The New England Rug Society recently presented Brian Morehouse on yastiks, long train of them follows. First let's do what he omitted to do, after a mumbled sentence, explain what they are! Experts tend to forget we don't all know the terms.
They're an old form of Turkish cushion, created for personal and commercial use for centuries in Anatolia. He is not into dating the rugs, but did say these cover centuries. They're not cut-down rugs, but purpose woven, a couple of feet square.
There are recurring designs and motifs, with varied theories on meaning. The square motifs on the borders of some of them are lappets, again various theories on their significance and message. Just enjoy watching them unfold!
The people in the photographs are makers of yastiks, in their home surroundings.
And the little rug shop image is part of the announcement of an in-person meeting next year in California, to see and handle some of his collection.
This kind of post is to share possible design ideas for fiber arts projects and maybe you've seen these designs, original or reproduced, and it's interesting to see them in context. Also to see them depicted in Renaissance art, in action.
They're all beautiful but I love the ones woven with brighter, lighter colors the best! They gleam!
ReplyDeleteSo many different geometries! If math had been presented via yasliks (wonderful word, thanks for explaining), I might have taken more to it.
ReplyDeleteChris from Boise
Chris, that's a great point. Since rug weaving is by definition numeric and geometric, a creative math teacher could really literally illuminate concepts using yastiks. The lappets could be employed, too.
ReplyDeleteI loved the idea of math and numeracy, but had terrible teachers.
They are all lovely. My father really liked oriental rugs and we had a room sized one and many smaller ones and I recognise many of the motifs.
ReplyDeleteThat's good to hear. Good memories, I hope.
ReplyDeleteThe colors are amazing. I had a couple of small rugs that looked very similar.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful!
ReplyDeleteDoes the woman in #25 have a chin tattoo? I've been seeing them everywhere: New Zealand, Alaska, general Native American, and now Turkey?
ReplyDeleteThanks for the gorgeous rug photos. I just got a rug loom, a frame for rag rugs, not woven, like these. But I am interested in pile...
I don't think my post was received. If so, please delete this one.
ReplyDeleteI very much admired your rug photos. I noticed in #25 that the woman on the right seems to have a chin tattoo (or was she eating jam?). I've been seeing chin tattoos all over the place: New Zealand, Alaska, and elsewhere.
I wish I could produce rugs like that. I'm fiddled with pile a little and am currently starting a rag rug. We'll see!
Yes,she has tattoos. He commented on them in the presentation. They seem to be an important form of tribal identity.
ReplyDeleteI know those rag rug looms. Are you thinking of shearing your rug to get a short dense pile? That could be terrific.
I didn't delete either of your comments, Suzanne because they were both interesting.
ReplyDeleteOops - yastiks! But I rather like 'yasliks' too. I've often thoughts about collecting all my typos and making a Dictionary of Uncertain Words.
ReplyDeleteChris from Boise
So many ideas there that could be expanded upon. The colours are incredible and some of them quite interesting in combination.
ReplyDeleteAnatolian work loves yellow. It's in a lot of their designs, and I like it because it's different from expectations.
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