Dragon

These earrings are inspired by the motifs of historical Azerbaijani rugs known as “Ajdahaly” or “Khatai.” These rugs were predominantly woven in Karabagh, and possibly in Shirvan and Kuba, between the 16th and 18th centuries. Textile fragments featuring dragon motifs have survived from the Ilkhanid Period (13th-14th centuries).

The renowned “Dragon & Phoenix carpet” from the Meiser Collection (now in the Berlin Museum) represents the immortality of the divine and the triumph of eternal life. The phoenix, soaring above the divine ‘S’-shaped dragon, symbolizes potent and auspicious powers. Experts believe the rug was crafted by the Karakoyunlu-Akkoyunlu tribes in the 15th century, likely in Nakhchivan or Kazak.

In Azerbaijani decorative applied art, the dragon motif alone symbolizes positive energy and is associated with water sources in Azerbaijani folk literature. In ancient Turkic mythology, the dragon, known as “Büke or Evren,” symbolizes might and power. It is believed that dragons still inhabit the Tian Shan/Tengri Tagh and Altay mountains in Central Asia. Historical sources even mention a “Dragon City” of the ancient Huns. Numerous pile and flatwoven carpets from the Safavid Period also depict dragon motifs.