From Silk Road to Symbols...

The reading provided, reinforces the theory that textile is more than just ornamentation. Textiles forged connection and bridged various cultures and influenced them greatly.  For example is the stripes pattern called shima which was primarily introduced by the traders of Dutch and china? Today the stripe pattern is everywhere around the world in different styles manipulated according to that region’s taste and needs. Trade was something that ensured the exchange of goods through various routes in different countries. The Silk Route was one such example. Each country/continent had its own tradition product or object that the others may not have access to and hence the complex web of trade began. 

Similarly, each region had its own traditional textile or motif that they were famous for. For example, (quote) ‘Indian chintz included pattern of trees, animals, birds and geometrical patterns, but the Japanese imported and produced tiny patterns with flowers, a combination of flower and scrolling vines or Karakusa, folding fans, incense sacks, crests, gingko leaves and three comma shapes, as well as stripes.’ Thus the exchange of these caused a fusion of styles, techniques and materials. The first example that comes to my mind when I think of fusion in art is the Persian and Islamic styles fusion that was widespread during the Mughal reign. This cross cultural exchange in textile also caused the fusion of clothing styles. For example the Japanese adopted the Portuguese clothes to a certain extent but did not use the styles of western and Asian clothes at all, only developed patterns using Indian and Southeast Asian patterns.

While reading the material provided, I was a little lost but in a way Carl’s lecture straightened out most of my vagueness. When I shop for carpets, I usually just look at the color, design, will it complement the surrounding? And other aspects of home furnishing, but now I realize that there is a history behind carpets. One of the first kinds of carpets was the Anatolian carpet, also called the knotted carpet. 

Anatolian Carpet.

 It is very geometrical in appearance and has very representative forms. An example of representative forms would be the Kufi designs of Islam which is a very calligraphic and representative way of showing forms and symbols. 

Kufi script from early times..

One interesting aspect about symbols of the silk route is how it was very multifaceted. The climate then was very philosophical and cultural, hence symbols represented could be one thing to one culture and another to a different culture; another culture can apply their own symbolism, meanings and beliefs to the sign, form or symbol

Some symbols that Carl talked about.

. A carpet has a standardized form. The border of the carpet is the gateway and the center is the God. I relate this to temple architecture where there is a ‘pradhakshina patha’ and the ‘garbha griha’, which again is a standardized format for almost all Indian temples. 

  The word motif, again, like textile as a whole has been taken at face value. When I say motif, I think of a design, then a pattern. But from the Silk Route (and the reading material provided) it is obvious that motifs were understood and accepted as they were. And since they moved from one culture to another, there is no way to trace where a particular motif came from, how it was created or by whom. Motif transmission never really left any archaeological traces and as they migrated from one culture to another, they changed forms, took a different color and shape and hence make it hard to trace its past. 

Symbolism is one of the biggest tools of art. For example, in the Renaissance painting, ‘Arnolfini Wedding’ by Jan Van Eyck, the oranges are supposed to be a symbol of fertility and the dog, a symbol of fidelity.

Arnolfini Wedding - rich in symbols

 It is amazing how a few objects in the painting can open a whole new window of looking at the image, only through symbols. So when you look at symbolism, Europe seemed to have plenty. They had their own set of symbols. So why choose symbols from other cultures? This kind of cross culture usage of symbols is called internationalism. It was probably a way to display to the audience a widespread knowledge of different cultures or a conquering of a certain power over another, a symbol of triumph, a symbol of knowing. Why use these imageries when they clash with the rest of the painting?

The carpet-covered table is associated not only with economic and social status in general, but also with learning and literacy. As carpets became more affordable in Europe, very large examples were imported for use as floor covering. Also from biblical times, the concept of having an expensive textile underfoot has been associated with wealth, power, and sanctity.

So a depiction of a rug/carpet could boost the artist’s reputation in more than one way!