Dragon carpet — Vishapagorg

Heritage Object

Type

The vishapagorg is one of the best-known families of Armenian carpets. Its dragon is expressed through angular, hooked forms woven into an ordered ornamental field.

Historical context

A seventeenth-century example from Artsakh belongs to the History Museum of Armenia, collection number 11699-10. Later examples show how the design continued to change.

Pattern and composition

Mirrored dragon signs alternate in light and dark colours. Hooked tree forms appear between them, while floral bands connect the larger elements and patterned borders enclose the field.

How to look

Follow the paired forms before looking at the small details. The contrast between repetition and variation gives the carpet its visual movement.

Images are generated artistic interpretations of the design tradition, not photographs or exact reproductions of the cited museum object.

Explore more entries

Back to Carpets