Page 30 - Azərbaycan xalçaları

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The “Pirabadil” carpet is one of the most popular carpets of the Guba weaving
group all over the world. The “Pirabadil” carpet was woven in Pirabadil village in
the Shabran region. Its warp, weft, and pile are wool. It has manuscript elements. It
was woven by the “turkbaf” technique. The carpet was woven for praying.
The carpet contains a central field, one large, and four small border strips. The bor-
der strips are separated from each other by dark colored “su” elements and tender
“alamunjug” strips.
The first border strip contains “mollabashi,” elements woven from patterns of two
parallel braids, and eight-pointed stars in the internal border strip and “kufi” motifs
in the major border strip in the center. The most attractive element is the motif in the
major border strip. From the period when Islam started to spread, prayers were wo-
ven in “kufi” writing style on carpets. This tradition gradually became popular and
was performed in a schematic style by weavers. Throughout the centuries, “kufi”
border strips become a tradition on carpets and are mainly used on carpets woven
in the Baku and Guba groups.
The central field of the carpet is interesting. In its upper section, a sanctuary in
broken line form has been engraved with one space intended for putting “mohur”
below it. Inside it the date when the carpet was woven has been engraved.
The patterns decorating the central field of the carpet have very rich artistic and
semantic subjects. The horn elements were created as a result of beliefs related to
totems and have been depicted in the center of the carpet and repeat five times on
the central field. On the sanctuary and below it, birds have been woven and they are
considered the protector of pure and sacred spirits.
Other filler elements of the carpet contain free elements. Important information
has been protected in each of the rhomb, hook, star, grape leaf, zoomorphic, and
plant elements. The rhomb is a symbol of numerical increase and abundance. The
star is a sign related to astral beliefs and the hook is a sign assuming heraldic im-
portance.
The color harmony of the “Pirabadil” carpet contains mainly dark blue and light
brown. The wool of the carpet has been colored with natural dye. Therefore, the
main colors and halftones on the carpet have not become pale and maintain their
freshness.
No repair or restoration work has been conducted on the carpet. The carpet is in
excellent condition. The carpet is of artistic, historic, and scientific importance.