OF SILK, WOOL AND COTTON F INE C ARPETSAND T EXTILE A RT VOL . 2 OF SILK, WOOL AND COTTON F INE C ARPETSAND T EXTILE A RT Specializing in Antique and Decorative carpets and textiles C ONTENTS Introduction p.9 A n a t o l i a p.10 The Caucasus p.26 P e r s i a p.58 Central Asia p.96 A NATOLIA STEPPED NICHE PRAYER RUG, CENTRAL ANATOLIA. Early 19th century. This rug displays all the necessary attributes of design, wool quality and structure to place it in the Karapinar district. An engaging ambiguity is established between the proportions of the arches and the striking yellow ground. Eight-pointed stars float in the field giving balance to the whole composition. 173 x 108 cm. 7 KARAPINAR RUNNER. KONYA, CENTRAL ANATOLIA. MINIMALIST RUG, EASTERN ANATOLIA. First quarter of the 19th century. ca.1850 or earlier. A breathtaking proportion for a well A serene empty salmon field occupies the drawn design. This unusual piece is whole piece, except for a simple zig-zag characterized by fascinating contrasts. border. 486 x 141 cm. 260 x 90 cm. 9 LADIK PRAYER RUG, CENTRAL ANATOLIA. Late 18th century. This unmistakable group of carpets comes from a place of the same name, that lies northwest of Konya. Most pile works of Ladik are prayer rugs with a specific layout. The layout consists of a Mihrab, or prayer niche, and invariably a row of tulips. Tulips and other floral embellishments show the influence of the Ottoman court. The tulip was the symbol of the decadent Ottoman court in the 18th century (the “lale devri” period). All these factors are evident in this early piece. The filler motifs stand out strikingly against the rare (almost unique) ivory ground of the prayer niche. The tree of life displays floral decorations and birds’ claws of Central Asian and shamanistic origins. The delicate green in the main border and the simple meandering vines in the secondary borders point to the strong influence of courtly design. 185 x 118 cm. 11 YORUK KURDISH RUG, EASTERN ANATOLIA. Early 19th century. KARAPINAR CARPET. The field of this piece displays seven rows of delicately hooked lozenge medallions, KONYA, CENTRAL ANATOLIA. on an apricot background. The wool quality is soft, glossy and lustrous. The colors A full thick pile, vibrant colors and a well balanced design characterize this regal are exceptionally rich and deep. An intricate kilim design adorns the main border. Karapinar knotted carpet. 201 x 114 cm. 161 x 138 cm. 13 MINIMALIST RUG, EASTERN ANATOLIA. th MUDGUR RUG, SOUTHWESTERN ANATOLIA. Possibly mid 18 century or earlier. th This rare and unusual village rug belongs to a very small group of Anatolian minimalist Mid 19 century. rugs. Its attractive yellow field is composed of a repeat of seven rows of dotted lozenges. A fantastic yellow field gives this piece a thrilling touch. Three sharp-edged lozenges An empty brown border surrounds the whole composition. 260 x 90 cm. float in an empty field guarded by multicolored graceful carnations. 140 x 100 cm. 15 USHAK CARPET FRAGMENT, ANATOLIA. 16th century. This fragment belongs to a magnificent large Ushak carpet with medallion and Chintamani design. The size of the original carpet would have been around 800 x 350 cm. 156 x 108 cm. 17 OPPOSITE, MALATYA PRAYER RUG. Mid 19th century. The Kurds of Malatya are the authors of this joyful prayer rug. The field of this rug contains rows of double-headed amulets. A thrilling green color was used for the mihrab. 160 x 100 cm. DIVAN COVER, EASTERN ANATOLIA. Early 19th century. This unusual piece was woven for a very specific use. It only has three borders because it was used as a divan cover. 234 x 103 cm. 19 KONYA, CENTRAL ANATOLIA. SILK VELVET YASTIK, BURSA WESTERN ANATOLIA. Early 19th century. 16th century. Two bright red emblems take over the field of this piece. Both emblems are framed by A classical tile design adorns this magnificent cushion cover, made from a double band of Kochanaks in green and blue. Six tulip-like motifs of remarkable monochrome golden velvet. “Triple spots” design elegantly embellish the main field. beauty flank the emblems. The tulip motifs are repeated inside the emblems as well. The design vocabulary of 16th century Ottoman “Nakkashane” was rich with floral The two end borders display a classic formation. One of them consists of a repeat of forms stylized in a wide range of decorative arts including ceramics, textiles and small mihrabs edged with white arrows. 194 x 121 cm. carpets. 95 x 65 cm. T HE C AUCASUS AZERI FLATWOVEN COVER (VERNI), EASTERN CAUCASUS. Dated 1257 A.H. (1840 A.D.) Most such verni (or verneh, commonly called Zili or Silleh) are woven in two vertically joined halves. Rarely do these covers come in one piece, such as this one. A superb flat weave soumak with an endless repeat pattern of stylized dragons, fashioned into an angular “S” form. The dragon is rendered with evident horns, spines, scales, feet and whiskers. 