AZERBAIJANI SCHOOL of CARPET DESIGNBack to Main

Iravan rug, Yerevan

Iravan rugs were not included in Kerimov’s seven schools. The area was beyond the scope of Kerimov’s Azerbaijan. Even though Yerevan was majority Azerbaijani, according to Russian censuses until the 20th century, it became part of Armenia in 1918. The term “Caucasian carpets” was promulgated in reference to carpets from the entire Caucasus region—a vague phrase that continues to hinder proper attribution of carpets. In fact, Iravan rugs can be considered as stylistically similar to Kazakh carpets.

Iravan

Iravan rug, Yerevan

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AZERBAIJANI CARPETS AND MORE

A local Baku merchant advertises magical flying carpets, as well as the more mundane variety.Textiles, in particular the complex pile carpets known to collectors, play a critical role in Azerbaijani culture as sources of pride, income, and style. Textile scholars must grapple with several complex issues. Challenges include finding materials in remote or war-torn areas, attributing them despite shifting nomenclature and boundaries, and classifying a native art form in lands occupied by others over history.

Carpet weaving remains among Azerbaijanis’ most cherished cultural traditions, kept alive despite centuries of foreign invasions and upheavals. Azerbaijani carpet designers and weavers for centuries have produced many of the world’s “Oriental carpets.”

Employing a vast portfolio of mostly geometric designs, weavers created some of the masterpieces of tapestry that today adorn the collections in the leading museums around the world. Today Azerbaijani carpets are honored on the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Stay tuned to this exhibition for updates based on the latest scholarly findings . . .