Lot Essay
The Konya rug offered here shows a clear, yet archaic, rendering of a "four lobed" 17th century Oushak medllion carpet (see Dimand, M.S. and Mailey, Jean, Oriental Rugs in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1973, fig. 165, cat. no. 75 for a comprable). Related Turkish village interpretations of "four lobed" medallions are in the McMullan collection (see McMullan, Joseph V., Islamic Carpets, New York, 1965, pl.69) and also one published by Eberhart Hermann (see Herrmann, Eberhart, Asiatische Teppiche und Textilkunst, vol. 3, Munich, 1991, pl. 7). Another example in the possession of The Textile Gallery (see HALI, issue 34, pg. 69) is also of the same group. These have a closer affinty to one another and the Mikaeloff piece stands out as an inventive and highly stylized manifestation of a "four lobed" medallion design.