Стр. 193 - Azərbaycan xalçaları

193
The carpet was woven based on a Kara-
bakh composition. The date 1299 AH ap-
pears in the right center of the verni. This
carpet reflects classic, stylized motifs de-
signed following centuries of decorative
applied art in Azerbaijan, including carpet
weaving. The main decoration of this light
red background carpet consists of large navy
blue and white background s- or 2-shaped
elements. These elements are interpreted
as dragons, considered imaginative ani-
mals among weavers and craftsmen. Small
z-shaped motifs or stylized ducks arranged
backwards are depicted on the dragons. The
edges of the white dragons are decorated
with navy blue; the edges of the navy blue
dragons are decorated with bulges deco-
rated with white su (water). The horns and
tails of the dragons are designed with white
and navy blue, in accordance with the col-
ors of these motifs. The empty spaces of the
carpet’s middle field are filled with stylized
four-legged imaginary birds, rhombic mo-
tifs with stepped edges, small s-shapes, tree-
like motifs, and other classic elements. The
narrow border of the carpet is designed with
mollabashi (chamomile) motifs adorned
with light red and green. The border is com-
pleted on both sides with cream-colored si-
chandishi (mouse teeth). The borders at the
top and bottom of the carpet are surrounded
with dark brown madakhils decorated with
kohna su (old water) motifs. Verni carpets
are woven by a complex winding method
linked to the second development period of
carpet arts and were woven predominantly
in areas where raising livestock was wide-
spread. Therefore, qualified animal images
are encountered on these types of carpets.
Household items of nomadic Terekemes,
such as horse, camel, and ox chuls, mafrash,
khurjun, curtains, and yukuzu woven like
vernis are more often encountered in the
mountainous districts of Azerbaijan. Ver-
nis consist of one or two parts. On rare oc-
casions, it is possible to come across vernis
with three parts. Verni carpets are usually
woven with dark red, navy blue, brick and
sometimes, a cream-colored background.
This carpet woven only in Azerbaijan is dis-
tinguished from other flat-weave carpets by
its unique color harmony and rich pattern
design. Technical excellence and the highly
provocative emotions of the verni carpet is
the highest acme of the carpet weaving art
of Azerbaijan.
Azerbaijan’s verni carpets are exhibited in
different museums of the world and today
are some of the most rare samples among
the art pieces of those museums. The eigh-
teenth century verni exhibited in The Met-
ropolitan Museum of Art in New York City
and the nineteenth century verni of the
Gazakh carpet-weaving school on exhibit
in Washington’s Textile Museum could be
given as examples.