Vase Technique Carpet, Kerman Province, Iran, 1600s, hand-knotted wool pile,
Saint Louis Art Museum: Gift of Nellie Ballard White, 285:1972

Rugged Beauty: Antique Carpets from Western Asia,
Denver Art Museum
December 18, 2022-May 28, 2023

Rugged Beauty: Antique Carpets from Western Asia opens a window into the artistic and utilitarian innovations of weavers, domestic consumption, and the cross-cultural exchanges between present-day Turkey, Iran, and the Caucasus (Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia) from the 1500s to the 1900s.

The stories in Rugged Beauty showcase the living traditions of western Asia, a vast and culturally rich region of the world. Each of the more than 40 objects on display were made by hand, predominantly dyed by hand, and hand-woven using the knotted-pile weaving technique. Though the individual identities of the makers are mostly unknown, the rugs' designs of rich colors, intricate patterns, and complex symbols reveal a deep history of trade, diplomacy, and foreign relationships.

Related Events:
January 24, 2023, 6–7pm
Artist Talk: Baseera Khan

March 25, 2023, 9am–4pm
From Workshop to Nomad: New Thinking about Rug Weaving Categories and Design Influences

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