ZEICHUR

Zeichur is an Azerbaijan town in the Shirvan district, not far from the capital Baku. The most important textile products that we can still find on the market today date from the second half of the 19th century to 1917, the year of the Russian Revolution that brought about major changes - even in rug production. Zeichurs, like many other antique Caucasian rugs are rare items. They have enormous artistic and historical value and if they are well conserved can fetch considerable sums. They are made entirely of wool, have geometric designs and usually a knotting density that is above average for Caucasian rugs. The typical design on Zeichur rugs comprises a series of elaborate cruciform rosettes arranged in line along the central axis. Four minutely ornate leaves branch off from them diagonally, giving the rosette the appearance of a huge Saint Andrew's cross. Along the borders they are connect to other rosettes, cut in half by the frame creating a rhomboidal lattice decorated with stylized floral motifs. The background can be brown, blue or - more frequently - white. The borders of Zeichur rugs are highly distinctive: it is an elaborate version of the pattern known as running dog created with blue lines on a white background.