Afghanistan military carpets as a phenomenon of protest in decorative arts

Abstract

The article is devoted to the consideration of Afghan military carpets of the late 1970s – 2021. The subtypes of these works (patriotic, victorious and souvenir), the reasons for their appearance, the main motives of decoration and functional purpose of products are outlined. The specifics of decorating these monuments with individual motifs in the realities of the last third of
the twentieth century (the period of presence of Soviet soldiers) and the period 2001–2021 (the time of the introduction of American troops), as well as updating the figurative language of works while maintaining traditional production technology. It is estimated that military rugs make up about 1% of Afghan and Pakistani rugs made in the Taliban-controlled Waziristan region.
The interest of such art design products among American collectors (primarily Kevin Sudate and others) and the collection of works in this segment by the British National Museum.