Posted by Irwin Kirsch on February 03, 1999 at 19:45:25:
In Reply to: nude figures posted by Christoph Huber on February 03, 1999 at 17:15:54:
: Dear Sirs
: I'm not sure whether the nude male figures mentioned by Irwin Kirsch can so easily be explained as a Christian "malice" against Muslim customers, because they seem to me being much deeper rooted in the ornament-canon of Oriental carpets. How else could they also be found on the beautiful Baluch rug depicted on the cover (of the German edition) of James Opies "Tibal Rugs" and on the Turkmen horse-cover in Werner Loges "Turkmenische Teppiche" (No. 51). What kind of tradition they represent I can't say, the question puzzles me for quite a long time...
: Regards, Christoph
Dear Christoph:
I went back yesterday to see and further study the nude Caucasian Prayer rug. I noticed that the weaver also had inserted several prominent St. Andrews crosses in the field. So the weaver may have wanted to insult both the Moslems and the Christians. Perhaps the weaver was an iconoclast.
Regards,
Irwin