Summary
Dear Readers:
This Salon ends after nearly a month with more than
160 posts in 15 threads. Steve Price advises that among the benefits of
presenting a Salon is the right to post a Summary and have "the last word" so
to speak. In conceiving both this Salon and the ACOR presentation on which it
is based, I hoped to commence a discussion of Kurdish weaving that might
reexamine the place of Kurds as weavers and create a framework for anyone
interested to broaden their, mine and our understanding of what Kurdish weaving
is and any tradition behind it. Consistent with this, I hope this Salon is not
the last word but rather a beginning.
The Salon itself began with a
thread called "About Kurdish Rugs." The views of many people concerning Kurdish
weaving were neatly summarized there by the thread's originator - that Kurdish
weaving is mostly copies with no unique character or rote translations of
earlier weavings made by groups totally unassociated with them, even though
there may be geographic similarity. A spirited discussion followed thereafter
within that thread that exposed some important but barely known carbonized
fragments dating to about 5900 B.C. and excavated at Catal Huyuk. These include
fragments in a technique called weftless transverse soumak. I made lengthy and
repeated arguments that one might infer a connection between these fragments
which predate the modern loom and modern wool with utilitarian weavings made by
Kurdish weavers in wool and in the same technique that are much
later.
In other threads we discussed and made some progress
understanding Jaf diamond bags and there they might come from as well as
specific motifs such as the Shikak motif. We also discussed Kagizman rugs,
abrash, undyed wools and how lattice and grids on Persianate rugs may have
evolved. A number of keen insights were made by Daniel D., Guido Imbimbo, John
Howe, Filiberto, Patrick Weiler, Bob Kent and others on these subjects. I will
let them all speak for themselves and hope the discussion continues. In the
meanwhile, it has been my privilege to present my views on Kurdish rugs to you.
I hope they are seen in a new light by some of you.
Thank you to
everyone who posted and participated.
Michael Wendorf
August 23,
2002