Details
A WEST ANATOLIAN RUG
PROBABLY BERGAMA, 18TH CENTURY

The brick-red field with an all-over lattice of indigo and cream latched palmettes and saffron-yellow stylized arabesque strap-work flanked by polychrome flowerheads and octagons, in an abrashed medium indigo to blue-green floral meander vine border between saffron-yellow floral guard stripes, (large vertical reweave through center, partially rewoven outer side borders, other rewoven areas scattered throughout, other minor repairs, partially oxidized browns, minor partial ends with lower end rewoven)
Approximately 7ft. x 5ft. 6in. (213cm. x 168cm.)
Warp: white wool, Z2S, not depressed, undulating
Weft: two to five shoots, red wool, Z1, yellow in a stripe 15cm. across, the shoots in irregular order, undulating
Pile: wool, Z2 and Z3, knots symmetrical inclined to the left and right, and not inclined.
Provenance
Acquired 9 August 1938 as a "Bergamo"
Literature
Grote-Hasenbalg, Werner: Der Orientteppich, Siene Geschichte und Seine Kulter, Vol. 1, p.88, fig. 49
Bernheimer, Otto: Alte Teppiche des 16.-18. Jahrhunderts der Firma L. Bernheimer, Munich, 1959, pl.22
Pinner, Robert and Franses, Michael: "Caucasian Sheild Carpets," Hali, Vol. 1, no.1, 1978, p.17, no. 71
Exhibition Reveiw, Hali, Vol. 5, no.4, 1983, p.513, fig. 1
Exhibited
Ausstellung Orient-Teppiche, Museum fr Kunst und Gewerbe, Hamburg, 1950, no.30, p.39

Lot Essay

The exact design of this rug, crudely drawn jagged palmettes enclosed by a stylized leaf trellis, appears to be unusual within the known group of eighteenth century Anatolian rugs. The concept of palmettes enclosed within a trellis is not unknown in other Turkish carpets, but is usually seen in cottage workshop rugs with a slightly more sophisticated execution. For example, a similar concept in design can be seen in a West Anatolian rug in the Textile Museum, Washington, DC, but the design in this rug is more reminiscent of the arabesque 'Lotto' carpets than it is similar to the offered Bernhiemer piece (see Mackie, Louise: The Splendor of Turkish Weaving, Washington, 1973, p.86, fig. 44). A West/West Central Anatolian rug with a leaf lattice enclosing palmettes and other floral motifs is illustrated in Hali, Vol. 6, no. 2, 1984, p.162, fig. 15, but here again the scheme of the design is quite different. In the Hali example the overall effect of the design creates a tile design suggesting overlapping circles.

The closest design comparison or inspiration for the design of the present rug appears to come from Ottoman textiles of both Court and domestic production. Mackie illustrates both a Court workshop produced kaftan panel with a split-leaf rumi ogival lattice enclosing ovoid medallions and a domestically produced silk embroidery with palmettes flanked by serrated leaves within a fruiting vinery lattice (see Mackie: op. cit., pp.50 & 63, figs. 8 & 21). The design of both of these textiles is seemingly much more similar in concept and visual effect to the Bernheimer rug than any published rug examples. As it is generally believed that the domestic silk embroideries, such as the cited example, take their design inspiration from the Court textiles, it may be reasonable to assume that the design of this rug is also a rural interpretation of similar textile designs.

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