Shadda flat-woven rug

This fine Caucasian flat-woven cover or ‘shadda’ was woven in two halves and employs four different flatweave techniques. Alternation in the color of the warp results in a pleasant shift of color from blue to red. Pieces such as this are thought to have been made as dowry objects. This piece employs an array of embroidered geometric elements as well as traditional motifs such as animals and talismanic amulets common to the folk weaving tradition of various Turkic weaving groups throughout Azerbaijan, the greater Caucasus, and Northwest Persia.