| Carpets
known as leopard skin or tiger skin carpets are
among the most important Iranian carpet designs.
Though these carpets are mostly used by the
dervishes, their use is not limited to them and as
we will see, many other groups of people,
including nomads, show much interest in such
designs. In past times, stripped and
patterned animal fur (like that of tigers and
leopards) was preferred to plain fur (like that of
lions and deer). Perhaps when man learned to
weave, the design of tiger and leopard skin held a
special attraction for him. There is no
proof left of this fact, but one can note the
special passion nomads and dervishes have for
nature and animals and earth. Most of what
little these people have, has been given to them
by nature. The dishes they use for water and
food are no other than a type of sea coconut
called "coco de mer." Their cane
and means of defense is a thorny stick called
"mantasha." Metal dishes or steel
axes are modern tools inspired by the mentioned
coconut and mantasha. As for clothing,
carpets, or blankets, it should be noted that
dervishes were happy with the minimum and would
use a piece of animal skin, or if not available, a
torn piece of cloth to cover themselves and to use
as a carpet to sit or sleep on. Even so, and
despite such poverty, dervishes think of
themselves as no less than kings. If kings
rule with power and fortune, dervishes rule the
land of the poor. They use the word "taj-e-shahi"
(king's crown) to refer to their dervish hats,
while using the term "takht-e shahi"
(king's throne) to describe the animal skin they
sit or sleep on. They often use the title of
Shah (king) on their names with Shah Ne'matollah,
Noor-Ali Shah, and Moshtauq Ali Shah being a few
examples.
The
connection between tools of the kings and the
dervishes is an elaborate matter, one I hope to
discuss someday in this same magazine. For
this article, I will limit the discussion to one
such tool (i.e., leopard and tiger skin).
The
study of the link between "leopard and tiger
skin" and kings and warriors in Iranian
mythology is a lengthy one. Ferdowsi
designates "tiger" clothing for
Rostam [a mythical hero] . Paintings from
the fourteenth century show such clothes on some
kings and warriors. One of the oldest of such
paintings, believed to be from the late thirteenth
century, is kept in the Freer Art Gallery of
Washington and shows Kiumars, the first mythical
king of Iran, clothed in leopard skin and standing
on a tiger skin carpet. Another notable
painting of Kiumars is believed to be the work of
Sultan Mohammad. This painting, undoubtedly
a masterpiece of the early Safavid period, shows
Kiumars and members of his court in leopard
garments while one of them is portrayed in a tiger
garment as well.
Kings
and dervishes have many things in common, the main
reason for this being the mutual tools and
appearances of the two. Both have everything
they want, one having gained all wealth and the
other being a master in poverty. Both are
rulers of their lands, yet the king's lands are
limited by gates and fences, while there are no
limits or barriers to the dervish's land. As
for the leopard, tiger and also lion, it must be
noted that the kings portray their victory over
these animals, animals who are themselves kings of
forests and jungles, on rocks and mountains and in
books. They use such images to boast, and to
imply: Your king is superior to all powers."
Dervishes know the earth to be their absolute
territory and thus show their dependence to earth
and dominance over its inhabitants by wearing
animal skins or sitting on them. The
lifestyle of nomads is not much different than
that of dervishes and kings. The gates to
plains, mountains, and valleys are open to the
nomads. They settle their tents wherever
they wish and rule for a period of time.
They know their environment to be their own and
have the same close connection with the land,
nature and animals that dervishes have. They
own sheep and have the tools and skills to weave,
so it's perfectly natural that their women should
weave carpets with designs from leopard and tiger
skin.
Leopard
and tiger carpets (as well as lion ones) are also
symbols of courage and bravery for the nomads.
by weaving and having such carpets on their
floors, the nomad women tell their children
legends of how their ancestors hunted down these
animals. In the process, they imply that
their husband and children should follow their
ancestors in this demonstration of courage.
The
leopard and tiger skins that nomad women weave are
not exact copies of real leopard and tiger skins.
Possessing both the expertise to weave various
designs and the creativity to make ne3w designs,
they go beyond leopard and tiger designs.
Sometimes, they cover the whole surface of the
carpet with the leopard and tiger skin design,
while at other times with the addition of ne3w
colors they change these designs from bicolor to
multicolor. They sometimes carry it so far
that it confuses the common spectator with no
knowledge of the source of such design, and
reminds of modern and contemporary carpet designs.
Though
leopard designs can be considered exclusively
Iranian and originating from Iran, tighter carpet
have a much wider homeland. this land
stretches from China at one end, to India on the
other. Tibet has the highest share in
weaving tiger carpets. In Western Asia, it
is Iran and Turkey that hold the highest shares.
Turkey has mostly been active in Woven textiles,
while Iran has had a large share in both textiles
and carpets with tiger designs.
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