All the Beauty of the World: Rugs from the Land of the Caucasus

The Caucasus’ vulnerable history and its population’s rich mix of nationalities combine to create an unprecedented basis for the development of a wide range of textiles. The most dramatic expression of local traditional aesthetics being their rugs which became famous the world over. All the Beauty of the World: Rugs from the Land of the Caucasus features over 60 Caucasian rugs from the collection of the Textile Museum of Canada. The exhibition represents typical examples of traditional Caucasian rugs from the second quarter of the 19th to the early 20th century, explaining their geographic and ethnic origins, based on technical and artistic analysis. These rugs are from different areas of the Caucasian region, made with different techniques and by different ethnic groups of the Caucasian population. The various designs and patterns reflect national traditions and cultural relationships between areas and groups like the Lezgi, Azerbaijani, Armenian and Kurdish people. Side-by-side examples demonstrate differences while historical and contemporary photographs show these rugs being made and used, the social and cultural circumstances of their production, and the influence of the region’s natural beauty. 

Type: Exhibition

Date: Jan 28, 2004, 8am - Jun 20, 2004, 5pm

Curated by: Natalia Nekrassova