8/17/2004: Traditional Afghan rugs now display war

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My wife said, "I found something that will cheer you up." and showed me this post. You folks' discussion hits all the important points about war rugs. Its gratifying to see that other people's dialog shares my interest in the rugs.

At first glance they look like the rugs woven for hundreds of years by the tribal peoples of Afghanistan. But instead of traditional abstract motifs such as water jugs, chickens, blossoms and horses, these rugs depict tanks, paisley-shaped helicopters, jets, hand grenades and Kalashnikov rifles.

My first, and enduring, interest is combination of the very traditional artform, rug weaving, combined with the most contemporary imagery.

Sunday, I sent them an email telling them that on rug 309, I think they misidentified a H-46 Sea Knight as a CH-47 Chinook. Just trying to help

Thanks Bruce, it took a while but I noted your feedback in the descriptions.

God I just had a look at all the other rugs made, those people are friggin sick to make such things.

On the one hand, the rugs show the reality of life in Afghanistan for the last 25 years, and the best rugs give the most personal view. On the other hand, I feel you regarding the people jumping out. On the third hand, most Americans who buy WTC rugs, want the people jumping out.

Nobody cares about the disenfranchised women of the Middle East

The fight for equality/rights happens at home, and most of our rugs are woven at home, because of the purdah (seperation of women). Our approach is to empower the women by letting them weave what they want and by paying them very well for their work (a rug woven by a weaver in our "Project Empowerment" takes about six weeks and grosses four times the annual income for the average Afghan family) The idea is, if we give the women respect and the power of the purse, it helps them in their own struggle for equality.

The women weaving these rugs are no less devout Muslims than the men. If Islamic law said it's blasphemous to put an image of a living thing in the rug, they are not going to break that law.

Most of the weavers are tribal / semi-nomadic people and not the most orthodox. As a result tribal rugs typically show animals, birds, and sometimes people. During the Taliban years anything with animate imagery was destroyed.

<i>sewing circles of Herat</i>Christina Lamb pg. 15<br>...market stall was burnt down for selling Malysian soap because printed on the green and yellow packets was a silhouteet of a woman;...

I can understand a weaver changing her vocabulary in order to not loose weeks of hard work and her family's only means of earning money.

Yeah, I don't think it's so much a question of breaking the law as it is subverting it. Artists and artisans have done it all over the world for centuries.

I agree, and efforts to subvert are interesting. Reminds me of George Carlin, "you can prick your finger, but you cant finger your prick". <br>Most of the figurative rugs come from the pre-Taliban era. Even in regular Afghan rugs, not war rugs, the figurative patterns only came back on the market again in mid 2002, and they are still not as common as before the civil war. (I created a web page illustrating this point with photos, but I dont want to get banned on my first post- somebody tell me if its okay, and I will post it)

Except that the one I want costs $750... It's the one with the butterflies.

That one went to a psyop guy with a butterfly garden (no kidding)
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wolf, small world.
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You folks seem to have a very nice community here. I appreciate your commentary on my poject.
Thanks,
Kevin