Talish Rugs
Talish, Talysh is a region that stretches north from the Sefid-Rud River, which cuts through the Alborz mountains in Iran’s Gilan Province, to the Aras River in the south of Azerbaijan Republic. The region is inhabited by the Talish people who speak the Talish language. The territory and the language set apart Talish from its neighbors.
Talish or Talysh are an Iranian ethnic group indigenous to a region which spans the South Caucasus and the southwestern shore of the Caspian Sea. They speak the Talish language, one of the Northwestern Iranian languages. It is spoken in the northern regions of the Iranian provinces of Gilan and Ardabil and the southern parts of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Northern Talish (the part in the Republic of Azerbaijan) was historically known as Talish-i Gushtasbi the capital of which used to be Lankaran.
Weaving rugs and kilims is a common practice between Talysh people like other Caucasian ethnics. A Caucasian rug motif is named “Lenkoran” (=Lankaran) after the Talish’s capital city.
Technical aspects and the structure of Talish Rugs
Nineteenth-century rugs of this area tend to have a long format. These have been woven with symmetric (Turkish) knots on woolen foundation. Talish rugs are normally woven in rather long formats. Runners are also popular here. Kilims, too, could be found as well as other tribal items. Talish kilims are woven in a single piece. Their ends have a macramé finish.
Dyeing and painting of Talish Rugs
Madder red and blue are dominant here in Talish. The blue may vary from midnight to azure. Many Talish pieces have empty fields. Such fields are chiefly colored with dark blue. Nevertheless madder fields are also found. Secondary palette consisted of ivory, camel yellow, light green, brown, pink, etc. Kilims with bright colors are preferred in Talish.
Designs and patterns of the Talish Rugs
Typical Talish designs have elongated fields, following the total shape of the pieces. These fields are mostly empty or with a vertical row of three small rosettes.
Double and triple-medallioned designs are also common here. A type of medallion is named after the city of Lenkoran which the capital of Talish. It is interpreted as a large geometricized tulip, lily or calyx, ornamented with projecting hooks and inner leaf-shaped linear forms.
The border design attributed to Talish consisted of a large blossom alternating
with four florets. Kilims of Talish mostly have Abbasi borders.
