This Friday we will talk about Khila-Afshan carpet from the museum's Pile Carpets collection!

 

The 18th-century Khila-Afshan carpet is one of the palace carpets of the time, the design of which is based on the Afshan composition with complex intertwining spiral schemes. It is characterized by the botanical and floral decor in the form of stylized flowers and leaves repeating between spiral branches. These spiral branches serve as the organizing background with scattered botanical and floral ornaments, modifying from the edge to the center. The word afshan means scattering, diffusing. The vine leaf images throughout the medallions, which are also characteristic of the Absheron zone, are inherent in this carpet.

 

Carpet Khila-Afshan. Baku, Azerbaijan. 18th century. Warp, pile - wool, weft - cotton. Inv. No. 8247