Baku, January 30, AZERTAC

On January 29, the Azerbaijani Cultural Centre in Vienna hosted the presentation of the world-famous Austrian jewellery brand FREYWILLE’s Magic Carpet collection, which is inspired by the patterns of Karabakh carpets.

Leyla Gasimova, Director of the Azerbaijani Cultural Centre, opened the event, expressing her satisfaction that Azerbaijan’s national carpets—one of the country’s oldest folk art forms—served as inspiration for the renowned Austrian brand’s new collection. She praised the decision to showcase the collection at the Azerbaijani Cultural Centre.

Rovshan Sadigbayli, Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan to Austria, highlighted the collection as the result of a successful collaboration between Azerbaijani and Austrian institutions. He emphasized the collection’s role in promoting Azerbaijani culture, particularly the Karabakh carpet-weaving tradition, on a global scale.

Friedrich Wille, head of FREYWILLE, greatly appreciated the collaboration between FREYWILLE and the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum. Established in 1951, FREYWILLE has partnered with several prominent museums worldwide, including the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Claude Monet Museum in Giverny, and the State Russian Museum. FREYWILLE’s experts have created exquisite collections inspired by the works of great artists such as Gustav Klimt, Vincent van Gogh, Alphonse Mucha, William Morris, and Paul Gauguin.

Through this partnership with the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum, FREYWILLE is incorporating Azerbaijani carpet patterns and motifs into its jewellery designs for the first time.

In her speech, Amina Melikova, Director of the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum, stated that this unique collection was developed based on the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the museum and FREYWILLE. She noted that the collection was first unveiled at the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum on December 5 last year with great success.

She explained that the Magic Carpet collection, created over approximately six months, was born out of a deep admiration for Azerbaijan’s national and cultural heritage. Combining the country’s rich history with modern art and jewellery technology, this collection was inspired by the original patterns of Karabakh’s famous flat-woven Varni carpet. The defining feature of this carpet is its stylized geometric dragon motifs. According to folk beliefs, protective dragons symbolize water, abundance, and prosperity, and were traditionally regarded as guardians of the home and family. Melikova emphasized that this collection would further promote Azerbaijani carpet art to wider audiences and reaffirm the cultural and national significance of these sacred decorative elements.

Alice Tipse, one of FREYWILLE’s professional designers, noted that the samples they studied at the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum served as a great source of inspiration for creating this new jewellery collection. She described the collection as a magnificent blend of craftsmanship, history, and art. Through a presentation, she shared fascinating insights into the creative process with the guests.

The artistic segment of the event featured performances by renowned pianist Abuzar Manafzade and kamancha player Ruhulla Aziz.

Afterward, guests explored the Magic Carpet jewellery collection, as well as Varni carpets from the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum’s exhibit. A special stand displayed the museum’s promotional products inspired by the patterns of the Varni carpet.

At the end of the event, a lottery was held among all participants, and three winners received gifts from FREYWILLE.