1924
Oil on canvas
105 õ 116
The name of the painting has a metaphorical sense. The pomegranate is one of the most widespread motifs in the art and poetry of the Orient. A chaikhana is the traditional place of relaxation and socializing in Central Asia, where it is possible to spend the whole day, sipping tea and without hurrying, thoroughly discussing all the news.
It is not just the name of the canvas that is metaphorical. The artist uses the principle of creating an Uzbek ornament, where the drawing consists of endless combinations of one and the same form. The constant change in rhythms of the pattern creates an impression of variety.
The pomegranate fruit is itself the source of the composition’s structure. It is depicted as a real object, as the motif of the teapot, and as a generalizing image, since even the figures of the people are perceived through the contours and drawing of the pomegranate seeds. The pomegranate colour, poured over the entire canvas, completes the list of associations, creating a capacious symbol of the Orient.
