Arjiman

This piece draws inspiration from the margin strips of “Arjiman” carpets, renowned as some of the finest examples from the Shirvan carpet school, which has been admired since the Middle Ages. Western travelers consistently praised the artistic qualities of Shirvans, and these carpets have been depicted in the works of European Renaissance painters. The carpets’ margins were thought to safeguard the designs and motifs displayed at their “heart.” The four sides of the Arjiman margins symbolize the four cardinal directions, while the four arcs represent ram horns. Rams and sheep (Ovis aries) were essential to the livelihood of Eurasian nomads and symbolize fertility and wealth.