Dare To Compare!

In the Salon I noted that there were a number of Poster Presentations, including "Thomas Cole, The Relationship of Baluch Weavings to the Seljuks"
The Poster Presentations were in a separate room in the hotel and nearby were several carpet manufacturing companies exhibiting their wares.
The Poster room was a quiet respite from the hustle of the Dealer's Fair.
Here is a link to Tom Cole's presentation from his web site:
http://www.tcoletribalrugs.com/article60IcocBaluch.html
In his presentation, he compares early Anatolian designs with more modern Baluch designs.
I also noted another interesting motif that transcended geographic borders. The comparison is striking and intriguing. It is some sort of creature with no known living analog:



It is a zoomorphic design from a Daghestan embroidery that was in the Dealer's Fair
And it also appears in a couple of Anatolian pieces from the TIEM and Vakiflar:





What is it? How did it get from Turkey to the Caucasus? Should we be concerned that it may escape captivity and endanger the world once again?

Concerned,

Patrick Weiler

Hi Pat

One small correction: the first piece you show is Uzbek embroidery, not Daghestan. Did the wrong image get inserted, perhaps? The zoomorphic creatures on the rug beneath it are strikingly similar to those on the so-called simurgh and dragon Daghestan embroideries (for some examples, see http://www.turkotek.com/salon_00043/salon.html )

Thanks for directing us to Tom Cole's very interesting article.

Regards

Steve Price

Hi Pat,

Steve's right, that's an Uzbek piece. It seems that the creepie-crawlies in that region really stick in the minds of the residents. My guess - not many Uzbeks sleep on the ground:

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Chuck Wagner

Pat,

Here's a little something to mull over - where did some of these seemingly archaic motifs really originate ? Are they recent abstractions ? The product of poor copying ? Or, are they REALLY old:


National Park Service



Carl Crumley



Doug Backland

And isn't it interesting that ancient cultures halfway around the world managed to come up with such similar geometries ? Kinda reminiscent of the Precolumbian boteh conundrum.

Thought provokingly yours,
Chuck Wagner

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Chuck Wagner

Another Rug World Conspiracy?

Chuck,

From your research, it appears that this curious creature could have been invented by the National Park Service. Quite a revelation to the rug world!
Is Uzbekistan a suburb of Turkey? Were there Aliens at Catal Huyuk? The only real answer is that Aliens spread the design. Note that the Turkish word for rug is Hali, a scant step from h-ALI-en!!!

Conspiratorially yours,

Patrick Weiler