Dragon

This exquisite piece is adorned with various dragon motifs inspired by the renowned “dragon” carpets, celebrated as some of the most beautiful examples from the Garabagh carpet school. These carpets feature unique structures, often depicting mystical creatures. Primarily woven in Garabagh, Shirvan, and Guba between the 16th and 18th centuries, some textile fragments with dragon motifs have survived from the Ilkhanid period (13th – 14th centuries). In Azerbaijani decorative arts, the dragon motif symbolizes positive energy and, in folk literature, can also represent water sources. In ancient Turkic mythology, dragons like “Büke”, “Evren”, “Kök-luu”, and “Abyrga” symbolize might and power. Historical sources even reference the “Dragon City” of the ancient Huns. In Kipchak culture, the “Begsha” dragon symbolized the family hearth. Several pile and flat-woven carpets from the Safavid period also feature dragon motifs.