Dilijan Rugs
Dilijan is a spa town and urban municipal community in the Tavush Province of Armenia. The Tavush province is located at the northeast of Armenia and bordered by Georgia from the north and Azerbaijan from the east.
The town of Dilijan is one of the most important resorts in Armenia, situated within the Dilijan National Park. The town is known as the “Armenian Switzerland”. It is a gathering place for Armenian artists and writers and home to artistic festivals one of which is rug festival.
Like other Armenian pieces, antique rugs woven in Tavush are categorized under the
general tern “Kazak”. The reputation of such pieces backs to the 19th century when rug production of the area boomed under the Tsarist Russia.
Technical aspects and the structure of Dilijan Rugs
Antique Dilijan rugs are coarsely knotted with a density of about 40 to 60 knots per square inch. Knots are symmetric (Turkish). Warps, wefts and piles are woolen in antique pieces, but new ones may have cotton foundations with woolen pile. Area rug sizes are favored including long ones. Runners, too, could be found.
Dyeing and painting of Dilijan Rugs
Red, blue, cream are dominant in Dilijan palette. Brick red of the region is famous. Deep pinks and golden khakis used as well as cinnamon. Ivory margins are common. The secondary palette include a vast range of light shades, from pistachio to apricot. Typically bright colors are used in the region.
Designs and patterns of the Dilijan Rugs
Quincunx and Lambalo designs are common. These are two favored designs the region. The former is a common arrangement of one medallion in the center and four smaller medallions in each of the corners. The latter, used mostly for long pieces, consists of multiple borders and a rather narrow field which is normally left empty.
Vertical arrangements of geometric medallions with hooked extensions are common in Dilijan. Most of designs made with columns of hexagons, Pinwheels, diamonds or stars. The fields may be filled with rectilinear patterns and stylized animal figures such as peacocks.
