Shirvan is a former
Khanate in the Caucasus. It is populated by
primarily Azeri Turks. But there was a
significant population of Armenians in the area
west of Shemakha. Shirvan along with Kuba and Derbent are the
primary Azeri weaving area. Shirvans are not as
fine as Kubas but are
better made than Derbends. Gennerally Shirvans
are short pile rugs with a flat or near flat
back.
Shirvan Rug with floral Botehs It has a date
using the old Persian lunar corrected date that
was discontinued in the 1920s. No repairs, even
wear, full borders, it is in amazing condition.
It was purchased by the owner's grandmother on a
road trip through Persia in the early 1900s.
Where did the Akstafa rugs go? I decided that
even though Akstafa Rugs
are Azeri rugs structurally akin to Shirvan rugs
they are woven in western Azerbaijan and
Southeast Georgia and belong in their own group: Guide to Akstafa Rugs.
Two Cord Selvage in a Shirvan
Rug
As soon as I saw this fragment it made me
think of my dear friend and teacher (the
late) Uncle Jimmy Keshishian. I took the
Oriental Rug section of the appraisal
Science course at George Washington
University from Uncle Jimmy and I still
draw back on what he taught me. When you
see this selvage think Shirvan. Uncle
Jimmy's brother Harold Keshishian has a
saying that I like, "If you want to
know what sort of car it is, read the
hubcaps." In other words look for
the easy to spot identifying clues.
Shirvan two cord white
cotton selvage sometimes blue. Wool in
very old examples, cotton in newer.
Normally the same material and color as
the wefts.
Ends: Upper –
fringe. Lower loops. Loops often woven
into band See Mallett
Flat back
Warps are flat or mildly
depressed. 2 ply warps often barber-poled
the lighter ply may be cotton.
Notes: Stone mentions
averages of 113 kpsi and average size of
28 square feet. Oriental
Rug Lexicon. He also mentions
Akstafas as a type of Shirvan that
averages 107 kpsi and average size of 34
square feet. Oriental
Rug Lexicon
Fireworshippers' Temple at Atashgah, not far
from Baku's International Airport, was built by
Zoroastrians (Parsees from India). Today a fire
fed by gas into the center of the cupola burns
constantly. 10.2 An Overview - Baku: City that
Oil Built - by Farid Alakbarov
Eastern
Shirvan has been an impotant area for thousands
of years. To the left we see a fire temple near
Baku.
