Shields and Flowers

                                     

                                                "Do we too long miss our tribal lineage,
                                                         Do we miss real totems?
                                                What is this fascination with the East,                                                                                             What do we really miss?
                                                    Why do flowers become shields?"
                                                             
                                              

                                                           

1 - Eastern Caucasus, Shield rugs, 19th

Plate 1 refers to a type of field design usually found in 19th century rugs of Eastern Caucasus and commonly called 'shield'. 

In the dedicated literature  it is at times called 'shield palmette' or 'shield like palmette'.

Nonetheless, at times, it can assume really unexpected shapes (plate 2).

2 - 'Shield' rug, Northern Caucasus, 19th 

Otherwise, in some cases it is also possible to identify  a more realistic version of such transformed palmette, where a more graphic design speaks for the aesthetic sensitivity of the local weavers, as in the Northern Caucasus (plate 4)

3 - Eastern Caucasus

4 - Northern Caucasus

The palmette is often depicted with outward petals, but in some cases as well with inward  (plate 5) so to properly account for this particular shield-like device.

5 - Northern Caucasus, palmette rug, 17th-18th

detail

Such floral motif has its early classical lineage in the distinctive palmette form which both in Safavid and Ottoman rugs is variously depicted.

6 -  Isfahan, medallion rug, 17th, second half.

 

7 - Cairene- Ottoman prayer rug, detail, 16th, third quarter

Of much interest is, moreover, the ability of this design to become a simplified form to be enriched with various elements. The simplified form, already conceived in classical weavings (plate 8), was to be widely exploited in later classic periods, specifically in Caucasian carpets (plate 9). In this group, actually, it is possible to find a great many of palmette shapes as in the Dragon, Transitional and Floral type.

8 - Tabriz, medallion carpet, 16th

9 - Caucasus, Transitional carpet, 17th-18th

Caucasian carpets in the 19th century underwent a specific development towards a simplification and stylisation of design which, already present in the last part of the previous century, yet now was much played on.

The vanishing Persian influence and the fading importance of the Caucasian Khanates due to the new Russian governance lacerated the continuity of the local decorative traditions. Moreover, the Caucasus, proud with its great and impressive culture definitely integrated to a biggest civilisation, became a provincial region far from the heart of an alien empire (Russia).

Nevertheless, its rich and varied decorative traditions were not to be lost, rather survived, though disguised in new forms.
In the Eastern weaving districts the classical patterns underwent selective disintegrations and single designs, mostly floral, were reconceived and reassembled in an as rich variety as before. Otherwise, in the Western regions there happens to see what Serare Yetkin properly calls a resurgence of Anatolian village models. No wonder since they had been long under the Turkish Ottoman influence. One can most properly says that a kind of archaism appears to imbue primarily the so called Kazak rugs, but as well many other village weaving districts, as it seems to have been the epoch inclination.
We will never be able to know whether the ancient pre-Islamic beliefs, though erased by hundreds years of transformations, were somehow imprinted in a kind of  'ethnic hard-disk'  to surface when it was easy.

This particular feeling for the design led to much stylised yet expressive shapes which can submit a symbolic content by means of an animal-like look, or  heraldic and totemic suggestion (plate 10, 11).

11 - Flaming  palmette , Kuba rug, 19th

Such a strong suggestive power really permeates many of these creations, contributing, along with stunningly bright colours and impressive compositions, to the great fascination of  the 19th century Caucasian carpets.

10 - So called flaming palmette, Kuba rug, 18th 

One more design has been called shield for sake of practical utility. It is the case of a whole group of Eastern Caucasian carpets authoritatively investigated by M. Franses and R. Pinner.

12 - Shield rug, Eastern Caucasus, 18th-19th

The floral source of this shield does not need more details than the two authors produce. I would only add two notes.

First, the cypress form recognised in the two elements flanking the shield seems to properly represent two curved leaves, much in touch with a palmette theme, as devised in a related carpet from the same provenance (plate 13).

13 - Shirvan palmette rug, early 18th

Second, the shield shape better recalls a specific floral form often depicted in a group of Caucasian rugs (plate 14), and characterising a small group of Eastern Caucasus rugs (plate 15). This is at times called lily, at times open top lotus, the latter likely much adhering to the truth ( see here 'The Lotus Flower - A Special Caucasian Cultivar' by the author).

14 - Eastern Caucasus rug, late 18th

15 - Eastern Caucasus, open top lotus rug, 17th-18th

We find as well this type of classical derived designs in the so called tribal populations of the Caucasus, one of them being the Shahsavan of mainly Turkic lineage. Some of their weavings really display a strong design alteration.
For sake of taxonomy the different ethnic groups are commonly thought to have their own aesthetic sense, despite the unquestionable influences received during time and despite what seems to be a shared pool of motifs. Although this claim can be highly questionable, sometimes it appears reasonable. Thus, an apparently strong deformation can plausibly account for both a strong aesthetic sense as well deeply rooted traditions which can at times surface in the design.
Anyhow, the two rug so far attributed to the Shahsavan and here depicted  show with certainty another version of the two floral forms previously discussed, the palmette (plate 16) and the open top lotus (plate 17).

16 - Southern Caucasus, Shasavan confederacy, shield  rug, 19th

17 - Southern Caucasus, Shahsavan confederacy, open lotus rug, 1860 ca.

Plate 16 - The palmette, albeit recognisable by its primary shape (from the bottom a kind of triangular base on which the main bulb rises developing in a central cusp flanked by two  outward petals), is moreover associated with other floral designs. In fact, while a standing flower is inscribed in its centre, the field is framed by a highly geometrized meandering stem with leaves and flower.

Plate 17 - The open lotus in this case has been thought to refer to a cosmological concept, the world seen as an egg by means of its ancient symbolic meaning hailing from the Zendavesta texts. In turn, the decorative details, featured by arrow, ashik, diamond, eight pointed star, amulets, animals, rosette and boteh, speak for the wide design pool the weaver could draw from. 

Other Caucasian rugs use to be mentioned as shield carpets, but since their design is completely different from this group, they will be investigated in an other thread.

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Bibliographic references
Ellis, C., G., Early Caucasian Rugs, 1975.
Franses, M. and Pinner, R., Caucasian Shield carpets, Hali inaugural issue, 1978 (http://issuu.com/halipublicationslimited/docs/caucasian_shield_carpets__web.artic)
See there a comprehensive bibliography.
Herrmann, E, in Orient Stars, published by Kircheim, E. H., pp. 343 ff, 1993.
Muse, G., ibidem, pp. 307 ff.
Pinner, R., in Turkoman Studies, pp. 204 ff. 1980.
Sovereign Carpets, ICOC 1999, Milano.
Tanavoli, P., Shahsavan Pile carpets, Hali N. 45, 1989.
Yetkin, S., Early Caucasian carpets in Turkey, Vol. 1,2, 1978.