Saturday 9 July 2011

Rugs And The Art Of Looking Beyond What You Can See

PRAGUE, July 15, 2011 -- Can viewing a rug be a metaphysical experience?

It can be if you see rugs as many are meant to be seen.

That is, as a patch of infinity.

The idea might not make much sense until you consider how many rugs have field patterns which do not seem to stop at the rug's border.

Instead, they have an endlessly repeating pattern which appears to spill under and past the rug's own borders.

And because the pattern seems to extend ever outward, it is easy to imagine the rug itself is just a small sample of an infinitely larger universe, like a patch of stars in the sky.

Just how this works can be seen in rugs from almost any era and from across the rug-producing East.

Here is an Ottoman court Usak Medallion carpet from around the 16th century.

The focal point of the rug is the central medallion but other, partial, medallions float above and below it, giving the impression that the patterns go on forever.

But if Ottoman court weavers seemed to enjoy creating such illusions of infinity, they were far from the only ones.

So did court weavers in Mamluk Egypt, Safavid Persia and Mughal India.

And so did -- and continue to do – many city and tribal weavers.

Below is a 19th century Turkmen tribal carpet – a Yomud – from Central Asia.

It, too, has a field made up of ever repeating elements that have no beginning and no end.

At the top of the carpet, the final row of field motifs is only half complete, as if they literally have been interrupted by the border only to continue again on the other side.

This Yomud rug is available to collectors from the Nazmiyal Collection in New York.

Interestingly, the appearance of the borders themselves often only helps heighten the sense of infinity.

Particularly on village rugs, weavers are likely to simply stop working on a rug when it reaches the desired length. The result is "unreconciled borders," where the repeat of the border motifs stops but does not clearly end, much like the field design itself.

The readiness of a weaver to stop "just-like-that" as she weaves suggests an artistic tradition very different from that of the West, where symmetry and a sense of completion are usually the rule in art.

So perhaps it is no surprise that some scholars have tried to explain where the tradition comes from and what it means.

Schuyler V.R. Cammann, a professor of East Asian studies who has written about rugs, puts it this way:

“We are accustomed to seeing patterns that fit neatly within trim borders or assigned frames, completely compact entities. To comprehend these infinite patterns, expressing a very different way of thinking, we must put asides our customary points of view and take a new look at some of the rugs we have come to take for granted.”

His remarks appear in the Textile Museum Journal, December 1972, in an article entitled "Symbolic Meanings in Oriental Rugs."

Cammann believes the answer lies in the way weavers in Muslim lands view the world and are inspired by the spiritual ideas and beliefs of their common faith.

As he notes, "we meet the concept of endlessness very frequently in Islamic thought. God – under the name of Allah – is described as having limitless transcendence, boundless power, infinite mercy and compassion."

But if the concept of infinity is central to Islam, he believes that Eastern artists' comfort with depicting the world in infinite terms can be traced to long before Islam itself.

Cammann notes that in the Louvre Museum there is a 7th century BC Assyrian carved stone slab which represents a carpet set before the throne in the king's court at Ninevah. Its central field, enclosed by a continuous floral border, also has a repeating pattern.

"These continuous patterns – so characteristic of Middle Eastern design and by no means confined to rugs – did not originate in the Islamic tradition, he concludes. "Muslim weavers took over this already ancient device to express some of their most fundamental beliefs."

If the artists who weave oriental carpets were content to express infinity in their work and stop there, it would already by interesting enough.

But some rug designs appear to go yet a step further and that is to try to suggest the "indefinability" of the world around us, as well.

That concept may seem more familiar when we realize that it already is a large part of what makes Islamic architecture so distinctive and instantly recognizable, such as this dome interior of the Sheikh Lotfollah in Isfahan.

On mosques, the walls and domes are often covered with arabesques and tile which break up the surface into myriad smaller patterns which make the solid structure of the building itself appear to be what it is not: airy and weightless.

