The people of Azerbaijan have created a rich and unique culture throughout its centuries-old history, and one of the most highly developed areas of its activity is decorative-applied art. These arts have existed since ancient times. It covers various types of art, including forging and jewelry, metalwork, wood, stone and bone carving, carpet weaving, wicker, ornamental weaving and embroidery, weaving and embroidery, and many more. Each of these types of art, which speaks of the rich spiritual world and talent of the Azerbaijani people, is still used with great love.

The technique and composition of Azerbaijani embroidery go back to the distant past and prove the heritage of the people’s culture. It is possible to determine the spread of different types of embroidery in Azerbaijan on the basis of archeological materials. Simple elements analogous to ornaments in artistic embroidery – straight and broken lines, zigzags, dotted ornaments, circles, triangles, rhombuses can be traced in the pottery of the Early Bronze Age (Azerbaijan dates back to the III millennium BC).

Numerous merchants, travelers and diplomats who visited these places at different times spoke about many interesting facts about the development of art in Azerbaijan. Italian traveler Marco Polo (XIII century) celebrates the beauty of local silk products in Shamakhi and Barda. Describing the luxury of a summer residence, the English traveler-merchant Anthony Jenkinson (16th century) wrote that “the king sat in a rich tent made of silk and gold, his clothes were decorated with pearls and rich stones.”

In the early 19th and early 20th centuries, the main material used for embroidery was locally produced gonovuz, darai and velvet. They were prepared in Shamakhi, Basgal, Sheki, Ganja, Shusha and other cities of Azerbaijan. Local silk and wool threads and local presses were used for embroidery. Herbal dyes were used for dyeing.

Art embroidery was distinguished by the richness and variety of ornamental motifs. The most commonly used plant motifs in Azerbaijani embroidery are roses, daffodils, carnations, tulips, lilies, leaves of fruit trees – pomegranates, quinces, cherries, as well as spikes and leaves of various shapes.

The geometric patterns of the embroidery consist of straight and broken lines, zigzags, triangles, quadrangles, hexagonal and octagonal stars, rhombuses, asterisks and symbolic images of the sun.

Birds, nightingales, peacocks, pigeons, parrots, hophops, sparrows, pheasants, quails, partridges and others were depicted in the embroidery.

The image of a pair of birds, which is often found in embroidery, is the oldest and most beloved motif in decorative and applied arts. Birds are often depicted as either in love or resentful. People explain both motives as a symbol of love and separation. Among the representatives of the animal world, gazelles, turtles, snakes-dragons, horses, etc. are more often used in embroidery. were described.

Household items include jugs for rose water, cases for combs, bottles for cosmetics, jugs, etc. is found.

The most popular and widespread types of embroidery in Azerbaijan are: gulabatin, embroidered with numbers, takelduz, embroidery in the “bird’s eye” technique, metal bead sewing, bead sewing, basmanakhish, “buttoning”, assembly, spiral sewing and fillet work.

The oldest of all types of embroidery – artistic embroidery with gold and silver threads. Mostly very dense fabric was used. Velvet with red, burgundy, purple and green tones was considered the best material. Fine mahud, cloth, trim, satin, tumac leather of different shades were also embroidered on the skin. Factory-made gold and silver threads were used to sew with gold and silver threads. This type of embroidery was called in one term – gulabatin.

Gulebatin mostly decorated women’s outerwear, hats, household items, horse saddles and smaller items. It was customary for the bride’s dowry to include various household items.

Single-stitch embroidery was more common among artistic embroideries made of colored silk threads.

In the 19th century, the center of monotheism was the city of Sheki.

Red, black and dark blue velvet and mahud produced locally or abroad were used as the main material for monoculture. Takelduz embroidery was not only for women. Many men showed their extraordinary skills in this field of applied art. On the stretched fabric on the machine, the master first drew the contour lines of the painting, and then filled the entire interior. The needle used for single-stitch embroidery was called a “hook”.

Women’s clothes, covers of large pillows, rugs, carpets used in the bathroom, and rugs were decorated with Takelduz embroidery.

Another technique widely used in embroidery was counting.

For this type of embroidery, colored silk and wool threads, usually not bright, in pastel shades, often in combination with gold threads, were used. There were two types of embroidery: double-sided and single-sided. Saya is used for embroidery on clothes, wall decorations, face coverings, curtains, etc. patterns were shot.

One of the most common types of embroidery was “bird’s eye” – ornaments made of white or colored silk.

“Buttoning” embroidery is found in the decorations of vodka, shabkulah (night hat), canamaz, as well as woolen clothes. It was performed by plain and water stitching, with a thin layer of wool or cotton placed between the lining and the face.

Embroidery with pearls and beads was of great interest, they have been used to decorate costume elements and household items since ancient times.

Embroidered with glitter ornaments, beads – is to sew them along the contours of the picture, drawn on the fabric with colored silk threads. Installation and spiral are relatively young methods of artistic embroidery.

Work on the rare file and merejka is spread too late and applied in a narrow frame. This type of handicraft is more typical for the decoration of napkins, towels, face masks. Today, in many cities of Azerbaijan, the school of embroidery, which has its roots in ancient times, is preserved. The handicrafts of Azerbaijani masters adorn the expositions of international exhibitions and museums.