Kolkata, Jan 4 (PTI) Carpets from Central Asia andMiddle East, some that date back to the 19th and 20thcenturies, have been put on display at an exhibition in thecity.
The 10-day exhibition-cum-sale that began on January29 at the Harrington Art Gallery, in the central part of thecity, showcases an array of rugs, mats and runners from Iran,Iraq, Syria, Turkey, Armenia, Georgia, Dagestan, Uzbekistan,Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and various Kurdish enclaves.
The carpets are a testimony of the fine work and yearsof labour that went into its making, Collector Danny Mehratold PTI.
Most of these weavers hail from ethnic groups,including Qashqai, Luri, Bakhtiari, Khamseh, Afshar,Shahsavan, Turkic and Baluch, he said.
"I have visited many countries - from easternTurkestan to the Roman empire. You can't really findcollectibles during short visits to tribal hamlets in theseplaces. I get them through specialised dealers, othercollectors or through auctions in Austria, Germany, the US andthe UK," Mehra said.
Asked how the carpets woven by tribal nomad groups incentral Asia are different from those in Kashmir, thecollector, who lives in Bengaluru, said, genuine tribalcarpets have abstract designs and clumsy patterns.
"The carpet weavers do not follow set patterns. Andmost importantly, the work reflects the personal expressionsof the weavers," he said.
Mehra, who has lost count of the carpets collectedfrom different parts of the globe in all these years, havebrought 91 carpets to the city with the most expensive oneflaunting a price tag of Rs 15 lakh.
"Every carpet tells a story and when I put them up fordisplay, they carry my interpretation of the tale. The carpetswoven by tribals bear certain interesting symbols - like thestar which conveys happiness, bird which symbolises faith andtree eternal life," he said.
The weavers of the carpets were mostly women. They didnot copy designs from pictures but created them from their ownimagination with symbols of flowers, plants, birds, animals,human figures, mythical objects. The end result is a visualtreat, Mehra said.
"My carpet collection at my Bengaluru studio willcover an entire football ground and I might set up a smallprivate museum in future," he said.
Asked if the patterns change from one country toanother, he said nomads know no borders.
"They travel from one place to another all life. Inthe present situation of strife and border conflicts, I am notsure how long they can continue that way. And if theirmovements are restricted, a rich legacy will be lost." PTI SUSJMRMS.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.