Dragon

This piece draws inspiration from ornaments found in early “Dragon” rugs from the Safavid period (17th – 18th centuries). Dragon rugs are esteemed as exquisite examples from the Garabagh carpet school, known for their unique designs featuring various mystical animals. These types of rugs were primarily woven in Garabagh, and possibly in Shirvan and Guba, during the 16th to 18th centuries. Some textile fragments with dragon motifs have survived from the Ilkhanid Period (13th – 14th centuries). In Azerbaijani decorative applied arts, the dragon motif symbolizes positive energy and, in folk literature, may represent water sources. In ancient Turkic mythology, dragons like “Büke,” “Evren,” “Kökluu,” and “Abyrga” embody might and power. Historical references mention the “Dragon City” of the ancient Huns, while in Kipchak culture, the “Begsha” dragon symbolizes the family hearth.