 |
Notes on Kurdish Weaving
|
Antique Qazvin Kurd Animal Bag
Kurds are an ancient Indo-European
language group of Southwest Asia. Kurdistan spans the junction of Iran,
Iraq, and Turkey. The "Kurdish" language has two main branches Kurdish
and Kurmanji.
CIA Map of Kurdish Areas
-
Alevism is one of the three
Kurdish religions commonly called the Cult of Angels. The are also
called the "deifiers of Ali" and suggest that Ali and Mohammed were
temporal manifestations of the same spirit being which they refer to as
Alimohammed. Shah Ismail would refer to himself as Alimohammad
suggesting his own . Izady,
The Kurds. Pg. 150.
-
The Yezidi cap is the same as
the Mithras cap. Izady,
The Kurds. Pg. 260
Antique Karabagh Kurdish
Runner |
-
Kurdistan was split in the
Sixteenth century into approximately the borders of today. Izady,
Mehrdad , The Kurds. Pg. 8.
-
Wing bones from large
birds have been found in Archeological digs in Kurdistan dating back
10,800 years. Izady speculates a connection to the Cult of Angels
religions of the Kurds. Izady,
The Kurds. Pg. 21.
-
Since Peacocks are not
native to Kurdistan or the Caucasus Izady speculates that the so-called
Peacocks are actually the Great Bustard once found in the region. The
great bustard had multicolored tail feathers but shorter than a
peacocks and more like a Turkey's. Izady,
The Kurds. Pg. 156.
-
Yezidism is one of the
three Kurdish religions commonly called the Cult of Angels. Malak Tawas
or Lucifer as we know him was the first Archangel of the Great Creating
Spirit or God as we know him. Malak Tawas was given dominion over
earth. He is often represented as a great bird usually called a peacock
but Izady speculates the bird is actually a great bustard. Izady,
The Kurds. Pg. 156.
|
|
|
First Day of Migration
Migrating on camel back. A
Kurdish woman of “Qahremânlu” clan on the path of “Jargalân” region, at
autumn migration.
|
|
Caucasian
Kurd
In the lesser Caucasus the Kurds tended to be the
people of the high country. At this point I suspect that many of the
so-called Northwest Persian are actually Caucasian Kurds.
Karabagh
|
|
The
Alberto Levi "Proto" Kurdish Rug
|
Proto-Kurdish
Alberto Levi in articles and lectures over a
number of years deliniated a cohesive group of Kurdish rugs. It was not
Sauj-Bulagh type
Warps: wool, natural off white.
Wefts: wool, 2 shoots, rust red.
Weave: fine with little or no warp depression
(flat back)
Handle: soft, pliable.
Colors: yellow, red, light and dark blue and
aubergine often on a dark brown background, more rarely on a yellow
background and very rarely on an ivory background.
The wool is invariably long and silky and the
colors brilliant jewel tones.
|
|
Quchan is an important collection point for
Kurdish and Afshar tribal and village rugs. The rugs share designs with
Northwest and Caucasian Kurds and Afshar.
Abbas Safavi Shah ruled Iran from 1588 - 1629 at
the beginning of his reign Persia was in serious trouble. The Ottomen
had taken Tabriz and most of Northwest Persia. Abbas Safavi Shah made a
treaty with the Ottomen and Persia was forced to pay tribute. While on
the eastern front the Uzbek came as far west as Mashad. Abbas used
Kurds and Afshar to retake Mashad and gave those Afshar Turks and
Kurdish mercenaries land in the Quchan area as a reward for
service and as a line of defense against the Uzbeks and their Turkmen
vassals. The descendents of those Kurds and Afshar live in the Quchan
area and produce rugs.
|
|
Interesting Structure:
Pile
and Flatweave Salt Bag
For Further Reading:
Thanks and best wishes,
J. Barry O'Connell Jr.
|
Persian
Rugs the O'Connell Guides
|
