Handmade carpets have never ceased to allure and mesmerize the human race. Hundreds of years ago carpets and rugs would have been exclusively found gracing the floors of palaces, stately homes and the residences of the wealthy. Today, carpets and rugs may be found in many homes throughout the world. The unquestionable beauty of the woven carpet and its ability to attract the human eye and stir the soul into aesthetic delight are legendary. Recently, Diane Peterson, a passionate carpet collector embarked on a tour of Jeddah’s many carpet shops.
Initially, Diane was looking for one or two Afghan carpets but, as is often the case, eventually came home with a whole loot of woven splendor. Diane explained that while she was looking at the fine examples of old and contemporary Afghan weaving, her ability to choose a carpet went out of the window when the carpet dealers unexpectedly unrolled before her eyes several striking, colorful, and geometric Shirvan carpets from the Caucasus.
The carpets were produced using the Turkish (symmetrical) knot, and the leathery feeling pile was extremely low clipped.
Carpets from the Caucasus region include those from Armenia, Daghestan, Georgia and Azerbaijan, which have always attracted carpet collectors and interior designers. One of the main attractions of these carpets is the often used variable hues of soft, rich, and vivid colors used to highlight the usually sharp and angular carpet patterns.
These carpets are never difficult to place anywhere in a home as they easily blend in with most interior decors. Some examples of well-known Caucasian carpets of fime quality would be Lori Pambak (Kazak), Chelaberd (Karabagh) and Chi-Chi (Shirvan).
A visual aid for attempting to identify many Caucasian carpets is to view the rear of the carpet and look closely at both the knots and weft line patterns. The knot and weft line patterns vary from region to region of the Caucasus and allow an adequate degree of certainty in identification.
Diane gravitated to the dynamic angular patterns and soft rich hues of gold, yellows, blues, and greens; a design and color combination that helped bestow upon the Shirvans a much-loved rustic elegance.
Two particular main field designs were very impressive: the classic sunburst type medallion otherwise known as the Eagle Kazak design and the all-over boteh design. Some of the main border designs included the scepter head, wine glass and serrated leaf designs.
“They are all breathtaking!” exclaimed Diane. However, there was a major problem as ten carpets lay before her. There were seven Shirvan and three Afghan Balouch carpets spread out in front of her, and Diane loved each one.
Interestingly, one of the three Afghan Balouch carpets was a beautifully woven 4ft x 7ft wedding carpet. The design of the carpet consisted of three panels, with each panel depicting a very detailed mosque. The carpet was soft to the touch because the weaver had used top quality lambs’ wool.
Unable to choose just one or two carpets from the ten, Diane opted to take home all of the carpets to view, with the approval from the carpet dealer.
A week later and after having placed all the carpets around her home, Diane was still unable to part with any of the colorful Shirvans and charming Afghans. However, it was decision time, and Diane had to choose which carpets she wished to keep and return the remainder. In a frustrating combination of indecision and love for all ten carpets, she made the momentous decision to keep all of them.
What is intriguing is how Diane originally warmed towards the ever-popular, earthy charms of Afghan weaving after her arrival in Jeddah.
However, her tastes are evidently shifting from these traditionally dark carpets towards the ebullient weavings from the Caucasus. Interestingly, the Afghan weavers, acutely aware of lost carpet trade to the Caucasus regions, have responded by producing their own copies of Caucasian carpets.
The colors used in these carpets usually appear washed-out and therefore are not comparable with the deep rich colors we expect from carpets from the Caucasus.
However, the Afghan/Turkoman weavers from Andkhoy in Northern Afghanistan, where a considerable amount of fine weaving originates, produce Caucasian type carpets.
These carpets are usually produced using the finest materials including good quality sheep/lambs’ wool and natural dyestuffs. Although these carpets are not comparable, in terms of color effect, with carpets from the Caucasus, they are indeed fine carpets and very good value for money.
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Arab News Features 3 April 2003
