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Translating the Colors and Symbols in your Turkish Rug
A vintage Turkish rug is more than a stunning piece of home decor. It’s an artistic reflection of a culture steeped in history and heritage. The craft, style, and aesthetic of these vintage rugs pay homage to a cherished tradition that dates back thousands of years to a region known as “the cradle of civilization.” Nomadic tribes in the Central Asia area used basic floor coverings for protection from severe weather conditions and acted as the first area rugs. They are handmade of wool, silk, and cotton. Turkish rug weaving became more widespread around the 13th century. Traditionally, women have been the creators of Turkish rugs. The skillset was ideal to possess, especially if a young woman wanted to marry a suitable man. Hand-knotted rugs were often given as wedding dowry, and married women would make them for various household needs as area rugs and kitchen rugs. The craft of weaving has passed from generation to generation, allowing the practice to continue today. What makes vintage Turkish rugs so unique (and specific to Turkish culture) is the careful consideration of details. Using specific colors, motifs and symbols, weavers render a story into every rug. They often depict personal experiences, express tribal or cultural values, or simply convey an idea or message through visual elements. Here’s a look at the most common colors and motifs and their significance and meaning. Colors Red: Happiness, power, fate. Orange: Humility, piety, loyalty. Yellow: Sunshine, glory, power. Green: Spring, vitality, hope, life. Green is also considered a holy color and used sparingly. Blue: Wisdom, skill, strength. Brown: Fertility. White: Purity, peace. Black: Destruction. Black was not commonly used as a dominant color in rugs, and was mostly used as an accent color. Spiritual Beliefs Evil eye: Also known as “the look of evil,” it’s believed that some people have the power to cause harm from just a glance. The negative influence of the evil eye can be warded off by rendering it into an object, like a rug. It’s represented through triangles or diamond. Hook: Used as a protection against the negative influence of the evil eye, the hook takes on a distinct vertical and geometric shape. Cross: Also used as a protection against the evil eye, the cross reduces negative energy. The original iconography predates Christianity, as the lines forming a cross offer such protection. Nature and Animals Ram’s Horn: Evoking strength and power, the ram’s horn represents masculinity and heroism. It may even reflect the weaver’s husband. Dragon: With the ability to breathe fire, the dragon is one of the most powerful (and imaginary) animals to represent. It roams the earth, sea, mountains, and sky. It represents force and strength. Phoenix: According to mythology, the phoenix is a bird that ends its own life by setting itself and its nest on fire, only to re-emerge as a new bird. It symbolizes both immortality and rebirth. In a spiritual sense, it represents the separation of the soul from the body. Scorpion: With a tough exterior and ability to sting its prey using venom, the scorpion is an ancient and powerful creature. Because of the harm it can inflict, weavers utilize the symbol as a means of protection against evil. Bird: birds symbolize many different ideas. On the one hand, birds represent freedom; on the other hand, they represent the conveying of messages, either within our world or between worlds. The swan represents beauty and purity. The falcon, eagle and hawk represent strength. The dove represents peace. Owls, ravens and black birds imply bad luck. Snake: The symbol of the snake references its biblical roots, in which the creature offers Eve forbidden fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Turkish rugs follow suit, and snakes represent cunning and temptation. Waterline: An essential natural element, a waterline represents life itself. It is a common motif in Turkish rugs, as it forms the basis of survival and existence. Star: Overall, the star represents brightness and happiness. It is often used to convey life in the womb, and therefore fertility. Life and Family Tree of Life: Trees are rather universal within monotheistic religions. They symbolize the nature of mankind as set forth by Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. The parable tells of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, offering immortality to whomever eats from it. The Tree of Life represents mankind’s hopes of life after death. In Turkish rugs, the tree is usually a cypress tree. Yin-yang: Representing cosmic duality (a concept adopted from Asian), the yin-yang represents the unity of man and woman, or masculinity and femininity. It also signifies marriage, love and the procreation of life. Hands on Hips: A very common motif, the “hands on hips” represents fertility and motherhood. Specifically, it represents pride in the birth of a son who will join the family and carry on the lineage. Hairband: As a symbol of marriage, the hairband represents a young woman or girl who yearns to be married. The hairband, literally, is an object used for beauty and style by young women, and it’s a prominent feature in a bride’s wedding attire. Its representation in a Turkish rug conveys the weaver’s wish to be married. It’s also said that if a young woman weaves her own hair into the rug, she wishes for immortality. Chest: Gesturing towards the nomadic tribes who cultivated the practice of rug weaving, chests represent a container of personal items for those who travel. Chests were specifically used by young, unmarried women to collect household items that may be used upon marriage. To weave a chest symbolizes a woman’s desire to marry. Reading a Turkish rug is, in and of itself, a practiced skill set. To survey each of its visual components and draw interpretation from their arrangement allows one to decipher the story and language of the rug’s creator. Moreover, to read a Turkish rug and appreciate the artistry within it is to form a deeper understanding of Turkish heritage, one of the world’s oldest surviving cultures. https://www.dorisleslieblau.com/a-brief-history-of-antique-turkish-rugs/ http://www.turkishculture.org/tapestry/anatolian-carpets/carpet-weaving-tradition-600.htm https://www.kilim.com/ https://www.goldenlinegreencare.ca/blog/rug-symbolism/
