- Home
- Textiles, Carpets and Tapestries
- Carpets
- Armenian Rugs Without Inscriptions
Armenian Rugs Without Inscriptions
- By Allen, Jim
- Published 20 March 2008
- Carpets
- Unrated
Allen, Jim
Jim Allen has collected Turkomen weavings since the late 1970's along with other types of ethnographic art. He has been a guest of the Turkmanbashii, the supreme ruler of Turkmenistan, where he delivered a paper to the "Symposium on Cultural Affairs Concerning Classical Culture" in Askhabad, Turkmenistan, in October of 2000. Jim Allen published interesting articles in Hali and Ghereh magazines, Oriental Rug Studies V, and lectured at the International and the National Conferences on Oriental Rugs. He once played varsity football on full scholarship at Jacksonville State University, 1969-70 and graduated with honors from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, 1973. Mr. Allen became a popular poet at ABC NOREO, off Remsen Street, in the East Village of New York City. Later, with the help of Nobiko Kajitani and Kurt Munkcasi, he submitted a Turkoman weaving sample that was confidently dated to the mid 17th century by AJT Jull, via Carbon 14 analysis, at Arizona State University. This marked the beginning of a new era in Turkoman studies. Subsequently several others (Heckshure, Hoffmeister, Rageth, Munkcasi etc.) tested and identified classical era Turkoman weavings. Mr. Jim Allen is presently semi-retired living in pleasant Chattanooga, Tennessee.
www.a-bey.com
In the lower portion of both upper quadrants one sees that the two birds are looking at each other across the field. Finally, in the upper portion of the left upper quadrant, the two love birds are portrayed kissing. This rug embodies the love story of two lovers plus their individual lineages.
Of stylistic note the inwardly facing aspect of each lower corner is decorated with many "feet" along with a scattering of pedunculated oval forms.
These elaborated invaginations help create a dimensional milieu; so that one perceives both ‘family' trees as growing upwards into three dimensional space.
Here is my hypothetical analysis and opinion of this rug.
Look at the prominent and auspicious objects that hang from the branches of both trees in the field of this rug. On the tree to the left hangs a spotted (leopard) skin, an implement of war (resembling an English ball and chain), and a (Royal) Crown.
All three of these specific objects are associated with English nobility and by association with the Crusaders. One can hardly imagine a more noteworthy heritage for a Christian groom to have in early 19th century Armenia. Interestingly not one single pomegranate or other object besides the two prominent birds is decorated with any crosses on the left side. I interpret this to mean the groom was Christian but not necessarily Armenian.
On the tree to the right hangs a (Royal) Crown closely associated with a (Queens) white crown and both of these positioned above two smaller crowns.
The smaller red crowns might represent a prince or a princess. A few pomegranates hanging from the tree to the right are filled with tiny crosses. I wonder if the pomegranate fruits portrayed in this rug represent male ancestors. If so perhaps the many different colored sheep skins represent female ancestors. These trees may in fact define the actual family trees of an Armenian bride and groom. Both family trees terminate appropriately at the top of the field with crowns fit for a prince and a princess.
This rug embodies one of the clearest symbolic narratives I have ever seen woven into any Oriental rug. The only other rugs I am familiar with containing such symbolic familial information are very old Turkoman rugs.
Much of the lower part of this old Shirvan prayer rug's design can be related to aspects of figures seen published in Dr. Lucy Der Manuelian's preface mentioned above. (slide of figure 7 WMK) In a prominent archway at the monastery of ‘Ashiots', Church of St. Step'anos, 1212-1217, one sees birds in the superior quarters of the arch near St. Step'anos's head. The outline of the fenestrated background upon which one sees St. Step'anos being flanked by two ‘deer' with upraised legs is echoed in the general shape of the prayer rug's field.
Further resonance is found between the rug and the archway in the particular stance and treatment of the two anxious ‘deer' portrayed at the bottom of the rug and in the carving. Furthermore ‘subterranean' branching forms, possibly representing the roots of the ‘family' trees, seem to be firmly rooted in the blue waters of the church. (slide of the rugs bottom)
The image of St. Step'anos standing in the archway carving of the church is transformed by the weaver of the rug into a tree branching inside of a crenellated cartouche. The tree's two lower branches hold shields surmounted by Christian crosses, much as seen laterally beside the Saint's elbows in the church carving. In the church carving St. Step'anos' arms are bent in a peculiar way and their exact shape is reproduced in the second set of branches exiting the central tree in the cartouche. Both of these arms are portrayed holding aloft an unblemished white sheep skin. The third set of arms doesn't seem to hold anything but they are closely associated with two diamond star forms.
The top of the metaphorical tree in the rug's cartouche represents St. Step'anos' head. The rug's central tree is elaborated at the top so it seems to be wearing a hat sporting an extension covering its ‘neck', just as the ecclesiastical hat St. Step'nous is seen wearing in the ancient church carving covers his neck.
The "central mountain", portrayed in the lower central region of this Shirvan prayer rug, is most probably a representation of the fenestrated background seen supporting the ecclesiastical and mythic figures carved inside of the archway at Haghbat monastery.
