Merenkova O. Kashmiri Namda Felts in the Collection of the MAE RAS

Olga Merenkova
Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography (Kunstkamera) of the Russian Academy of Sciences
Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation
ORCID: 0000-0002-2771-9862
E-mail: onyx@kunstkamera.ru

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ABSTRACT. Kashmir has long been famous for its skilled craftsmen who brilliantly perform intricate wood and stone carvings and create beautiful textiles. Bright, thin and at the same time warm, Kashmiri shawls are a desirable element of attire not only in India, but all over the world. Kashmiri Namda felt carpets are considered now as outstanding textile masterpieces; they occupy a special place in the world's museums and private collections. This study examines rare embroidered Namda felt carpets created in Kashmir in the late 19th and first quarter of the 20th century. In August-September 1916, in Kashmir, the spouses Alexander Mikhailovich and Lyudmila Aleksandrovna Meerwarth purchased a variety of wood and papier-mâché products, jewelry, fabrics, embroidery, as well as Namda felt carpets. The collecting work took place as part of a scientific expedition to Ceylon and India (1914–1918), organized by the Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography (MAE). This collection is kept today in the MAE RAS (MAE No. 3018). Kashmiri Namda felt carpets purchased by A. M. and L. A. Meerwarth, are compared with modern carpet products of this type. The art of Namda has been passed down by the families of makers from generation to generation. However, by the beginning of the 2000s Namda production declined as artisans and their families stopped practicing this craft. Currently, the authorities of Kashmir have recognized the traditional production of Namda felt carpets as a cultural heritage, therefore, projects aimed at training and supporting young carpet weavers are being actively developed and implemented.

KEYWORDS: Namda felt carpets, carpet weaving, Kashmir, Alexander Mikhailovich Mervart, Lyudmila Aleksandrovna Mervart, museum collections

FOR CITATION: Merenkova O. Kashmiri Namda Felts in the Collection of MAE RAS. Kunstkamera. 2024. 3(25): 47–56. (In Russian). doi 10.31250/2618-8619-2024-3(25)-47-56

DOI 10.31250/2618-8619-2024-3(25)-47-56
UDC 391

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