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The art of carpets
Most traditional "Talish" carpet

 


 



 

 

 

 

 


Part of "Talish" carpet
   

This region presents rich nature with very beautiful sights. Talish people live in this area. Since long ago they have grown rice, were engaged in silk manufacturing, stock-breeding, gardening, beekeeping. Production of carpets, jejims, kilims, woolen socks, buriyas (rush mates of both simple and complicated weaving), embroidery – these are the main crafts of the population of this region. The large part of the listed goods is produced from wool and silk.

Popularity of weaving of the dense, safe rush mates distinguishes this region among all other regions of Azerbaijan. But, though the manufacturing of rush mates is typical for the Lankaran region as no any other handmade craft, the foremen of the carpet-making here are very talented. The "Talish" carpet received its name from large region stretched along the Talish mountains, by the coast of the Caspian Sea. It is a well known carpet type. The "Talish" carpets usually are shaped narrow and long. The middle field of carpets, which are known as "Talish", happens to be of both simple and complicated composition.

They used to produce carpets with the one-tone middle field more than any other type. These carpets look rough, have a simple composition of either empty, smooth one-tone middle field or decorated by small elements. Carpets with flat middle field traditionally were gifted by the lowest estates' families to their daughter on her wedding. Prayers, in particular namaz, were performed on carpets of such composition. Carpets with middle field covered by small elements received fiancees of the mean estates. Carpet makers named this pattern "Chaltik" (crude rice). Talish people consider the image of "chaltik" to symbolize prosperity and rich harvest.

Many of variations of "Talish" carpets has "Buta" ornament

Border of carpets, which middle field has a simple composition, including middle edging of a border, consists of simple patterns on a white background. More complex by their composition carpets contain the second version of "Talish" carpets. Middle field of such carpets is decorated by buta, which follow each other to the left and to the right. The Edge band, which goes from the bottom of a middle field up, curving on these buta, shape in several places as medallions of geometrical forms. The background of the medallions and middle field are of the same color. The "Talish" carpets of the second version in past times were woven from silk, while starting from the third quarter of XIX century they are produced from the woolen and cotton yarn. The carpets intended to be a gift for wedding (they were produced more often from the silk yarn), should be woven by a fiancee herself. To carpets of difficult composition concern and lengthened carpets with gols, are called "pakhlava nakhish". These gols, following each other, have identical shape, but various colors, every time presenting original art composition.