The promise of fresh discoveries and new surprises from flatweaves is fulfilled by "From Kuba to Kars: Flat-Woven Textiles from the Caucasus," an exhibition currently on display at The Textile Museum in Washington, D.C. From Kuba to Kars is the product of a collaboration between the museum and the Washington Textile Group, a local rug collector group, and most of the 48 textiles displayed are from the collections of the group's members. In fact, although the TM's galleries provide the forum, selection and curatorship of the exhibit, as well as its design, were handled by the WTG. The result is a confident and carefully organized collector's exhibit of great interest.
The acknowledged goal of From Kuba to Kars was to provide viewers with a comprehensive framework for understanding late 19th and early 20th century flat-woven objects of Caucasia. Although many fine examples are exhibited, aesthetics was not the foremost criteria for the selection of objects. Moreover, no effort was made to exhibit pieces or fragments of great age. Rather, the methodology employed, while not without constraints that will leave some viewers unsatisfied, is refreshingly objective: research in the pre-Soviet literature and information from eye witness accounts are combined with a thorough analysis of weaving structures for these turn-of-the-century weavings. Fortunately, the WTG boasts as members Richard Wright, champion of the former, and John Wertime, savant of the latter. Largely as a result of their collaboration, and Prof. William Bechhoefer's efforts to design a coherent format for displaying and scripting the exhibit, From Kuba to Kars establishes reliable attributions for numerous anchor pieces. From these anchors, it is then possible to place textiles geographically and to assign them to various ethnic groups. The result is a focused and successful exhibit.
Even the most knowledgeable collector will find challenges in this exhibit. The once comfortable labels of Kuba and Shirvan are largely discarded. In their place are new names and places: Kumik and Tat; Lori and Tabasaran. Groups like the Armenians and Lesghis are reevaluated. In addition, the often garbled terminology for the Shadda, Zili, and Verni is corrected. Interestingly, central transcaucasia, particularly Karabagh, and western transcaucasia emerge from relative obscurity to become recognized as areas of significant flatweave production.
Prof. Bechhoefer's design of the exhibit is conceived as a journey. Appropriately, From Kuba to Kars begins in Karabagh. A variety of tent trappings, covers and saddle bags are analyzed and given firm attributions. A wonderful shadda is included. Covers known as shadda vary widely in design. Two were particularly popular. One portrays a camel caravan and is highly coveted by collectors. The other depicts delicate flowers. Graphically, the WTG example of the second type of shadda is enhanced by a single flower in the lower right corner. Many collectors might praise the spontaneity of this single white flower floating in a sea of color as an individualistic expression of a master weaver. We learn, however, that such praise would be misplaced. The inclusion of the single white flower is part of the required design in this group, made by Azeris using extra-weft wrapping.
| Figure 1. Horse cover, silk. The Textile Museum, Washington, DC 1979.35.3, Arthur D. Jenkins Collection. |
Several other covers are displayed. Among these is one sille chul or horse cover from the TM's holdings, Figure 1. Covers such as these were made by Azeris to be used only for festive or ceremonial occasions. This finely woven example must have been made for a person of status. The motif emphasized in the lower right hand corner may be a tamga, a symbol of possible tribal identity, ownership, or authority. Bird and animal motifs occur commonly in these covers, which are woven on a balanced plain weave patterned in the borders and areas of the filed with various types of extra weft-wrapping and by weft-float brocading.
Several saddle and salt bags are displayed from the Karabagh region. The salt bags, called duztorbasi in the exhibit, are a reflection of Karabagh's nomadic heritage. At least one example, typically assigned without much thought to the Shahsavan, is firmly attributed to the Karapapakh, a nomadic group located at various places in western Transcaucasia during the 19th century. This group seems to have used white cotton to accentuate design and an unusual shade of green. Among the stars of this group is a rare single bag or juval. One of only three known, this bag contains broad bands in brilliant color alternating with bundles of narrow bands with ends done in weft-float brocading and a form of weft-twining.
 | Figure 2. Heybe, Azeri or Armenian. Don Tuttle Photography |
Another wonderful example is a saddle bag or heybe made from long, narrow silk jejim strips, Figure 2. This rare bag appears to be older in coloration and design than many of the pieces and probably held items of value for use during ceremonies or other special occasions. Woven in a warp-predominant plain weave with small amounts of metallic thread, the bag is also boldly patterned in some areas by a form of extra-weft wrapping. It was woven by Azeris or Armenians.
 | Figure 3. Curtain, Karabagh, late 19th or early 20th century. Private Collection |
The exhibit leaves Karabagh and the low ceiling gallery for Tiflis, Kurin and Tabasaran, but not before one's attention is drawn to two small curtains or perdejik. These covers are well drawn, happily colored and in a size easy for most collectors to display. Figure 3 might have been used as a saddle blanket. Here again the motif emphasized in the upper horizontal panel may be a tanga, a symbol of tribal identity.
Entering the museum's high ceiling gallery is to scale the heights of Caucasia. Huge kilims, some more than 15 feet long, testify to Lesghi and Tabasar's too little known weaving traditions. Among the finest kilims exhibited in this part of the exhibit is an Azeri kilim woven in eastern Transcaucasia, probably the Jevat District. A set of related kilims seemingly originated somewhere between southern Baku and northern Lenkoran Districts. Use of interpenetrating wefts to form long vertical margins is a common and unique feature of this group. The town of Salian in Jevat District was renowned for its kilims and is a likely (but unconfirmed) source of this fine example woven in 12 colors. A related kilim appears in Herrmann's Asiatische Textil und Teppichkunst Band II, volume 4, plate 52. Mr. Herrmann attributes his example to southern Transcaucasia. Herrmann further proposes that the reciprocal design framing the diagonal striped main border is an abbreviated feather symbol expressing the great protective bird central to his as yet untranslated theories on design.
Continuing its journey, the exhibit moves through the Erivan and Kazak District to Borchalo and flatweaves made mostly by Armenians. These pieces have a distinctive coloration. Among the most compelling is a cover or karpet possibly from Mountain Karabagh. This cover is characteristic of a distinctive group of kilims with a surrounding border employing the motif used here and the two different designs in the large interlocking hexagons of the field. The kilims of Mountain Karabagh were highly regarded in Caucasia.
 | Figure 4. Azeri tent door closing, Kazak District |
The exhibit ends with several interesting saddlebags, a fine silk jejim, and an Azeri tent door closing with a limited number of deeply saturated colors from the Kazak District Figure 4. Intended as a door closing for felt covered trellis tens, a cover of this type also found various uses in village homes of the recently settled. Its bold saw-toothed pattern was known as gedirage and the nickname of "cock's comb." Kazak District door closings typically have stripes at the top. This cover incorporates slit tapestry weave, weft-faced plain weave, a type of weft-twining and of weft-float brocading.
Open until September 4, From Kuba to Kars is a true collector's exhibition. No one interested in or collecting the weavings of this area should miss this carefully organized exhibit full of many fresh discoveries and surprises. A book related to the exhibit, unavailable at the time this review was written, will supplement the exhibit and provide a great deal of additional archival material. This exhibit must be considered a major success for both The Textile Museum and the Washington Textile Group.
 | Michael Wendorf of Washington, DC and Bob Gibson of Tucson, AZ at ACOR, 1996 |
