A Comparative Study of Kurgani Stripes’ Pattern in the Kilim of Shahsavan Tribe and the Kilim of Sedentary People of Ardebil Province in the Late Qajar Time

In their arts and handicrafts, Shahsavans of Moghan who are the inheritors of Central Asia culture and art have been influenced by their ancestral originalities as well as neighboring civilizations. In step with immigration and the expansion of their summer lands they have used vastly the ideas and thoughts of the artists whom they met in the creation, processing and distribution of motifs and decorations so that the share of each land’s artists is vividly seen in their works. In the late Qajar time, their cultural transactions entered a new phase. Such changes can be observed in the motifs of hand-woven objects, especially kilims, better than other cultural and artistic domains. Comparing the pattern of Kurgani stripes in Shahsavan kilims with the works of sedentary people woven in the late Qajar time in the province of Ardebil, this study aims to find an answer for these questions: what are the visual features of each of them and which similarities and differences do they have? Thus, the aim of this research is the identification and analysis of features triggering the similarities and differences in such works. The type of this study is qualitative and, regarding its comparative nature, it uses descriptive-analytic method. The date has been gathered via library and field work. The visual analyses have been carried out by referring to 8 indicative and 16 comparative samples of motif details. Comparative findings of motifs imply that Shahsavans are under the influence of sedentary people regarding the composition of patterns and simplification of motifs. On the other hand, they have influenced such people considering decorations and elaborate ornaments. Economic, environmental and social factors as well as tribal immigrations play very significant role in such exchanges.