The triangles colored with a skew of hues that make up the "mountain" seen in the lower central portion of this rug resonates with the play of light and shadow one would have seen playing over the three dimensional surfaces of the fenestrated background of the church carving of St. Step'nous.
This Shirvan prayer rug was surely woven by an Armenian bride for her wedding and in its design she included information about the two families along with significant ecclesiastical symbols and designs. This weaving may be of historical significance to modern day Armenians seeking a window into their past.
I found Dr. Lucy Der Manuelain's thoughtful and exhaustive writing concerning the historical inspiration for Armenian Church carvings, illuminated manuscripts, and carpets to be enlightening. I think her work sets the benchmark for future scholarship in this field.
Conclusion
This article will hopefully ignite another round of collegial debate amongst Armenian rug enthusiasts. Surely some imaginations will be stirred by my identification of this Shirvan prayer rug as an important Armenian wedding rug.
Of stylistic note the inwardly facing aspect of each lower corner is decorated with many "feet" along with a scattering of pedunculated oval forms.
These elaborated invaginations help create a dimensional milieu; so that one perceives both ‘family' trees as growing upwards into three dimensional space.
Here is my hypothetical analysis and opinion of this rug.
Look at the prominent and auspicious objects that hang from the branches of both trees in the field of this rug. On the tree to the left hangs a spotted (leopard) skin, an implement of war (resembling an English ball and chain), and a (Royal) Crown.
All three of these specific objects are associated with English nobility and by association with the Crusaders. One can hardly imagine a more noteworthy heritage for a Christian groom to have in early 19th century Armenia. Interestingly not one single pomegranate or other object besides the two prominent birds is decorated with any crosses on the left side. I interpret this to mean the groom was Christian but not necessarily Armenian.
On the tree to the right hangs a (Royal) Crown closely associated with a (Queens) white crown and both of these positioned above two smaller crowns.
The smaller red crowns might represent a prince or a princess. A few pomegranates hanging from the tree to the right are filled with tiny crosses. I wonder if the pomegranate fruits portrayed in this rug represent male ancestors. If so perhaps the many different colored sheep skins represent female ancestors. These trees may in fact define the actual family trees of an Armenian bride and groom. Both family trees terminate appropriately at the top of the field with crowns fit for a prince and a princess.
This rug embodies one of the clearest symbolic narratives I have ever seen woven into any Oriental rug. The only other rugs I am familiar with containing such symbolic familial information are very old Turkoman rugs.
Much of the lower part of this old Shirvan prayer rug's design can be related to aspects of figures seen published in Dr. Lucy Der Manuelian's preface mentioned above. (slide of figure 7 WMK) In a prominent archway at the monastery of ‘Ashiots', Church of St. Step'anos, 1212-1217, one sees birds in the superior quarters of the arch near St. Step'anos's head. The outline of the fenestrated background upon which one sees St. Step'anos being flanked by two ‘deer' with upraised legs is echoed in the general shape of the prayer rug's field.
Further resonance is found between the rug and the archway in the particular stance and treatment of the two anxious ‘deer' portrayed at the bottom of the rug and in the carving. Furthermore ‘subterranean' branching forms, possibly representing the roots of the ‘family' trees, seem to be firmly rooted in the blue waters of the church. (slide of the rugs bottom)
The image of St. Step'anos standing in the archway carving of the church is transformed by the weaver of the rug into a tree branching inside of a crenellated cartouche. The tree's two lower branches hold shields surmounted by Christian crosses, much as seen laterally beside the Saint's elbows in the church carving. In the church carving St. Step'anos' arms are bent in a peculiar way and their exact shape is reproduced in the second set of branches exiting the central tree in the cartouche. Both of these arms are portrayed holding aloft an unblemished white sheep skin. The third set of arms doesn't seem to hold anything but they are closely associated with two diamond star forms.
The top of the metaphorical tree in the rug's cartouche represents St. Step'anos' head. The rug's central tree is elaborated at the top so it seems to be wearing a hat sporting an extension covering its ‘neck', just as the ecclesiastical hat St. Step'nous is seen wearing in the ancient church carving covers his neck.
The "central mountain", portrayed in the lower central region of this Shirvan prayer rug, is most probably a representation of the fenestrated background seen supporting the ecclesiastical and mythic figures carved inside of the archway at Haghbat monastery.
The triangles colored with a skew of hues that make up the "mountain" seen in the lower central portion of this rug resonates with the play of light and shadow one would have seen playing over the three dimensional surfaces of the fenestrated background of the church carving of St. Step'nous.
This Shirvan prayer rug was surely woven by an Armenian bride for her wedding and in its design she included information about the two families along with significant ecclesiastical symbols and designs. This weaving may be of historical significance to modern day Armenians seeking a window into their past.
I found Dr. Lucy Der Manuelain's thoughtful and exhaustive writing concerning the historical inspiration for Armenian Church carvings, illuminated manuscripts, and carpets to be enlightening. I think her work sets the benchmark for future scholarship in this field.
Conclusion
This article will hopefully ignite another round of collegial debate amongst Armenian rug enthusiasts. Surely some imaginations will be stirred by my identification of this Shirvan prayer rug as an important Armenian wedding rug.
©
