RITAM SRBIJE / RHYTHM OF SERBIA
er, equally difficult, but happi- er. Both looms, with their shut- tle tools, combs, spindles and all the material, are preserved in the house as a kind of relic and talis- man of the home. As a descendant of weavers, I was weaned on a love for that dance of magical threads and the symbols that the Pirot rug carries within itself,” says Marko. Jocić, who’s actually an ethnol- ogist by profession, points out that the production of a Pirot rug is itself impressive, and that woven around it like a net is a miraculous story filled with interesting details. Our interlocutor also points out that be- ing familiar with, and interested in, our own tradition is one of the ways of preserving our national identity. “The production technique of kneeling beside a loom is fascinat- ing. That handcraft is something that can be unreservedly dubbed
Kao potomak tkalja, odmalena sam zadojen ljubavlju ka toj igri magičnih niti i simbolima koje pirotski ćilim u sebi nosi, kaže Marko / As a descendant of weavers, I was weaned on a love for that dance of magical threads and the symbols that the Pirot rug carries within itself, says Marko
art. Without a front or reverse, iden- tical on both sides, the Pirot rug is unique around the world. Runic wool from the Balkan Mountain, thick weaving, the existence of 115 pat- terns, each carrying its own symbol- ism and story, represent something that leaves you breathless,” stress- es our interviewee, before contin- uing to evoke the atmosphere that the Pirot rug brings… “The rug complements a space, ennobles it and gives it wonderful energy – because, according to tra- dition, such a rug was unable to be woven by someone if they don’t have pure and good thoughts. This won- der, which only emerges after a full two months of handcrafting while kneeling, for just one rug - is a gen- uine masterpiece, which we, as a na- tion, can and must be proud of! It absolutely belongs among the ranks of Anatolian, Persian, Cossack and Chinese silk rugs. We must preserve and love our own, because tradition is an indivisible part of the identity of the nation to which we belong, and a nation without origins disap- pears and is extinguished, which is why we must return to our roots…” The Pirot rug contains precisely 115 different patterns, each of which has its own authentic, beautiful sto- ry. The motifs used for Pirot rugs are ancient and derived from vari- ous cultures - from ancient Greece to the first early Christian motifs, such as turtles, fish, flames, chande- liers, doves etc. Pirot rugs were pro-
duced for palaces and courts, but also for prominent diplomats and mem- bers of society. In a consumer society, where trends change as though on a con- veyor belt and things quickly lose val- ue and are sold for next to nothing, it isn’t easy to find your own place under the sun and to stand out in a sea of cheap trinkets that attract peo- ple with their low price. Due to the low standard of living in our coun- try and some less fortunate times, it may come as no surprise that the Pirot rug has had to wait in the cor- ner for such a long time before re- turning to the path of its old glory... But it is now heading in that direc- tion once again, though with small but solid steps. “Interest among people is ever-in- creasing and we are overjoyed by the fact that people are slowly but surely returning to that which lasts eternally and will serve generations in a fam- ily. The prices of Pirot rugs vary and depend on whether you’re buying an old antique rug or one that was woven in recent times. Apart from that, the price is also influenced by the com- plexity of the production technique, the number of colours woven into it and, most of all, by the degree of rar- ity and complexity of the catalogue pattern. Some prices range from 250 to 1000 euros,” explains Jocić, before adding that these rugs are unrivalled when it comes to quality and can be used actively for 100 years, being left behind for generations yet to come.
90 | Srbija » Serbia
Made with FlippingBook interactive PDF creator