Daghestan Carpet

Daghestan Carpet
General information
Name	Daghestan Carpet
Original name	فرش داغستان، قالی داغستان
Alternative name(s)	Daghestan Rug
Origin	Dagestan
Technical information
Common designs	Geometric, Vagireh, Mihrab, Tribal, Medallion
Common colors	Ivory, Red, Blue, Gold, Brown, Black, Gray, Green
Pile material	Wool
Foundation material	Wool, Cotton
Knot type	Symmetrical (Turkish)

Daghestan carpet or Daghestan Rug is one of the eastern rugs that woven in Dagestan.
Means “land of mountains.” A mountainous region of the northeast Caucasus. Daghestan includes the city of Derbend (Darband) and the area formerly known as “Lesghistan.” Nineteenth-century rugs from this region are small and usually have a lattice design, an all-over pattern or Lesghi star medallions. Many are prayer rugs in design, with a lattice or all-over pat tern. Rugs of this area have symmetric knots on wool warps. Wefts may be wool or cotton.
There are a variety of Daghestan flatweaves. Soumaks are woven by Kumyks and Lesghians. Lesghians also weave two-piece kilims or davaghins. Avars weave long mats called chibtas in a tapestry weave. Felt carpets are also produced in Daghestan.

History

Daghestan, also spelled Dagestan, is a district located in the northeastern Caucasus region, bordering the Kuba district to the south and the Caspian Sea to the west. The Daghestan population has mostly Azeri, Chechen, and Lesghi tribes who can trace their weaving traditions back for centuries.
Daghestan rugs have a wool warp. The weft is made of cotton, but occasionally it is made of wool, or a mixture of wool and goat hair. Rare examples of rugs with silk wefts have appeared in the market. Sheep wool is used for the pile. The pile height is generally medium, ranging between five and ten millimeters. The rugs have fine wool, but are firm to the touch compared to those from other Caucasian districts. The Turkish (symmetric) knot is always used. Daghestan is well known for its pile rugs, as well as outstanding flatweaves and embroideries.
The designs of Daghestan rugs are geometric. Most are in a Mihrab style, with a prayer arch. Mohammedans wove Prayer Rugs for daily meditation. A variety of tribal designs appear in the field and above the arch, including flowers and Star motifs. At times, a hand motif is woven on each side of the arch to guide placement during prayer.
Daghestan rugs also have allover and medallion styles with similar design elements used in prayer rugs. On rare occasions, an Open Field style was made in rugs. Generally, Daghestan weavers do not use animal or human figures in designs since it is forbidden in the Islamic faith, but rare folk art rugs woven with animal or human motifs were originally used for wall hangings or room dividers. Mohammedan (Islamic) dates occasionally appear in Daghestan weavings starting from the early nineteenth century.
The borders of Daghestan rugs have Kufic script and flower heads as well as the Star, double S, double E, and other Caucasus region motifs. The minor borders have flower heads, stars, or alternating leaf and flower motifs.
Flatwoven Soumak rugs woven in Daghestan usually have large Blossom, Dragon, or medallion designs with flower head motifs. The Hook motif surrounds the designs and other tribal elements. Flatwoven Sileh rugs are divided into rows of panels, with each panel featuring an enlarged S or Z pattern, which is interpreted as a dragon. The dragons are decorated with miniature S or Z motifs and are surrounded by Star motif, animals, birds, and other tribal ornaments. Another important flatweave art form made in Daghestan is the Kaitag. These unusual embroideries were made as early as the seventeenth century in the region but only came to light in the trade during the 1980s.
In the antique market early Daghestan rugs have been appreciated for their delicate and artistic designs with harmonious natural-dyed colors. The Daghestan district was part of the Caucasian weaving revolution, contributing designs that successfully garnered the attention of the world market. Daghestan weavers created beautiful pile and flat-woven rugs that are in strong demand by collectors and consumers today.
The color primarily seen in Daghestan rugs is ivory, but reds, blues, and gold are also used for the background. In addition to these colors, different shades of light blue, cherry- and brick-red, brown, black, gray, and green are used for the borders, design elements, and outlines. In Sileh flatwoven rugs, the panels typically have two color combinations, white with red or white with blue.
Daghestan pile weavings are made in formats that range from small bags to rugs approximately seven feet by four feet. Daghestan runners are made up to eleven feet in length. Flatwoven Soumak and Sileh rugs are woven into small bags as well as carpets sized approximately eleven feet by eight feet. Some early Soumak runners can be found in the market up to eleven feet in length. Kaitag embroideries are made in small panel sizes. Daghestan rugs are woven from good to very fine in grade quality.

Bibliography

• Abraham Levi Moheban. 2015. The Encyclopedia of Antique Carpets: Twenty-Five Centuries of Weaving. NewYork: Princeton Architectural Press.
• Peter F. Stone. 2013. Oriental Rugs: An Illustrated Lexicon of Motifs, Materials, and Origins. North Clarendon: Tuttle