In effect, matter is "dissolved," and that contradiction between appearance and reality powerfully evokes the indefinability of the divine, of the spiritual, and ultimately, of all creation.

Often the breaking up of a surface into smaller elements is done using a pattern which itself seems to endlessly repeat beyond the confines of the surface itself, further reinforcing the idea of the infinite, indefinable nature of the universe.

And it is this combination of techniques that can be seen at work in many of carpets which most famously have captured the imagination of Western rug collectors and painters.

Here is a photo of a Lotto carpet woven in a court workshop of the Ottoman Empire.

The Lotto design so captivated European Renaissance painters that it is the most frequently depicted classical Anatolian carpet of all, appearing this way or with variations in some 500 paintings.

But Lotto carpets are just one example. Cammann says the same principles can be seen in the earliest known rugs from Seljuk period and in the Mamluk carpets of pre-Ottoman Egypt.

And, again, they seem to be at work in many village and tribal rugs throughout history.

According to Cammann, the repeated stars and octagons and extra fillers in other shapes that break up the background of Caucasian rugs are not so much the result of a horror vacui, or fear of empty space, as many Westerners imagine, but an example of the dissolution of matter.

Here is a Shirvan carpet from the Caucasus, showing the use of such filler. It is available from Nazmiyal Collection in New York.

Many Central Asian rugs, including Yomud and Tekke, also combine the principles of infinity and dissolution of matter in their patterns.

It would be fascinating to know more about how and when weavers across the Muslim world began to introduce such intriguing ambiguity into their works.

But finding out is complicated by the fact that Muslim historians never paid much attention to chronicling changes in the arts.

The reasons for the absence of art history, interestingly, are much the same as those which made the artists allude to the indefinability of divine creation rather than depict subjects realistically.

If something is indefinable, it is not man's work to define it. The historians passed on to more worldly concerns, like politics, and left the artists' secrets to the artists themselves.

#

RETURN TO HOME

#

20 comments:

Magazine Subscription said...

Carpets as a metaphysical experience, thats an innovative turn of phrase.

iconrugs said...

I am looking for modern rugs. Your rugs pictures are so beautiful.

John Santos said...

This is an interesting concept that I saw applied to wallpaper in a film class (it was a liberal arts school!) I took a while ago. The repetition of patterns and tropes suggest both an emphasis on the physical look of the design as well as being inundated by the seeming endlessness of the design. The design thus represent the hypnotic experience of decorative arts, where the everyday becomes a miniature expereince of selflessness and boundlessness.

What a way to revisit that thought...while shopping for kilims!

hijj said...

I really love your blog. They are so interesting and beautiful!!!
When you are looking for your wedding dress, you can take a look at our wedding gowns online shop where you can get beautiful cheap wedding dresses.

Canada Goose Parkas said...

Thank you for your nice post, as we know, Fresh toward the Arctic Collection, inspired by our iconic Expedition Parka, the Canada Goose Parka is acknowledged getting a slimmer and trendy edition, wonderful for that town.Canada Goose Citadel Parka could be the best option toward freezing weather. Features a comparable 4 fleece lined, zippered hand warmer pockets invisible in the rear belonging toward chest and decrease pockets. These a range of pockets are terrific area for storing tiny items. The Canada Goose sales has an adjustable bracing cable tv set inside the hood for support, supplying exceptional defense in considerable wind conditions. With its 625 fill energy lumination duck slicing you are limited getting kept warm, for the coldest of winter days, although nonetheless assisting you sustain a trendy Canada Goose Expedition Parka.

outlet gucci said...

WOW, IT NICE POST! As we all knows, Gucci type keeps correct to their conventional Italian roots like a horseback saddler and imitation leather works. we are able to say that Gucci Belt Bags may be the most preferred bags within our Gucci Outlet on the web store. The ralph lauren outlet materials is pretty gentle and good which you will really feel a awesome and relieve emotion within the season. each and every 1 who see it for that 1st sight will adore cheap Gucci Bags at once. as nicely as cost from our Gucci outlet store on the web is really aggressive for you, you totally can pay for to obtain it. So arrive on buddy! by no means skip the chance.

