A Study of the Motifs and Techniques of Needlework in Eight Prayer Rugs from the Qajar Period

As a sign of respect for God, Muslims' prostration during their prayer inspired the artists of Qajar period to represent the worshiper’s spiritual connection with the Divine through needlework on the textiles that were used for producing prayer mats. Needlework is a traditional art which, like any other traditional art, is characterized by its contribution to human transcendence, being rooted in a long and rich history, containing cultural values, being rich in beliefs and thought, and finally being inherently artistic. Due to his strong faith and the spiritual knowledge that comes from his faith, the needlework artist who begins to create a prayer mat is unconsciously aware of all these characteristics. The art of needlework can be manifest in all aspects of a Muslim, from the secure and private home to the mosque which is a place for worship and prayer. The needlework techniques on Qajar prayer mats were considered as artistic ornaments in terms of variety and beauty that were intended to consciously influence beliefs and attitudes. This study aims at describing and analyzing the embroidery and needlework as well as the meaning of motifs on eight fabric prayer mats which are kept in Victoria and Albert Museum, London, and belong to the Qajar Period between 1851 and 1902. The research questions are as following: 1) What is the type and method of embroidery and needlework on the prayer mats? 2) What is the meaning of the motifs and calligraphic designs of these instances of embroidery and needlework? The results suggest that these motifs have their roots at the thoughts and imaginations of the Muslim needlework artist. The embroideries include silk-work, white-work, and cotton-work (or layer-work) and the needlework techniques include drawing and cutting warp and weft (hemstitch). These techniques have resulted in a remarkable variety in motifs. In those techniques that are based on stylized patterns, the motifs are based on the perpendicular threads of the fabric whereas in free patterns the motifs are not based on the perpendicular structure of the threads. In order to have a deeper effect and help the worshiper to concentrate better on the prayer, the color of the prayer mats and their needlework threads is predominantly white. Characteristic of the structure of these prayer mats is the variety in mihrab designs and the place of mohr depending on the technique used. The motifs are in the form of stylized and scrolling patterns and consist of trees, birds, flowers, geometric shapes, and calligraphic elements. The needlework artist of these prayer mats has a deep sense of culture and religion and uses the decorative elements of Islamic art, such as symbolic patterns of geometric shapes, plants, and birds, to enhance the metaphysical spirit of the motifs and move toward artistic perfection. The needlework motifs can relieve the prayer mat from any mundane aspect and bestow authenticity upon it. In fact, the artist leads the audience to think beyond the material world because motifs in Islamic art are not only for decorative purposes but also they represent deep cultural and spiritual concepts. Thus, the relationship between art and religion is more beautifully revealed through these needlework motifs.