In the fascinating history of Oriental rugs, filled with cultural legacy and artistic significance, there is perhaps no single rug more remarkable than The Pazyryk rug — the oldest known piled rug, which was created by master weavers over 2,500 years ago. The rug’s fineness of weave, sophistication of color, and symbolic design are evidence of a culture of tremendous weaving and creative skill. The Pazyryk rug changed the understanding of weaving history, exemplifying a rug-weaving technology going much further back in time than previously estimated.
The story of the Pazyryk rug begins with the ancient Scythians who, from the 9th century BC, began expanding out from central Asia as far as Europe and Egypt. An ethnically diverse Mongol tribal group, they became a dynamic force by domesticating the horse and becoming superb horsemen and archers. They traveled by horse and wagon, lived in stout felt tents, drank horse milk from which they made cheese, and fished and hunted game.
Their excellent horsemanship gave them a great advantage in war; they were said to be fearless, and their women were legendary warriors, known by the Greeks as the famous Amazons. To bury their warriors and royalty, the Scythians built more than a thousand earth and stone burial tombs (called Kurgans), but many were looted in ancient times. It was in 1949, on the steppes of Mongolia at 5,400 ft.
, that a Russian archeologist opened a 2,500-year-old Kurgan belonging to a Scythian prince. The Pazyryk rug, along with decorated horses, weapons, gold artifacts, food and other textiles were miraculously found alongside the bones of their warriors and tribal chiefs. In the Pazyryk Kurgan, previous looting damage had allowed water to seep through the tons of rock atop the burial mound and froze everything inside the massive grave.
It is because of this completely frozen and dark environment, that the rug was wonderfully preserved for over two and a half millennia. The Pazyryk rug, measuring 6’x6’7”, was hand-knotted with an astounding 278 Turkish knots per square inch. Through chromatography, we know that the dye colors were created from local insects and plants, and we are given evidence of a highly sophisticated textile dyeing technology.
The symbols within this magnificent rug speak to the Scythians’ deep connection to the metaphysical, celestial, and animal kingdoms. The center motif is thought to have magical significance: pairs of rosettes or lotus blossoms surrounding a solar symbol are thought to represent their attunement to the sun. The winged griffins in the next border are part eagle and part lion — guardians of the path to salvation.
In the next border, we can find a total of 24 broad-antlered spotted deer, whose antlers represent the path to the Divine. From the earliest histories, the stag has represented longevity and wisdom. Inside the stags we see their organs and vertebrae, depicted with near clinical precision.
The next border with 28 horses and riders, represent power, nobility and valor. Each saddle blanket on these horses has a different tree-of-life motif, which speaks to the hope that this textile would carry continuity and longevity for the tribe. Continuing this remarkable legacy, The Magic Carpet is proud to offer a collection of beautiful, vegetable-dyed Pazyryk rugs in various sizes, woven by today’s most skilled master weavers.
We welcome you to view these woven masterpieces online or in person, as well as our entire collection, now at 40% off during our Closing Sale. The Magic Carpet, 408 Broad Street, Nevada City, 530-265-9229, www.themagiccarpet.
biz.
