A Monogramista A KARABAKH CARPET

1907
wool
305 x 145 cm (h x w)

Hand knotted wool carpet on wool warp, kelleh (wide tread) format, dated 1907. Traditional catchy Caucasian design of geometric appearance and in a very impressive colour combination. Interesting is the partial oxidation or so-called corrosion of the brown colour from walnut husks in the centre of the carpet. Except for the inscription "Karabakh", it is probably an inartistic rendering of the name of the binder, as tying carpets was a purely female activity during the winter. Presumably the young woman was working from memory and not from a model, which can be seen as a rare outpouring of individual freedom in an otherwise closed and conservative world - that freedom is also evident in the overall delightful asymmetry of the composition, where, for example, the depiction of two dogs at the bottom, with one of the dogs missing its entire head, is almost touching and naive. Such imperfection, however, is so pure that it is rightly appreciated today. It should come as no surprise that the carpet looks almost archaic, as the iconography is based on ancient symbols and patterns. Two bizarrely shaped medallions in the form of a strange beetle are referred to as 'tortoise medallions', and below and above them are spread eagle wings, flanked by distinctive ram's horns, a symbol of masculinity and male fertility. The azure blue quadruple pair of ram's horns, pointing to all cardinal points, are also found in the centre of the rusty red hexagons, surrounded by a white line. The main border in red is decorated with two ornaments, called 'oak leaves' and 'wine cup' (but it is a geometrized flower), and the border is surrounded by stripes with 'zigzags' (symbol of flowing water) and highly stylized carnations. Karabakh carpets are divided into mountain and lowland carpets, and the fleece of our specimen shows that it was a home-made carpet from a mountain village.