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Caucasian dragon carpets

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Caucasian, or Armenian pile carpets of the dragon type (Template:Lang-hy) are some of the earliest preserved woven productions of the Caucasus region. They feature dragon motifs, more or less stylized.[1][2]

Armenian carpet of the dragon type from Karabakh, dating to the 18th century
Armenian dragon carpet, from the 19th century, Yerevan, State Historical Museum
Armenian Dragon carpet of Khndzoresk type from the year 1880

Dragons (Vishaps) are one of the common themes and patterns found on Armenian carpets. They were diverse in style, rich in color and ornamental motifs, and were even separated into categories depending on what sort of animals were depicted on them.[3][4] The Armenian word for pile carpets, gorg (Template:Lang-hy) has been first mentioned in the inscription that was cut out in the stone wall of Kaptavan Church in Artsakh (Karabagh) and is dated by 1242—1243 AD.[5][6]

In the oldest preserved examples, the warps and wefts are usually both wool, and the pile is invariably wool. As in most products of this region, the piles employ the symmetrical (Ghiordes) knot.[1]

The patterns of these designs are typically lozenge shapes with wide borders.[1][2]

The earliest example of dragon carpets is an Armenian carpet from the fifteenth century.[7] It has been suggested that other types of dragon carpets have been imported into the region by weavers from Kerman when Shah Abbas I set up weaving workshops in Shirvan and Karabagh. These may sometimes employ cotton instead of wool in the warps or wefts.[8] The use of the dragon motif has continued into our time and is still popular in Armenia, Karabakh/Artsakh and the Quba region.[8][9]

References

  1. ^ a b c Gans-Ruedin, Erwin (1986). Caucasian Carpets. New York: Rizzoli International Publications. pp. 18–20, 26–69. ISBN 0-8478-0750-9.
  2. ^ a b "Welcome to Our Collections". collections-gwu.zetcom.net. Retrieved 2022-08-08.
  3. ^ Hakobyan. Medieval Art of Artsakh, p. 84.
  4. ^ Kouymjian, Dickran (2007). "Armenia Textiles: An Overview" в "Trames d'Arménie : tapis et broderies sur les chemins de l'exil (1900-1940)". Arles: Muséon Arlaten. Archived from the original on 2010-01-25.
  5. ^ Голоссарий. Карпет
  6. ^ Kh. Hakobyan, "Medieval Art of Artsakh", Yerevan, Armenian SSR, "Parberakan, 1990, p. 84, ISBN 5-8079-0195-9
  7. ^ "Armenian - Carpets". Festival.
  8. ^ a b Ford, P.R.J. (1989). Oriental Carpet Design. London: Thames and Hudson. p. 328. ISBN 0-500-27664-1.
  9. ^ "Dragon Carpet". History Museum of Armenia.
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