh carpets used to be made of silk. Starting from the third quarter of the 19th century they are made of wool and cotton. The carpets are rough from the point of view of the weaving technique, with a smooth monochrome center field or decorated by tiny elements, and of simple composition. The elongated carpets with gels called “pakhlava nakhysh” are of complex composition. These gels, which follow one after another and are similar in shape but differ in colors, form a peculiar decorative composition.Nakhchivan
These carpets are made largely in carpet weaving centers of Nakhichevan and are located in the villages of Narashen, Shakhbuz, Kolany as well as in Julfa and Ordubad. In the 9th-10th centuries the town was renowned for its zilli and khali, and in the 10th-12th centuries it was one of the centers of decorative metal plates production. When Ovliya Chelebi, the famous Turkish traveler (late 16th – early 17th centuries), visited Nakhchivan he called this town “Nagimjagan” and praised its architectural monuments and arts centers. The carpets made in Nakhichevan varied in their ornamental pattern content, however all of them were called “Nakhchivan”.Chelebi
The carpet was first made in the village of Chelebirlar. The composition and the pattern design were established and further perfected in this village. Later they spread on to the Mountainous Karabakh, Aran and beginning with the 19th century they were made in the Kazakh district as well. The composition of the center field is formed by one large gel or several large gels lined up in a row. Their size is normally between 80 cm to 150 cm. These gels composed of 16 lacheks imitate the curve-linear medallions created by the professional artists of the 14th – 16th centuries. At first, this imitation was done in broken lines, later it lost the original form due to the technological processes. Imitation and adopted elements are also typical to the 18th century carpet, which used to be kept in the Bibi-Eybat sanctuary, Baku.Distinguishing marks
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.
Another distinctive characteristic for the Karabakh carpet school is having three-five big carpet sets, so called "dasts". These sets (dasts) consist of a large central carpet, two side rugs and one head piece, all united in a single composition. In old times these carpet sets used to be the main articles of bride's dowry in both Azeri and Armenian
Armenians
Armenian people or Armenians are a nation and ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland.The largest concentration is in Armenia having a nearly-homogeneous population with 97.9% or 3,145,354 being ethnic Armenian....
families.
Museums
Some of the famous Karabakh carpets are presently kept in various museums of the world. A Karabakh silk carpet (zili) of 16th-17th centuries made in BardaBarda
Barda may refer to:*Barda Rayon, a district in Azerbaijan*Barda, Azerbaijan, a town in Azerbaijan* Bârda, a village in Malovăţ Commune, Mehedinţi County, Romania*Barda, Russia, a rural locality in Perm Krai, Russia*Jean-Pierre Barda*Olaf Barda...
is currently kept in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
in the Museum of Arts. Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
Museum of High Arts holds a Shusha carpet of 18th century. US Museum of Textiles possesses Shusha carpet of 18th centurty, called "Afshan", and the Metropolitan museum in New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
has in its collection a Karabakh carpet of "Verni" group. The Ethnographic Museum in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
also has in its possession an example of one of the renowned Armenian vishapagorg.