Construction: Cotton foundation with hand-embroidered overlay
Origin: Turkey, mid–late 20th century
Pile: Flat base with embroidered motifs
Wear: Used but lightly so; some signs of handling and use
Design: Traditional prayer rug layout with a pointed, directional mihrab (the arch-shaped niche at one end of the rug, indicating direction in prayer). Note, in particular, the details near the pointed arrow, where the head rests during prayer. The repeated tree of life motifs are meant to symbolize one’s presence in a kind of paradise during prayer; the large green shape with the turquoise outlining appears to be a stylized bird motif, a motif used to convey the idea of the transmission of a message—an apt symbol for the process of prayer.
Notes: This rug was not intended for use as a floor covering, but rather constitutes a highly-portable, lightweight-but-still-aesthetically-pleasing and human-made prayer rug. The base of the rug was loomed, with the decorative overlay added to give the blank cotton foundation a design and meaning.
Construction: Cotton foundation with hand-embroidered overlay
Origin: Turkey, mid–late 20th century
Pile: Flat base with embroidered motifs
Wear: Used but lightly so; some signs of handling and use
Design: Traditional prayer rug layout with a pointed, directional mihrab (the arch-shaped niche at one end of the rug, indicating direction in prayer). Note, in particular, the details near the pointed arrow, where the head rests during prayer. The repeated tree of life motifs are meant to symbolize one’s presence in a kind of paradise during prayer; the large green shape with the turquoise outlining appears to be a stylized bird motif, a motif used to convey the idea of the transmission of a message—an apt symbol for the process of prayer.
Notes: This rug was not intended for use as a floor covering, but rather constitutes a highly-portable, lightweight-but-still-aesthetically-pleasing and human-made prayer rug. The base of the rug was loomed, with the decorative overlay added to give the blank cotton foundation a design and meaning.
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