Mofits and Symbolism

The opening words of th Koran are ‘There is no God but God’—everything in Islam derives from God and everything represents him, with the result that symbolism in Islamic art is subjective and implicit, and is open to many interpretations. It is certain that many of the symbols that are commonly used in kilims pre—date Islam by many centuries, going back to the very origins of flatweaves in pre- Islamic Central Asia, and to the Animistic and Shamanistic traditions and beliefs of the early pastoral nomads in the southern steppes.
The rise of the Islamic faith brought strictures against many of the ancient images used in all forms of art and crafts. The belief that only God can create a living thing was strictly enforcd, and the idolatry of early Animistic beliefs was rigorously suppressed. However, representational art was not forbidden by the Koran, only idolatry, so the dividing line
between forbidden and acceptable images was, as always, indistinct. Weavers avoided the taboo of reproducing the animate, but still incorporated pre—lslamic symbols that had been in use for generations, passed down like folk-tales.
Such symbols have survived the test of time, and formed a language of their own. There is no representation of the Deity in Islam, either in the form of the written word, or through the depiction of people (man being made in God’s image). An early Christian tapestry might show God, or the disciples, or tell a story of war and heroism, and contain
lifelike images of flowers, trees and animals. The textile would recreate light, shade and a degree of perspective and would attempt to disguise its own form and structure by presenting an illusory pictorial reality. Not so an Islamic textile. In Islamic art some figurative forms, human and animal, are permitted, but in many cases it is considered disrespectful to walk over them, thus precluding their use in knotted rugs and kilims. For the tribal weavers, however, connections with their natural environment, with their animals and with their family groups are very strong and deeply rooted, and will override religious taboo, so that recognizable objects are depicted in their rugs, but these will never be seen to form part of a complete, pseudo-realistic picture. Art for art's sake is a concept alien to Islam, but kilims are practical as well as decorative, so they are of a high order within the definition of Islamic art. The motifs and designs on a kilim often hold the key to its age and origins, and can develop out of many different influences and disciplines—for instance, the different weaving techniques often determine the style of the motifs used. Slitweave produces abstract, stepped or crenellated patterns, usually diamond-shaped or triangular; cicim and zilli produce geometric, brocaded ‘medallions’ in the field of the rug; weft—faced patterning gives a narrow band of geometric and floral patterns across the width of the rug, and soumak is able to produce flowing patterns, representing recognizable images with some accuracy. Kilim weavers have, over the generations, developed ways of combining weaving techniques to achieve more complicated and elaborate designs. There are two factors other than religion that influence the designs that a weaver will choose for her kilim. One is the discipline of the weaving teclmiques themselves, which produce mostly abstract patterns; the other is the natural environment in which the weaver lives, and from which she will adapt motifs to represent lakes, rivers, flowers, petals, trees and leaves, or domestic animals (sheep, goats and camels), wild animals and insects (snakes, scorpions and spiders). She will incorporate images from her own household, such as a kettle, teapot, ewer, comb, beater or lamp, as well as, more recently, objects of Westerninfluence, including cars and bikes and, most recently, even helicopters and automatic rifles. Knotted carpets and kilims share many symbols and design elements, despite the complete dissimilarity in their weaving techniques. The Anatolian motif ‘elibelinde’ (meaning ‘hand on hip ’) is seen frequently on both flatweave and pile rugs, as are the ‘gol’ (lake) and ‘gul’ (flower). It is difficult to decide whether these motifs first appeared on kilims and were then transferred to knotted carpets, or vice-versa, although quite probably their first origins were in flatweaves. Some motifs, however, certainly originated on knotted carpets and were later used by kilim weavers, such as the flower and leaf patterns that are common to north Persian kilims and knotted rugs alike.
Symbols used in all forms of Asian and Islamic art hold a particular fascination for the West, and there is always a good deal of speculation as to their meaning. Very often, an original form representing an animate object has evolved through generations of weaving into a stylized pattern. The Western interpretation of this stylized motif is easily misdirected since it calls for a thorough understanding of the concepts of the ancient weavers. Westerners should guard against romanticizing notions of ethnic symbolism and religious significance, which often confuse the theology and images of very different cultures. This is further complicated by the various languages, and religious and ethnic origins of the people in Anatolia, Persia and Central Asia. Over the years many of the original interpretations of a motif have changed or been forgotten, different interpretations of the same motif have arisen because of particular local beliefs, and similar motifs are often given different names in different areas. Another problem is the tendency for Western eyes to see any and all geometric designs in flatweaves as stylizations or corruptions of an original curvilinear and more representational form. Many of the patterns are just geometric forms which have been given descriptive names by which they can be easily identified. Such names have become part of the language of the weavers and later been misinterpreted as signifying an original representational motif. To give an example: the motif used on many Central Asian and Turkoman kilim borders, the ‘tree’, is a convenient geometric pattern which complies with all the requisites of slitweave—it has short slits and a stepped, crenellated design. It is not a representation of a tree, but it does resemble one, vaguely, and so it is convenient to give it a name by which it can be easily identified and described. More complex, and intriguing, examples of this are the so-called ‛lover’s quarrel’ and ‘pair of birds’ motifs, or the double- hooked ‘ram’s horns’ and ‘camel’s neck’ symbols. A pattern or design can also be given different names and interpretations in different regions. The narrow guard strip frequently used on many kilims to separate the field from its major borders is colloquially known as a ‘ladder’. The same feature, when seen on Turkoman carpets from Central Asia, is known as ‘camel’s teeth’. The boteh is a very common design element frequently referred to as a hook, curl, peacock or bird's head, and the ‘hand motif’, sometimes identified as the signature of a particular weaver, is often said to be a representation of the five pillars of Islam, or the prophet Mohammed and his four Caliphs, or the hand of Fatima.
Perhaps the most familiar motif used on kilims and knotted rugs is the ‘Tree of Life’. Closer to the true nature of symbolism, this Tree of Life has multiple interpretations and meanings, such as the presence of water in desert lands, or the family tree, with the ‘father’ ` trunk and the ‘child’ branches. Another genuinely symbolic motif is the talismanic evil eye, or ‘nazarlik’, used to deflect evil and to balance the adverse effects of other motifs on the kilim, such as
the spider or scorpion. On many modern kilims, made in the last thirty years or so, ancient motifs have been misrepresented, or given a new twist, because the weaver has not been aware of the origins of the design she is using. Modern weavers often work from ‘cartoons’ or pictures of old rugs, recreating them for an enthusiastic Western market. Original motifs will be modified in this process to suit a pre—ordained shape or weaving teclmique, and so the
evolution of the ancient design continues under modern conditions.