Cat Ray said...

These are very modern rugs.

Modern Carpet One said...

Nice post here some information about wool carpets that you maybe like to read....

..wool carpets have outstanding easycare properties flame resistence stain resistence and resiliency are characteristics inherent of wool an are not achievable by chemical treatments...

here the full history>>
http://bit.ly/vAPCeK

Modern Carpet One

Unknown said...

obat kemaluan keluar nanah herpes kelamin penyakit kencing nanah atau gonore obat kencing nanah diapotek obat penyakit gonore di apotik obat alat kelamin keluar nanah atau kencing nanah kencing terasa perih dan keluar cairan nanah obat cairan nanah dari kemaluan mengapa kencing perih dan keluar nanah mengapa ujung kelamin keluar cairan nanah cara mengobati kutil di area vagina penis keluar cairan nanah dan kencing perih penyebab penis keluar nanah obat wasir herbal tanpa operasi penis keluar nanah kenapa kemaluan lelaki keluar nanah obat wasir herbal semarang obat ambeien alami obat ambeien tanpa operasi obat ambeien tanpa operasi dan efek samping obat wasir alami obat manjur kemaluan keluar nanah di apotik kenapa kecing perih dan bernanah obat kemaluan keluar nanah atau gonore

raybanoutlet001 said...

ray ban sunglasses
ugg outlet
polo ralph lauren
oakley sunglasses
nike outlet
ralph lauren outlet
ray ban sunglasses outlet
ugg boots
gucci shoes
ugg boots

Unknown said...

zzzzz2018.5.25
coach factory outlet
prada shoes
giuseppe zanotti
mulberry handbags
ralph lauren outlet
salomom shoes
coach outlet
canada goose jackets
polo ralph lauren outlet
jordan shoes

Small Engine Repair said...

Interesting post.

Small Engine Repair

GloriaTerry said...

Youre so cool! I dont suppose Ive read anything like this before. So nice to find somebody with some original thoughts on this subject. realy thank you for starting this up. this website is something that is needed on the web, someone with a little originality. useful job for bringing something new to the internet!

Click Here
Visit Web
Support.advancedcustomfields.com

AlbertLee said...

An interesting discussion is worth comment. I think that you should write more on this topic, it might not be a taboo subject but generally people are not enough to speak on such topics. To the next. Cheers

Visit Web
Scirra.com
Information

Asola YOb said...

An interesting discussion is worth comment. I think that you should write more on this topic, it might not be a taboo subject but generally people are not enough to speak on such topics. To the next. Cheers

Turki.ppi.id
Information
Click Here

RalphSelton said...


Aw, this was a really nice post. In idea I would like to put in writing like this additionally – taking time and actual effort to make a very good article… but what can I say… I procrastinate alot and by no means seem to get something done.###

Information
Click Here
Visit Web

Danil Pamungkas said...

There are certainly a lot of details like that to take into consideration. That is a great point to bring up. I offer the thoughts above as general inspiration but clearly there are questions like the one you bring up where the most important thing will be working in honest good faith. I don?t know if best practices have emerged around things like that, but I am sure that your job is clearly identified as a fair game. Both boys and girls feel the impact of just a moment’s pleasure, for the rest of their lives.

Stylist-profi.ru
Information
Click Here
Visit Web

Chand Mason said...

Hello! I just would like to give a huge thumbs up for the great info you have here on this post. I will be coming back to your blog for more soon.

Mcarsradio.org
Information
Click Here
Visit Web

MarkNelson said...

You made some decent points there. I looked on the internet for the issue and found most individuals will go along with with your website.

Turnerstrainingacademy.co.za
Information
Click Here
Visit Web

MariyamSimones said...

WONDERFUL Post.thanks for share..more wait..

Click Here
Visit Web
Eletletra.hu