작품 상세

Dragon Soumak 268 x 220 cm (8’ 10” x 7’ 3”) Caucasus, dated 1283 (1865) Condition: used, several abrasions, corroded dark brown, several small holes, sides and ends partially damaged, several small old repairs, signs of use Warp: wool, weft: wool It is easy to be misled and interpret the powerful white and green shapes as outstretched dragon arms and the red-yellow shape enclosed by them as the dragon’s head. However, from the design development of these iconic pieces, we know that these are lanceolate leaves and that the dragons have evolved into the four accompanying yellow secondary shapes. The dragons in the carpets of the 17th and 18th centuries also show this, mostly in yellow. The design was quite stable in the 19th century, as we can see from the relatively large number of dated pieces. However, the borders can vary greatly. In our piece, it is very complex and elaborately drawn, showing an octagon and a kind of arrow cross on a black background. In the field, the weaver shows that she had a fear of emptiness - the so-called ”horror vacui.” This principle goes back to Aristotle, who said that nature abhors emptiness. A plethora of small to tiny filling motifs cover the field and represent the weaver’s conscious universe. The actual design has been handed down and is depicted in accordance with tradition, but the weaver reveals her own world in the details. We find two- and four-legged animals, flowers, infinite knots and, with a little imagination, perhaps two horsemen on the left and right under the central lanceolate leaves. At the end of the 19th century, the color palette of soumaks was reduced to mainly red and blue; that is why collectors seek pieces with greater colorfulness that contain a warm yellow and a strong green - as in our example.