The village of
Shirvan is situated on the flat plain near the south-west
shore of the Caspian Sea.
General
Description: Early in history Shirvan absorbed
Persian designs. From these floral motifs developed the
harshang or crab-motif, a design which although now formal
and stylised, almost certainly developed from Persian inspired
floral motifs. The design is employed in Shirvan rugs lines
of crab-like flowers, completely covering the field. Borders
may also be harshang or what is known as Kufic, i.e. that
in form it resembles the Kufic script.
Stylisation is everywhere - both of
floral and animal figures. Another design employs a line
of various geometric motifs, eight-pointed stars, rosettes,
surrounded by a field of stylised flowers and animals. The
border normally consists of the serrated leaf pattern. Prayer
rugs are also found.
Colours are varied, normally bright with darker, more subdued backgrounds, and with white occurring especially in borders. Blue is often predominant in early rugs.
Specification: Loom - Vertical. Warp - Wool (old) or wool and cotton from about 1850 to 1920. Modern warps are cotton. Weft - same as warp. Pile - Wool, close-cropped. Kn ot - Turkish, density from about 100 to 200 knots per square inch. Motifs - as above.
