The James
C. Allen Cloud Band Kazak
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Karabagh
Karabakh, Karabagh, Artsakh, Ngorno-Karabahk,
etc.. A mountainous region that is a subject of
dispute between Azerbaijan to the east and
Armenia to the west. The area is mostly Armenian
in the lowlands and Kurds in the Mountains but it
is historically part of Azerbaijan.
The Czarist Russians began to solidify their
hold as early as 1805 - 1820 but they did not
truly control the region for many years. With the
capture of the great rebel religious leader
Shamyl in 1859 and the end of the rebellion in
1864 did Czarist control truly solidify regional
control. In 1865 to eliminate risk of future
rebellion the Russians forced 1,2 million
Caucasians to move to Turkey. http://www.mediaport.org/~caucasus/history/
I strongly suspect that areas such as
Ngorno-Karabahk which were historically Moslem
were depopulated and then repopulated with
Armenians. As Christians the Armenians had an
easier time with the Christian Russians.
The historical capitol Shusha was an ancient
village in Karabakh that gained in importance
when Panah Ali-khan Javanshir built a nearby
fortress. From there he established himself as a
Khan of an independent Khanate. Shusha was able
to beat back the Persians in 1795 (VAR:
SHUSHA -- City of Shusha, Karabakh region of
Azerbaijan) but not many years later (1805)
the Khanate fell to the Czarist Russians. http://scf.usc.edu/~baguirov/azeri.htm
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Map courtesy of the CIA |
Typical
Karabagh Structure
Structure: Symmetrical.
averages 65 kpsi and average size of 41
square feet. Shusha city carpets
average90 kpsi and are up to 20 feet long
Oriental
Rug Lexicon. Some of the rugs have a
flat back but most are depressed.
Yarn: Spin: Z.
Warp: Wool warps. Usually
3 ply warps but some 2 ply and 4 ply,
sometimes barber-poled. Undyed wool.
Weft: usually two shots
of 2 ply natural brown or tan wool.
Pile: 2 Wool singles.
Ends: Upper ends
elaborate woven bands.
Selvages: one or two warp
unit reinforced wool. red is common so is
the use of pile colors.
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Notes:
Karabagh can look like Kazak but
the wefts are usually two shots of 2 ply natural
brown or tan wool.
Upper ends elaborate woven bands.
Notes: Stone mentions averages of
65 kpsi and average size of 41 square feet. Oriental
Rug Lexicon.
Shusha
Shusha city carpets are
the heirs to the Caucasian Dragon
Carpets. The average 90 kpsi and are up
to 20 feet long. Oriental
Rug Lexicon.
Sizes range up to about
12 by 20 feet (240 square feet). Eiland
and Eiland, pg. 274
Bennett,
Ian et al. Oriental Rugs Volume 1 Caucasian.
Der
Manuelian, L. and M. Eiland: Weavers, Merchants and
Kings, Inscribed Rugs from Armenia
Eiland & Eiland's Oriental
Rugs A Complete Guide
Hubel,
Reinhard G. The Book of Carpets
Kaffel,
Ralph. Caucasian Prayer Rugs
Keshishian,
James Mark. Inscribed Armenian Rugs of Yesteryear.
Schurmann,
Ulrich. Caucasian Rugs.
Stone,
P.F. Rugs of the Caucasus: Structure and Design.
Tschebull,
Raoul. Kazak.
Wright,
Richard. Wertime, John. Caucasian Carpets and Covers
Older
Caucasian Rugs
Ellis,
Charles Grant. Early Caucasian Rugs. Washington DC:
The Textile Museum, 1975.
Yetkin,
Serare. Early Caucasian Carpets in Turkey
Caucasian Bags
Hegenbart,
Heinz and Adil Besim: Rare Oriental Woven Bags. Munich:
1982.
Wertime,
J. SUMAK BAGS OF NORTHWEST PERSIA AND TRANSCAUCASIA.
1998,
Oriental Rugs:
Practical Seminar on Caucasian Rugs by James M.
Keshishian
A Dragon Pile Rug
A Discussion
Keshishian
Collection of Caucasian Rugs at the TM
Chelaberd Medallion
Evolution 1592 - 1912
Dragon Rug Dyes
Internet Links:
Anglo-Kabarda
Horse
Caucasus
- Treasures of St. Petersburg
Russian
Conquest of The Caucasus
For Further Reading:
Thanks and best wishes,
J. Barry O'Connell Jr.
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