Senneh Gelim: The Magnificent Living Carpet Tradition of Iranian Kurdish Women 


Vol. 8,  No. 1, pp. 1-30, Jun.  2023
10.22679/avs.2023.8.1.001


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  Abstract

Traditional Kurdish weavings are among the world’s most ancient living textile traditions. One of the largest regional ethnic and linguistic groups, Kurds have inhabited a significant part of Western Asia for millennia. Historically, Kurdish territories were crisscrossed by old and important trade routes, including the Silk Roads. This led to the formation of some of the most significant Kurdish artistic and cultural traditions, including textiles, which influenced and were influenced by those of other non-Kurdish ethnic groups from Caucasia to Central Asia and beyond. One example of Kurdish carpet traditions born in the eighteenth century at the cross-sections of Safavid (1501-1736) urban carpets workshops and centuries-old indigenous Kurdish tribal/rural weaves is senneh gelim or sojaee. A finely flatwoven carpet that was exchanged regionally and internationally as a diplomatic gift and a highly prized commodity. Although in decline, senneh gelims continue to be made by Kurdish women weavers in their original birthplace Sanandaj, the provincial capital of Iranian Kurdistan to date. This study adopts an inter-disciplinary approach to present an image of senneh gelim and women gelim weavers, tracing the developmental trajectories of the craft from the eighteenth century to the present time by drawing on extant art-historical and social scientific studies along with primary ethnographic data collected in Iranian Kurdistan (2018-2019). It investigates the craft tradition’s historical origin, various aspects such as techniques, materials, aesthetics, functions, and meanings, and how these transformed over time. Additionally, the paper looks at the social contexts of production, focusing on women carpet weavers and how their socioeconomic and cultural situation has formed senneh carpet production in the past and present and the implications for long-term preservation.

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  Cite this article

[IEEE Style]

R. MIRABOOTALEBI, "Senneh Gelim: The Magnificent Living Carpet Tradition of Iranian Kurdish Women," Acta Via Serica, vol. 8, no. 1, pp. 1-30, 2023. DOI: 10.22679/avs.2023.8.1.001.

[ACM Style]

Reyhane MIRABOOTALEBI. 2023. Senneh Gelim: The Magnificent Living Carpet Tradition of Iranian Kurdish Women. Acta Via Serica, 8, 1, (2023), 1-30. DOI: 10.22679/avs.2023.8.1.001.

[APA Style]

MIRABOOTALEBI, R. (2023). Senneh Gelim: The Magnificent Living Carpet Tradition of Iranian Kurdish Women. Acta Via Serica, 8(1), 1-30. DOI: 10.22679/avs.2023.8.1.001.

[MLA Style]

Reyhane MIRABOOTALEBI. "Senneh Gelim: The Magnificent Living Carpet Tradition of Iranian Kurdish Women." Acta Via Serica, vol. 8, no. 1, 2023, pp. 1-30. doi:10.22679/avs.2023.8.1.001

[HAVARD Style]

Reyhane MIRABOOTALEBI (2023) 'Senneh Gelim: The Magnificent Living Carpet Tradition of Iranian Kurdish Women', Acta Via Serica, 8(1), pp. 1-30. doi:10.22679/avs.2023.8.1.001

[ACS Style]

MIRABOOTALEBI, R.. Acta Via Serica 8 2023, 1-30. 10.22679/avs.2023.8.1.001

[ABNT Style]

MIRABOOTALEBI, R.. Senneh Gelim: The Magnificent Living Carpet Tradition of Iranian Kurdish Women. Acta Via Serica, v. 8, n. 1, p. 1-30, 2023. DOI: 10.22679/avs.2023.8.1.001

[Chicago Style]

Reyhane MIRABOOTALEBI. "Senneh Gelim: The Magnificent Living Carpet Tradition of Iranian Kurdish Women." Acta Via Serica 8, no. 1 (2023): 1-30. doi:10.22679/avs.2023.8.1.001

[TURABIAN Style]

Reyhane MIRABOOTALEBI. "Senneh Gelim: The Magnificent Living Carpet Tradition of Iranian Kurdish Women." Acta Via Serica 8, no. 1 (2023): 1-30. 10.22679/avs.2023.8.1.001

[VANCOUVER Style]

Reyhane MIRABOOTALEBI. Senneh Gelim: The Magnificent Living Carpet Tradition of Iranian Kurdish Women [Acta Via Serica]. 2023;8:1-30. DOI:10.22679/avs.2023.8.1.001

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