Oriental rugs, antique and modern . the Shirvans lacks something of the refinement observablein the Daghestans. The oldest existing Shirvans are absorbingly interesting. Inthem the foliate forms are more noticeable than in almost anyother Caucasian rugs, though they may in a measure be disguisedby formal treatment. Sometimes they appear as large figures cover-ing a great part of the field and acting as sub-patterns for superim-posed smaller devices; but they are most frequently found in theborders. Other old pieces contain lattice-work of hexagonal-shapeddiaper patterns, within which may be de
Oriental rugs, antique and modern . the Shirvans lacks something of the refinement observablein the Daghestans. The oldest existing Shirvans are absorbingly interesting. Inthem the foliate forms are more noticeable than in almost anyother Caucasian rugs, though they may in a measure be disguisedby formal treatment. Sometimes they appear as large figures cover-ing a great part of the field and acting as sub-patterns for superim-posed smaller devices; but they are most frequently found in theborders. Other old pieces contain lattice-work of hexagonal-shapeddiaper patterns, within which may be designs abounding in latch-hooks and figures strongly suggestive of Chinese devices. Such pat-terns, however, are unusual; as the fields of most old Shirvansare covered with large medallions, stars, and diamonds similar tothose of Daghestans, although the drawing inclines to greater sim-plicity of outline and detail; and they have greater diversity ofcolour, as tones of blue, red, green, and brown in a field of ivoryare not Plate 48. Kazak Rug CAUCASIAN RUGS 213 The patterns of the more modern rugs have become corrupted intoa mere mechanical copying of conventional forms lacking all artisticspirit. Some of them resemble those found in both Daghestans andKabistans, but generally the designs are drawn less clearly in Shir-vans. This is partly because, as a rule, they are not so closely wovenand the nap is not quite so short. Now and then the large medal-lions so common to Soumaks are seen; and not infrequently the fieldis covered with diagonal parallel stripes on which are small geometricdevices. There is, however, one pattern peculiar to Shirvans that rarely,if ever, is adopted in any other class. It has somewhat the appear-ance of pole medallions and consists of a panel that occupies nearlythe whole field and contains broad incisions at each side, which nearlydivide it into three or four rectangular sections. Within each ofthem are octagonal figures, and an octagonal sh
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1920, bookpublishernewyo, bookyear1922
