Museum of Visual Arts dedicated topical expositions to the Day of Turkmen Carpet and Textile Industry Personnel, which widely presented carpets, original household and woman accessories made in carpet technique, ethnographic exhibits, which trace the history of development of handmade carpet art, picturesque dedications to skilful carpet mistress.
The exposition is opened with famous work of national artist of Turkmneistan Annadurdy Almamedov “Carpet Makers”, which portrays the group of women working over the carpet. Annadurdy Almamedov put on bright dresses to his characters, which match by colour gamma with carpet threads burgundy, red, orange, blue, yellow.
Organizers of the exhibition presented several samples from the carpet collection of the museum.One of them is the carpet of V.Beglyarov “Dance” dated by 1947.
It has the group of Balochi dancers involved in captivating dance in the centre of the plot.The composition of the carpet accurately coveys typical original gestures of the dancers and their national dress.
The carpet is weaved so skilfully that it makes the spectator sink into atmosphere of the celebration.
The carpet of J. Shahberdiyeva “Workers at Rest” is another unique exhibit. The carpet strikes the imagination with the number of characters and typical accents of every participant of big celebration.
Several sections introduced carpet items that are widely used in everyday life like women handbags, pursues, mobile phone cases and other. It is typical that with the time, the variety of national craft items grows bigger. Many of them are required as souvenirs, which foreign guests buy with pleasure.
One of the section of the exhibition narrates about the process of carpet making. It has a yarn, which turns a lump of sheep wool to carpet thread using spinning wheel and artful hands of carpet maker as well as colouring appliances, owing to which grey thread gets necessary colour.
Honoured Art Worker of Turkmenistan, Lecturer of the State Art Academy Annabib Islamova was among the visitors of the exhibition studying the exhibits with keen interest. I had a conversation with her:
- When I was 12, my mother put me at the carpet weaving machine between my two elder sisters.They made the edges of the carpet while I was working on the centre.
My carpet making biography started from that moment.Our mother was very demanding teacher and not a single mistake could be missed by her look. “If you don’t correct the defect at once, the carpet will be lopsided” she used to say watching close the face and back side of the fragments that we have just finished.
However, we never made such mistakes, probably, it was because that our ancestors were famous carpet makers.Our grandmother from mother side was famous with her skills to colour the thread.
In 1976, I entered Carpet Department of the State Art College, which I graduated with the excellence.I was sent to Leningrad Textile Institute but I have already had two children by that time and my family duties did not allow me to accept this proposal.
But I wanted to study, so I entered history faculty of Turkmen State University.
I insisted on my diploma thesis was dedicated to carpet making.My request met understanding and my theme was approved under the name “Carpet making in Krasnovodsk Region”.
I was born in picturesque Etrek, which was glorified by Magtumguly, hence I was keen to ask famous carpet makers about the nuances of the craft.The work was so comprehensive that the members of examination board could not believe that such huge material was gathered and systemized by myself alone.
As the result, I have been asked a lot of questions and I answered all of them.After that, my copyright was recognized and was given the advice to write a book on this subject.
When the Academy of Art was opened I was invited to teach there.I teach seven rules of carpet making to my students and same as my mother try to be demanding teacher.
Starting work on new carpet, I always say to the students that they have to realize that they are making an art item.We have very talented and creatively thinking youth.
Mastering the secrets of carpet making, the student try to being some novelties to this and this is excellent as the traditions have to be enriched with time shades.