Virgin
Artist
Faig Ahmed
(Azerbaijani, born 1982)
Date2017
MediumHandmade woolen carpet
Dimensions100 × 70 in. (254 × 177.8 cm)
ClassificationsContemporary art
Credit LineMuseum purchase
Object number2017.24
Collections
On View
On viewLabel TextFaig Ahmed Azerbaijani, b. 1982 Virgin, 2016 Handmade woolen carpet Patterns and ornaments can be found in all cultures, sometimes similar, sometimes very different. I consider them words and phrases that can be read and translated to a language we understand. —Faig Ahmed Virgin references several ideas about the creation and history of carpets in the artist’s country of Azerbaijan. Here, the carpet seems unfinished; only one-third shows the elaborate pattern and border, while the rest of the work is loose thread. Ahmed develops the designs from the patterns and shapes of computer imagery, and then local weavers produce the textile in the centuries-old, traditional manner, using sheep’s wool that has been dyed in vibrant colors. The title alludes to the material—sheep’s wool—as well as a finished carpet being part of a dowry, or bride price, that a chaste woman gave to her husband at marriage. Museum purchase 2017.24
19th century