287 x 200 cm. 23 FAKHRALOU KAZAK, PRAYER RUG, WESTERN CAUCASUS. Second half of 19th century. All good Fachralou rugs share the characteristics of this piece: an archaic bold use of form, powerful imagery, a rich luminous palette, medium pile, and rather loose BORDCHALOU KAZAK, SOUTHWEST CAUCASUS. knotting. A superior quality wool is used, displaying a delicate luster. The simple blue Mid 19th century. green mihrab floats elegantly in the center of the piece. The red main field shows A vibrant red characterizes this bold small piece. The main border shows a various colored symbols. A striking three part border shows a simple yet well drawn “sawtooth leaf” border outlined by two star filled minor borders. 133 x 117 cm. “sawtooth leaf” design guarded by two bare, blue strips. 145 x 120 cm. 25 KAZAK KARACHOV RUG, SOUTHWEST CAUCASUS. End of the 19th century. Karachoph is a village in the Southern Caucasus, not far from lake Sevan. The name itself means “black stick”. According to historical studies, the population of this region formed a mixed ethnic and religious group, a true reflection of the people of this mountainous region of the Caucasus. Karachov rugs share specific formal idioms and a definite palette. A high pile and rich bluish green and yellow tones are also characteristics of these expressive rugs. A massive ivory octagon classically dominates the field, surrounded by a pattern of starry cubes. The huge ivory octagon that usually dominates the field is, in this piece, surrounded by four flaming red ground emblems instead of the typical Karachov cartouches. These four emblems are reminiscent of Shirvan and Eastern Caucasian forms. Magnificent lustrous wool, high pile and vibrant colors characterize this expressive and unusually massive piece. 295 x 213 cm. 27 LORI PAMBAK, SOUTHERN CAUCASUS. Second half of the 19th century. The green cruciform motif, outlined in yellow in the center of the ivory octagon, is the first characteristic of Lori Pambak weavings. Carpet experts agree that this cruciform flower evolved from zoomorphic origins. The size of this piece is of monumental proportions. Four equally wide borders surround the central field. The innermost KAZAK KARACHOV RUG, SOUTHWEST CAUCASUS. border has a repeat of multicolored rhomboid shapes. The light ground main border Early 19th century. displays a magical repeat of amulet and star. The amulet points turn alternatively In this piece, the chessboard square-rectangle rises from a rare blue green ground. inwards or outwards, while the star has a kochanak attached to it on both sides. An unusual feature is the central emblem surrounded by a charming band of “S” Powerful imagery, a rich palette and lustrous wool characterize this outstanding piece. symbols. 217 x 175 cm. 270 x 170 cm. 29 OPPOSITE, ZAKATALA, SOUTHERN CAUCASUS. End of the 19th century. What characterizes the Zakatala Caucasian / Kurdish rugs is that they have no design repertoire of their own, but rather a huge range of designs adopted from elsewhere. In this piece, the design is derived from Sewan rugs but executed in the deep rich color palette of the region. 215 x 176 cm. CHELABERD, SOUTHEASTERN CAUCASUS. Second half of the 19th century. The Chelaberd motif (commonly known as Eagle) appears three times in full scale in this piece. The last motif is interrupted by the border to give an effect of infinity. An ivory stellar main border frames the field. 331 x 152 cm. 31 TALISH MET-HANE DESIGN RUG, SOUTHEAST CAUCASUS. Mid 19th century. Empty field Talish rugs are among the most sought after Caucasian types. Green fields are infrequent. Typical of Talish is the wide middle border consisting of rosettes separated by a composition of TALISH, SOUTHEAST CAUCASUS. four stars. The blue-green Met-Hane field Mid 19th century. is quite rare. A beautiful Talish rug with a well In this piece, an exquisite yellow proportioned main border on ivory Midakhil border nicely outlines the field. ground, and a red field with scattered 270 x 115 cm. motifs. 242 x 111 cm. 33 CHONSOREZK, SOUTHERN CAUCASUS. End of the 19th century. “Cloud-band” Kazaks were made in the vicinity of the town of Chonsorezk. Two massive medallions dominate the otherwise empty red field of this vibrant rug. Each of them has at its centre a swastika, a motif which reached the Middle East along SHIKLI KAZAK, SOUTHWEST CAUCASUS. the spice routes from distant India. The “cloud-band” originated from China and End of the 19th century. found its way to Persia and the Caucasus on the Silk Road through Central Asia.