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Why your handmade rug is so valuable
To own a vintage Turkish rug is to own a work of art. Each rug contains its own story and character, its own individuality and expression, and authentic materials sourced directly from the land. For these reasons alone, authentic vintage Turkish rugs are incredibly valuable. What’s more, Turkish rugs carry with them a legacy that few civilizations and societies can match: For thousands of years, these rugs have been used as basic floor coverings, prayer rugs, wall tapestries, table cloths, blankets, and more. They have traditionally been considered sacred pieces of spiritual practice, wedding dowries and gifts, and precious family heirlooms. They reflect a longstanding history of cultural and artistic expression that has been cherished for generations. Take a deeper look at what characteristics come together to create such a highly sought-after item. Heritage and History The craft of rug weaving is unique to Anatolia, a region that was home to the earliest of humankind’s civilizations, and today comprises the country of Turkey. Migrating tribes as far back as 7000 BC established rug weaving out of necessity, protecting themselves from the natural elements of the land. Whereas rugs were first used as essential pieces of protection from the earth’s elements, over time, they became integral to cultural identity, status, and familial recognition. Rug weaving is truly an art, and this legacy is reflected in each vintage rug. Artistry and Symbolism Traditional Turkish rugs are more than floor coverings: They contain stories, images, symbols and messages that are thoughtfully created by the rugs’ weavers. Utilizing specific colors and visual motifs, Turkish rugs tell handwoven narratives of spiritual practices and beliefs, cultural and tribal experiences, family and ancestry, and stories about the natural world. Common motifs include the tree of life, the evil eye, symbolic animals like the dragon and the phoenix, images of masculinity and femininity, and much more. Colors reflect themes of spirituality and mysticism, passion and strength, trials and conflict, and peace and happiness. Natural Materials Maintaining a tradition that stretches back thousands of years, vintage Turkish rugs are made of natural materials including wool, silk, and cotton. Different types of rugs can contain a combination of these materials, with silk being of the highest value. The colors are also achieved using natural dyes that are sourced from the region’s plants and vegetation. This allows them to maintain their look and aesthetic far longer than rugs that are made using chemical dyes. Handmade One characteristic of Turkish rugs that truly sets them apart from mass-produced products is that they’re traditionally made by hand, dramatically increasing their value. Different regions have used different types of weaving techniques, too. For example, traditional Turkish rugs are made using the Ghiordes knot — a technique that gives the rug consistency and symmetry. Other knots include the Persian knot and the Jufti knot. Each technique offers a different look to further create a one-of-a-kind rug reflective of the weaver and the area of origin. Depending on the type of knot used, an authentic handmade rug can take anywhere from one month to more than a year to complete. Time estimates are based on the type of knot used, the number of knots per square inch, the size of the rug, the material used, the tightness of the knot, and the intricacy of the design. With this amount of factors, it’s easy to see that every rug bears its own characteristics, and no two rugs are exactly the same. Collectors’ Items With a cultural and artistic legacy that’s survived thousands of years, along with the use of natural materials and traditional weaving techniques, it’s no surprise that authentic vintage rugs are highly sought-after items. They have been used in homes from tribal huts to wealthy estates, and each rug can survive for generations to become a precious family heirloom. So valuable are these rugs that some have even sold for over $1 million. What’s also unique about these rugs is that their value actually increases over time. The longer the rug lasts, the higher it becomes in value. When shopping for an authentic Turkish rug, remember that you are not simply purchasing an accent for a room. You are coming to own a highly valuable item that’s steeped in cultural heritage and history. Its significance is reflected in the thoughtful inclusion of artistic details, its use of traditional and organic materials, and its handmade weaving. Few pieces of decor will stand out in such an impactful way. http://www.allaboutturkey.com/carpet.htm http://www.allaboutturkey.com/kilim.htm https://www.dorisleslieblau.com/a-brief-history-of-antique-turkish-rugs/ https://www.captivatingcappadocia.com/turkish-carpet-buying-guide-10-characteristics-video/ https://www.carpetencyclopedia.com/manufacturing/knots/symmetrical-knot https://nwrugs.com/blogs/loveofrugs/12931101-how-long-does-it-take-to-weave-a-rug https://www.tripsavvy.com/how-to-buy-a-turkish-rug-1863865 Source: https://www.invaluable.com/blog/inside-the-archives-persian-turkish-rugs/
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