Karabakh Carpet Daryanur Recreated by the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum for the Museum of Prominent Latvian Poet and Writer Janis Akuraters
On July 25, presentation of the Daryanur carpet belonging to the Karabakh group, recreated for the Museum of the well-known Latvian poet and writer Janis Akuraters by the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum, was held.
The Speaker of the Latvian Parliament, Daiga Mierina, the Director of the Association of Memorial Museums of Latvia, Rita Meinerte, the Director of the Janis Akuraters Museum, Maira Valtere and the Director of the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum, Amina Melikova gave their speeches at the event. The Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Latvia, Elnur Sultanov, was also among the attendees.
Speaker of the Latvian Parliament Daiga Mierina recalled her visit to Azerbaijan in May that year and said that the event was a symbol of cooperation aiming to contribute to the enrichment of bilateral cultural ties.
Ambassador Elnur Sultanov marked that that year marked the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and Latvia, and the event was a significant milestone in bilateral relations. The ambassador brought to the attention of the event participants that the carpet theme occupied an important place in the cultural cooperation between the two countries.
Director of the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum Amina Melikova informed attendees about the activities of the institution she headed and said that the museum was interested in cooperation with Latvian colleagues in the future as well.
It should be noted that before the presentation, a symposium titled Carpet - Home Decoration; East-West Story was held. At the symposium, the Azerbaijani and Latvian researchers delivered their speeches and exchanged views on the recreation of the Daryanur carpet, the activities of the Janis Akuraters Museum, the place of carpets in the historical interiors of Latvia, Latvian writers who had lived in Azerbaijan in the 19th and 20th centuries, the book Dance of Death by Janis Jaunsudrabins, etc.
At the end, Azerbaijani national dances were performed by the dance group Buta, which operates in Latvia and selected pieces from the poetry of well-known Azerbaijani poets were read in Latvian by Gundars Grasbergs, an actor from the Latvian National Theatre.
In accordance with the agreement signed in 2023 between the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum and the Association of Memorial Museums of Latvia, the carpet depicted in the black and white archive photo preserved at the Janis Akuraters Museum was analysed by experts under the leadership of the Director of the Azerbaijan National Museum of Art, Shirin Melikova. The analysis was conducted by People's Artist Eldar Mikayilzada, Honoured Artists Mammadhuseyn Huseynov and Taryer Bashirov, as well as the attracted Italian expert Alberto Boralevi. The fact that the carpet is a Daryanur carpet of the Karabakh group, its material, colours and size have been determined. The same art sample previously kept in Janis Akuraters' house, was woven again in the Traditional Technologies Department of the ANCM by carpet weavers Shakar Alasgarova, Ulduz Najafova and Yegana Abasova based on the sketch by Taryer Bashirov.
