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Lot Essay
THE DESIGN OF THE STAR KAZAK IS ONE OF THE OLDEST AMONG THE CAUCASIAN 19TH CENTURY DESIGNS. ITS ROOTS CLEARLY GO BACK INTO THE 18TH CENTURY; A RUG SOLD IN THESE ROOMS FOR EXAMPLE HAD A VERY SIMILAR DESIGN BUT ON A YELLOW GROUND AND WITH A STRUCTURE MORE AKIN TO THE 18TH CENTURY KARABAGH RUGS (17 OCTOBER 1996, LOT 402). IT AND ANOTHER RELATED RUG EXHIBITED IN JERUSALEM (HASSON, RACHEL: CAUCASIAN RUGS, EXHIBITION CATALOGUE, L A MAYER MEMORIAL MUSEUM, JERUSALEM, 1986, NO.38, PP.96-7) HAVE PRECISELY THE SAME ARRANGEMENT OF MOTIFS AS THOSE SEEN HERE, BUT EACH ELEMENT IS OF A MORE FLORAL DESIGN SUCH THAT ONE CAN SEE HOW THE PATTERN CAME ABOUT. IT IS PRECISELY THIS ARCHAIC FEEL AND STRENGTH THAT MAKES STAR KAZAK RUGS SO APPEALING.
IN 1980 ROBERT PINNER AND MICHAEL FRANSES DIVIDED THE THEN KNOWN STAR KAZAKS INTO FOUR GROUPS LABELLING THEM A, B, C, AND D ("STAR-KAZAKS", HALI VOL.3, NO.1, PP.17-26). THE PROBLEM WITH ESTABLISHING A TYPOLOGY FOR ANY SERIES OF INDIVIDUAL WORKS OF ART IS THAT ONE WILL INEVITABLY THEN EITHER ADMIT TO HAVING PIECES WHICH DO NOT FIT NEATLY INTO THE GROUPS, OR CRAM THEM INTO ONE OF THE GROUPS WHEN THERE ARE MANY FEATURES WHICH BELONG IN ANOTHER. WHILE GROUP A STANDS OUT FAIRLY DISTINCTLY FROM THE OTHERS, THE OTHER THREE, AND PARTICULARLY GROUPS B AND C, HAVE A NUMBER OF VERY SIMILAR FEATURES. THE PRESENT RUG IS AN EXAMPLE, HAVING THE ANIMALS NORMALLY ONLY ASSOCIATED WITH TYPE A, THE NARROW BORDER OF TYPE B BUT OF A DESIGN NORMALLY FOUND IN TYPE C MINOR BORDERS. THAT THIS IS THE ORIGINAL EXTENT OF THE BORDER CAN EASILY BE SEEN SINCE THE WEFTS RUN AROUND THE OUTERMOST CORD AND THEN RETURN ALONG ANOTHER ROW.
IN 1980 ROBERT PINNER AND MICHAEL FRANSES DIVIDED THE THEN KNOWN STAR KAZAKS INTO FOUR GROUPS LABELLING THEM A, B, C, AND D ("STAR-KAZAKS", HALI VOL.3, NO.1, PP.17-26). THE PROBLEM WITH ESTABLISHING A TYPOLOGY FOR ANY SERIES OF INDIVIDUAL WORKS OF ART IS THAT ONE WILL INEVITABLY THEN EITHER ADMIT TO HAVING PIECES WHICH DO NOT FIT NEATLY INTO THE GROUPS, OR CRAM THEM INTO ONE OF THE GROUPS WHEN THERE ARE MANY FEATURES WHICH BELONG IN ANOTHER. WHILE GROUP A STANDS OUT FAIRLY DISTINCTLY FROM THE OTHERS, THE OTHER THREE, AND PARTICULARLY GROUPS B AND C, HAVE A NUMBER OF VERY SIMILAR FEATURES. THE PRESENT RUG IS AN EXAMPLE, HAVING THE ANIMALS NORMALLY ONLY ASSOCIATED WITH TYPE A, THE NARROW BORDER OF TYPE B BUT OF A DESIGN NORMALLY FOUND IN TYPE C MINOR BORDERS. THAT THIS IS THE ORIGINAL EXTENT OF THE BORDER CAN EASILY BE SEEN SINCE THE WEFTS RUN AROUND THE OUTERMOST CORD AND THEN RETURN ALONG ANOTHER ROW.