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Pile rug from the village of Qarajeh,
in east Azarbayjan, Iran, ca. 1900
Qarajeh is a village which today has a population of about 1,800, and it
seems likely that it was never much larger, as the local water supply is
meager. Nevertheless, weaving output over the years has been considerable,
and this obscure outpost has a reputation for good color and design. Village
elders say the local mosque was built in about 1800 - such information is
never very precise - and an uninterrupted local pile rug weaving tradition
probably dates back to about that time. The mosque contains no prayer rugs
and, in fact, there is only a very limited tradition of pile prayer rugs in
east Azarbayjan.
"Qarajeh" rugs in this format usually have "cloud
collar" medallions and are locally called pushti. The design here, which
seems a highly stylized version of a fairly common repeat hanging
pomegranate motive, is very unusual in Azarbayjani weaving, and its
unbalanced aspect makes the piece look like a prayer rug. Was it ever so
intended?
Since most pile prayer rugs were woven for export, and not
for devotional purposes, it is not surprising to see a rug like this one
with an ambiguous design.
Structural
Analysis
Size: 4' x 3' 3" (122 x 99 cm)
Warp: 3ZS undyed
cotton, no warp depression
Weft: undyed cotton singles, one weft per
row of knots
Pile: loosely plied 2Z wool symmetric knots, 1/4" in
length, 7v x 9 h, 63 kpsi
Colors: (8) dark blue, orange red, light
blue, ivory, rose, green, beige (undyed wool), dark brown
Ends:
missing; end borders slightly reduced
Sides: two pairs of warps,
wrapped in light blue and beige wool in figure-8 fashion
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