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Notes on
Kurdish Weaving
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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
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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.
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First Day of Migration
Migrating on camel back. A
Kurdish woman of “Qahremânlu” clan on
the path of “Jargalân” region, at
autumn migration.
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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
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The Alberto Levi
"Proto" Kurdish Rug
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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.
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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.
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Interesting Structure:
Pile and Flatweave
Salt Bag
For Further Reading:
Thanks and best wishes,
J. Barry O'Connell Jr.
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Persian
Rugs the O'Connell Guides
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