Quarterly Scientific-Research Goljaam

Love of beauty and perfection is an inherent characteristic of human beings. The principle of “need” complements the sense that brings artistic creation in him to a peak, resulting in the formation and permanence of culture. The “carpet” may not represent a pure form of art, but it there is no doubt that its artistic and visual qualities put it beyond a mere commercial commodity and elevate it to the position of a work of art that embodies taste, thought, beliefs and a special custom. It presents the intellectual and cultural potentials of a people in the form of esoteric motifs and symbolic forms. The elementary motifs and patterns that are especially found in rural carpets and small carpets usually embody a purer content from the point of view of symbolic concepts that deserve a thorough investigation.

The motif of tree is one of the most important and original motifs of decoration and mysticism in human’s art. Different kinds of plants and trees that may be considered as the symbol of “the prayer human” can be found in many historical works in Iran and other parts of the world; each expressing a special meaning and sometimes multiple meanings. “Weeping willow” is one of these motifs that can be found in art works and miniatures of our country, especially in hand-knitted carpets of some areas. Accordingly, the Chaharmahal & Bakhtiaris’ carpets which are classified among tribal and rural categories present such motif especially in carpets with “Kheshti Design”. In this paper the different kinds of such motif have been introduced and their formal and semantic aspects have been studied in Kheshti carpets of different areas of Caharmahal & Bakhtiaris Province.