� THE ART OF CARPET
Publisher ’ s word
NAILIA MUSAVI
“ Tradition is not the worship of ashes , but the preservation of fire ” ( Gustav Mahler ).
I will start with the revelations . One of the main reasons why our magazine exists is my interest in carpet art . My curiosity was the glimmer which has sparked and sustains CARPET magazine .
Carpet art is so multifaceted , deep , complicated and not investigated to the end ! I agree with Khosrow Sobhe ( column “ The Best Restorer ”) that “ this ocean is so deep that no one can reach the bottom of it ”. We , dear readers , have just come to the shores of this ocean . Its underwater secret world is made up of sacred symbols and ornaments which can intertwine , be original and unique . And our new issue is exactly dedicated to ornaments .
Of course , in one issue we could not tell and introduce even the main ones . We have just opened the curtain and “ look through the peephole ”. We have just only compared the patterns of Azerbaijani , Uzbek , Kazakh carpets to show their similarities and differences . We have done it deliberately , showing that they can be studied in correlation .
Interestingly , the skill to “ code ” image ( E . Gul ) “ showed the specificity of artistic thinking of weavers . Through the centuries different cultures stored them , transferred , altered , distorted , interpreted in their own way , but told to this day ”. And today , when a traditional carpet is in front of us , we can “ read ” it , designate its origin , understand the underlying meaning , and trace historical events . In this regard , the research of the Kazakh carpet collector Dana Erik is important . To comprehend meanings , she turns not only to mythology , but also to the languages of different cultures , finding connecting bridges between them .
Publisher of CARPET magazine
Photo by Alexandra Egorova
I am glad that our magazine is also becoming a platform for research essays which have been published for the first time . 63 works were examined by Irina Dvorkina , and we publish a fragment of the most interesting studies . For those who are interested in the culture of nomads , there is a fascinating article by the world famous scientist Turaj Zhuleh about the carpets of the most ancient Baloch tribe .
Our magazine continues to acquaint you with enthusiasts , amateurs and true professionals in their field . Shirin Melikova for five years of her leadership in the Azerbaijan Carpet Museum has elevated it to the status of the most popular profile museum , turning it into a “ Museum without Borders ”. How has she managed ? One can read in our exclusive interview .
The column “ Contemporary Carpet Art ” is opened by artists who draw their inspiration from oriental carpets . And , of course , there are announcements of events , trends and interesting new items , acquaintance with contemporary designers and foreign experience in carpet restoration and etc .
It seems that I reveal the content without intrigue . But I hope every reader will find something interesting , and maybe , read the whole magazine from cover to cover .
Cover : A designer Barbara Barran talks about Italiano : “ It was inspired by Pucci scarf which I have owned for many years . I worked on its design for 3 months until I was completely satisfied with it and this is one of my favorite carpets ! It is a part of my 20th Century Collection , which is based on Art Nouveau of the middle of XX century . This carpet is a one-of-a-kind piece of art ”.
�CLASSICRUGCOLLECTION � ARTCARPET _ MAG
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