Exhibition - Caucasian Carpets at Washington County Museum of Fine
Arts, February 3 — April 20, 2006
Washington County Museum of Fine Arts has announced an exhibition of
Caucasian rugs and carpets February 2 - April 20, 2006.
The exhibition includes antique Caucasian rugs, prayer rugs, horse
covers, saddle bags and other types of tribal Caucasian weavings. The rugs
and weavings are from eastern and southern Caucasus. Among the exhibited
rugs is a striking Shirvan rug ( image right ) from the collection
of Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Thompson.
The rugs and weavings on display are on loan from the collections of Dr. and Mrs. George Manger, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Newcomer and Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Thompson.
In an introduction to the exhibition the Washington County Museum writes:
"The Caucasus, a region bordering Asia Minor, located between the Black Sea and Caspian Sea, has a rich cultural tradition of textile weaving. These skills have been handed down through the generations from grandmothers and
mothers to daughters and granddaughters. The weavers of each region or village produce unique carpets that include both Persian motifs and designs influenced by Turkey.
Hand-crafted and hand-knotted from pure hand-spun Caucasian wool, these unique creations often took months to create. Since it is a labor intensive process, traditional weaving in this modern era is rapidly fading as inexpensive, synthetic, machine made rugs from other parts of the world flood the market. Generally known for their bold colors and geometric shapes, Caucasian rugs and textiles now constitute one of the world's most exciting areas of collecting."
In an interesting article
on Turkotek.com R. John Howe writes: "If you are within
striking distance of Hagerstown during the time when this exhibition is
up, I encourage you to stop by and enjoy it."
Location: Washington County Museum of
Fine Arts, City Park, Hagerstown, Maryland 21741.
Jozan Magazine 15 February 2006
