National carpets displayed in Moscow [PHOTO]

22 February 2021 13:41 (UTC+04:00)

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By Laman Ismayilova

Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum and Russian Ethnographic Museum (REM) have opened a joint exhibition.

The exhibition "Weaving the thread of fate into the carpet. Decorative and applied art of Azerbaijan in the collection of the Russian Ethnographic Museum" features over 100 unique samples of decorative and applied art.

Moreover, the presentation of the same-name catalog was also held as part of the event.

The exposition displays around 40 carpets and carpet products as well as other works of decorative and applied art by Azerbaijani artists of the 19th–20th centuries.

Most of the carpets were made in the second half of the 19th – the first decade of the 20th century.

The late-18th-century Surakhani carpet is the oldest and most unique piece of the exhibition.

Many samples of Azerbaijani embroidery, woodblock printing on textiles, hammering, and samples of women’s clothing are showcased at the exhibition for the first time.

Specialists of the largest ethnographic museum of Russia and the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum (Baku) conducted joint research on decorative and applied art monuments of Azerbaijan from the collection of the Russian Museum of Ethnography.

They studied their production techniques and artistic features and selected the most interesting pieces for the exhibition. The recently published catalog is based on this research. The exhibition will run until May 18, 2021.

Founded in 1967, the National Carpet Museum holds more than 14,000 exhibits of the finest Azerbaijani carpets.

The museum, initiated by eminent carpet artist Latif Karimov, is beautiful inside and out. The museum's new building is designed in the form of a rolled carpet.

Now, the museum hosts multiple events, including international symposiums, conferences and various exhibitions.

In 2019, the museum received the national status for its significant contribution in popularization and promotion of the Azerbaijani Carpet Weaving Art.

In 2020, the Carpet Museum enriched its collection with beautiful pile carpets purchased by the Culture Ministry at Sartirana Textile Show in Italy.

The 19th century Guba carpet "Ugakh" was donated to the Carpet Museum, while Karabakh carpet "Chelebi" enriched the collection of the museum's Shusha branch.

The Carpet Museum also focuses on cooperation with the world leading museum organizations.

The exhibition "Echo of Soviet Azerbaijan. Carpet. Embroidery. Poster" held at the Museum of Oriental Art in Moscow in partnership with the Mardjani Foundation and the exhibition named "Azerbaijani carpets in the collection of the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art held in Istanbul" are among such projects.

The Carpet Museum successfully promotes Azerbaijan's carpet weaving art at international level.

The museum's cavity in this area focuses on scientific confirmation of the belonging of national carpets stored in world museums to Azerbaijan.

Cooperation projects in this area are being implemented in pursuance of the State Program for the Preservation and Development of Carpet Art in the Republic of Azerbaijan for 2018-2022.

The exhibition "Weaving the thread of fate into the carpet. Decorative and applied art of Azerbaijan in the collection of the Russian Ethnographic Museum" is among such major projects implemented by the museum.

Moreover, the Carpet Museum won Travelers' Choice Awards for the fourth time in a row last year.

The award proves once again that the professional activity of the National Carpet Museum is highly appreciated by visitors from all over the world.