Indigenous beliefs and culture in kilim paintings
From the eighth century AD, in the lands where kilims were woven, a single attitude to artistic and technical creativity emerged that stemmed from the acceptance of a single religion among Muslims. Before that, ‘shamanism’, ‘animalism’, Judaism, Christianity, Buddhism, etc. were common. This new religion forbade or encouraged the use of certain images and representations that were related to past beliefs. In the countries of kilim weaving, the main religion of Islam was Christianity and Buddhism, and the symbols of these religions have deeply penetrated the creative thoughts of weavers.
The first combination of shapes in the design is manifested in the symbolic images of ‘yin-yang’ tattooism. Later, the philosophy of Sufism spread the belief in balance in everything. Sufism centers have been established in northwestern Iran since the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries AD. At the same time, a revival in the field of arts and crafts was created in northwestern Iran; And Sufi thought left a deep impression on their design.
Islam showed limitations in the representation of the face and body and showed interest in the repetition of curves, angles and numbers. The roles and paintings of this period are directly related to religion.
Superstitions, pictorial symbols, and beliefs associated with various paintings change from generation to generation and become more complex, becoming part of indigenous myths and culture. The original meanings disappear and the images remain.
The concept of this labyrinthine painting has been forgotten for centuries. But according to legends, it is a symbol of good luck and causes abundance of blessings in hunting and harvesting crops. Does.
These roles and drawings have three types of functions: either they are family and tribal beliefs; Or spells to ward off eye sores and fortune-telling, or related to the weaver’s aesthetic knowledge.
One of the most common patterns for repelling a sore eye is the red bergamot in the center of the hand, with crimson lines that indicate the concentration of force in the spell. This type of pattern is also woven in a cloak or robe. At all stages of weaving, awareness of the spirit world prevails, and designs for repelling demons are engraved on instruments such as combs and spindles.
The two-headed peacock, which belongs to the Shahsoon and Bakhtiari twisting kilims and is imitated in other regions as well. This Shahsoon Khamseh kilim represents Sufi thoughts and is a symbol of a two-sided and mirror-like world.
The nomads’ wealth is summed up in their tents, animals, utensils, clothes, handicrafts, customs, beliefs and superstitions.
The permanent residence of these people in the villages and the inevitable change in the way of life have turned the traditions of the tribes, which were closely related to migration, into a stable rural indigenous culture. Over the generations, mysterious beliefs have been passed down from mothers to daughters, and new narratives from ancestors, stories, and superstitions have been added.
The wishes and desires of the villagers changed over time, and the accumulation of capital through the ownership of land and goods increased the need for happiness and prosperity, and the kilim became a suitable ground for expressing the wishes and desires of the weavers through drawings and charming symbols. These forms are seen in the irrelevant drawings of Qashqai kilims and in the interconnected and frequent motifs of Shahsoon Baluch’s handicrafts.