Featured Question about Caucasian rug ?

I picked this rug up at an estate sale with some Shirvan rugs. It's a lovely rug but I'm not if this is a Shirvan or not. It's got over 100 Swastika symbols throughout the rug. I am assuming the rug to be older then the 1930's based on the fact of the Swastika symbols, yet I can't find any information about it. The couple who owned the rugs were elderly and and both passed on, and the kids put everything into estate sale, so they know nothing about the rugs.. Doe's anyone have any idea of what kind of rug it might be and what age ? The rug measures 55 inches wide, by 84 inches long. It's in surprising decent condition aside from one fringe that unraveled. I would appreciate any information anyone could provide.

 

I honestly cannot speak to the age of your rug, but found this information online,
a partial quote on the Swastika, from Wikipedia:
"Swastika
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For other uses, see Swastika (disambiguation).

The swastika is a symbol with many styles and meanings and can be found in many cultures.

The adoption of the swastika(hooked cross) by the Nazis and neo-Nazis is the most recognizable modern use of the symbol in the west.
The swastika or sauwastika — as a character, 卐 (right-facing or clockwise) or 卍 (left-facing or counterclockwise) respectively — is a geometrical figure and an ancient religious icon in the cultures of Eurasia. It is used as a symbol of divinity and spirituality in Indian religions, including Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism.[1][2][3]

In the Western world, it was a symbol of auspiciousness and good luck until the 1930s[4] when the right-facing form 卐 became a feature of Nazi symbolism as an emblem of the Aryan race. As a result of World War II and the Holocaust, most people in Europe and the Americas now strongly associate it with Nazism and antisemitism.[5][6]

The word swastika comes from Sanskrit: स्वस्तिक, romanized: svástika, meaning 'conducive to well being' or 'auspicious'.[7][8] In Hinduism, the symbol with arms pointing clockwise (卐) is called swastika, symbolizing surya ('sun'), prosperity and good luck, while the counterclockwise symbol (卍) is called sauvastika, symbolizing night or tantric aspects of Kali.[8] In Jainism, a swastika is the symbol for Suparshvanatha – the seventh of 24 Tirthankaras (spiritual teachers and saviours), while in Buddhism it symbolizes the auspicious footprints of the Buddha.[8][9][10] In several major Indo-European religions, the swastika symbolizes lightning bolts, representing the thunder god and the king of the gods, such as Indra in Vedic Hinduism, Zeus in the ancient Greek religion, Jupiter in the ancient Roman religion, and Thor in the ancient Germanic religion.[1 1]"

The rest can be found HERE !!:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swastika

 

Judging by the photographs, the colour scheme and freshness of the pile do not suggest a 90+ year old rug, it looks like something far more recent.

 

Why would anyone use the Swastika symbols after WWII ? It would seem, no one would make a rug with that many symbols after the Nazi regime.. The only thing I was told about it, was that the previous owners kept it rolled up in plastic since the 60's because they lived in a Jewish neighborhood and if anyone saw the rug in the house, they would get stigmatized. The son said they kept the rug and several others in a closet and they were only found after the parents passed away. The kids had assumed the parents got rid of it years ago.

 

I really can't say why a rug design from the Caucasus would persist after the European conflict - maybe the nomadic weavers didn't get the memo?

Seriously though, I have no idea if the design persisted but I can possibly see it still in use say, to the 1950's - depending if the market were export or domestic I suppose.
The dealers would govern whether the rugs were saleable in the west and of course discourage the use of motifs that would offend - unless they wished to pass off a contemporary creation as one purported to be antique.

In my opinion, your rug seems to be quite formal in design, not what I would expect from an antique Caucasian piece - BUT - please take that opinion with a grain of salt bearing in mind I am not an expert, just an enthusiast.

 

I'm with blooey, the rug doesn't look that old to me. The presence of swastikas is not an indication of age. I agree, it looks like a Shirvan rug, made in Azerbaijan, Caucasus.

There is no reason why ancient cultures that have nothing to do with Central Europe or the delusions of an Austrian madman should abandon a symbol they have been using for thousands of years. The swastika as a positive cosmic energy or sun symbol is still used in the Caucasus, but also in other parts of the world, especially East Asia.

An example from Ubud, Bali, Indonesia, a swastika inside a stylized 'Majapahit Sun'. The Majapahit Sun is the emblem of an old Hindu-Javanese empire that is still important for Indonesian identity today. Just visible below the Sun is a lotus flower, symbol of spiritual growth and purity:


https://www.flickr.com/photos/mckaysavage/9684267018/in/photostream/

 

Shirvan is a city, I don't think it moves about.

 

It's just a trade centre, rugs are brought there to sell.

 

According to the Azeris, rugs are made in and around Shirvan.
There are no Azeri nomads anymore, they became sedentary a long time ago.

 

Just like us during Covid 19 then eh?

 

Yep. One of the earliest covid quarantines in recorded history.

 

Just want to add that my understanding was that there was a 1940 agreement between the US and the Native American community IN the US that the “whirling log” which looks like a swastika would no longer be used. To the best of my knowledge this agreement was only between the US and NA people in the US and had nothing to do with the similar emblem used in other cultures and therefore cannot be used to date other items like the OP’s rug as pre WWll (which it may well be or not). Please correct me if this is not true. TY.

Conversely I have always used this fact to date Navajo rugs with whirling logs as pre 1940.

 

Thank you for the information, reader. It is a shame that the Austrian madman even influenced Native American culture. I understand the context of course, but it is sad it had to happen.

 

Yes it is sad that an ancient symbol of spirituality throughout Asia as well as one of importance to the US NA community became one associated only with horror. I had a beautiful NA bracelet with a whirling log and I finally gave it up as I got sick of defending myself for wearing it.

The OP’s rug is a beauty but problematic for the same reasons. IMO it was not made as a Nazi symbol but has certainly become one for most people.

 

Another thing unlikely to be seen again is that "special" mustache style.

 

G-d willing...

 

I am not a specialist, but I think it might be Armenian in origin, for the colours and also because that symbol is was used in Armenian writing as far as I know.

 

Makes sense to me as Armenia is Caucasian, known for rug making and uses the Arevakhach. On the other hand, if the rug is being sold I think it best to refer to it as a Caucasian rug and not be country specific.

 

Though few know of the exception made for Adolph's Meat Tenderizer ....