Стр. 14 - Azərbaycan xalçaları

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people as having a magical meaning
and their surroundings were decorated
with hooks. This tradition is widespread
in G uba’s weaving art and continues to
modern times.
The rhomboid gols trimmed with
hooks on sumakh flat weave carpets
and carpet products of the Guba carpet
group may be considered “ongan” of
the Oghuz Turkish tribes. Hook-like el-
ements are called “dirnag” or “jaynag”
and represent the symbolic image of
game birds.
The symbol of game birds and birds
of prey is widespread in pre-Islamic art.
The symbols of the victory of strength
against weakness developed from their
origins as “ongan” to become subjects
of heraldry. The symbolic description of
birds and their artistic expressions are
mysterious, with the full understanding
kept secret by its creators.
Rhomboid elements have many ves-
tiges in Azerbaijani carpets. Rhomboid
elements are secondary or filler ele-
ments in the Guba carpet group, even
when woven in the form of a gol as a
main element.
The gol element is the principal design
motif of carpets in Azerbaijan. It is not
accidental that it carries this name. If we
compare the surface of the central field
with the hot dry plains, the sacred mean-
ing of the gol becomes clear. Gol decora-
tive elements appear in different forms
on Guba carpets. Gol elements represent
the outlook of people in their patterns
and can be called “khoncha,” “turunj,”
“tabag,” medallion, or “gol.”
It is possible to see the images of a
woman, child, or man among the nu-
merous patterns decorating Guba car-
pets. These motifs represent a woman
spinning wool, a woman holding her
child’s hand, or a unique group of fam-
ily members.
It is possible to observe the depiction
of human subjects in abstract forms or in
the form of a half body on the ancient
“sumakh” flat weave carpets. The weav-
ing of a body without head or arms, but
rather in the form of slim lines or a head
in the form of a triangle or other extrem-
ities in line form are close to the most
primitive human depictions on pottery
belonging to the pre-Christian era. The
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