CARPETS: THE SIGNIFICANCE
Nandita chanchani
Associating the Islamic motifs
of the carpets with that of the ones used in the paintings of the renaissance
period is not something I have actually pondered upon. But the revelations are
quite interesting for knowledge and to learn how to read a fabric through a
whole new different perspective. It is said that the period when the carpets were
made was usually derived from the time the renaissance painting was made with
that motif in it. The motifs travelled all along the silk route and have
meanings all over. It is a story without words, a poetic form of expression.
Some of the carpets were found in the western countries but its origin lies in Middle
East and Africa mainly.
The renaissance period artists
painted a lot of these Islamic motif carpets in their paintings, majorly
inspired through the silk route. It is interesting to see it because that
period of time the Islamic world and the European nations were not exactly in
talking terms. So the only reason, which can be given to this explanation, is
silk trade. But again both the cultures had different use and interpretations of
these carpets, while the Islamic world used it as a religious piece of fabric
to keep under them while praying, the renaissance artists showed these carpets as
table tops or a base on the floor to walk on. Some people believe that one of
the reasons for this was that the Europeans wanted to show power over the
Islamic people. The similarity in all
this was that only the person in power used to be either sitting or standing on
it. It may happen that it may not be
interpreted in Europe in a way the Islamic countries do it because it’s a free
poetic form of expression. It has its own individual stories to tell. Art
should be read metaphorically at times, as it is said.
Today’s movie and this session
were a good insight on how to read cloth in a way, which would give us an idea
in a broader perspective. Medium and material are two very basic forms to read
a form. It can take us back to its origin and roots. But again, it can be interpreted
in any way we want to. With time the traditional practices are getting redundant
and people are looking for newer ways to earn their livelihood. There was a
time when the whole family and the whole village used to sit together to weave
or make a traditional craft but now even the elders don’t want their kids to
continue some of these crafts as they don’t earn that much of money and to survive
I todays world money is required. The idea
that we need to keep changing with the times has been embedded in us and we cannot
get away with it, this is affecting our traditional crafts. There have been
many measures to revive the arts. Fashion world is looking back in time at the
age-old processes and reviving it, but it will take quite some time before most
of us get used to this idea of helping out in the revival process.
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