User:Tillman/Kaitag textiles



Kaitag textiles are an unusual embroidered textile artform from the Kaitag district of southwest [[Daghestan, Russia. Kaitag textiles are of simple construction, being laid and couched silk-floss embroidery on a cotton ground. The designs are generally in the style of classical Safavid Persian art, often illustrating horsemen and hunting scenes. Abstract Kaitag designs have been compared to those of Matisse and Paul Klee, though it is unlikely that either artist ever saw a Kaitag textile. Surviving examples are mostly from the 17th and 18th centuries. These embroideries were apparently made for local use in weddings, funerals, and for cradle trappings. Sadly, the traditional Kaitag art of embroidery was reportedly stamped out under Soviet rule.