“Rugs from West Asia — primarily from Iran, Turkey, and the Caucasus — are likely among the most beautiful objects ever created by humans. Perhaps it is the play of light on the piled surface, the richness of the colors from the natural plant and insect dyes, or the compositions integrating the multilayered patterns. The personal experience of beholding a beautiful rug enchants each of us in our own way” — Paul Ramsey, quoted in Don’t Miss This Local Exhibition posted in www.5280.com

Featured image at top of post: A view of a gorgeous thick piled Turkish yata which served as portable bedding in the 19th century. Image clipped from VOA video (watch video below.)

Compiled by MALIK MERCHANT
(sources hyperlinked).

With more than 40 objects on display, the exhibition Rugged Beauty: Antique Carpets from Western Asia which runs at the Denver Art Museum until May 28, 2023, opens a window into the artistic and utilitarian innovations of weavers, domestic consumption, and the cross-cultural exchanges between present-day Turkey, Iran, and the Caucasus (Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia) from the 1500s to the 1900s.

The stories in Rugged Beauty showcase the living traditions of western Asia, a vast and culturally rich region of the world. Each of the objects on display were made by hand, predominantly dyed by hand, and hand-woven using the knotted-pile weaving technique. Though the individual identities of the makers are mostly unknown, the rugs’ designs of rich colors, intricate patterns, and complex symbols reveal a deep history of trade, diplomacy, and foreign relationships.

Centuries-old weavings from the Caucasus, Iran and Turkey show the individual stories and intertwined histories of the region in a museum exhibit in the Western U.S. state of Colorado. If you are in Denver or surrounding areas, try and visit this beautiful display of magnificent rugs. The museum notes on its website that entry to the exhibition is included in general admission, which is free for everyone 18 and under every day, as well as museum members.

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WATCH VIDEO: Antique Rugs From Caucasus, Iran, Turkey Reflect History in Patterns

Produced by VOA Correspondent Scot Stearns

To watch video at source, please click VOA News – Antique Rugs From Caucasus, Iran, Turkey Reflect History in Patterns.

Date posted: February 8, 2023.

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