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Lot Essay
The harshang design is one which was extremely popular in North West Persia and the Caucasus in the eighteenth century. A number of different variants were produced in various centres, as discussed with reference to four examples in Paris by Pamela Bensoussan ("Four Harshang pattern Carpets in the Musée des Arts Décoratifs", Hali vol.3, no.3, 1981, pp.288-290). The present example with its red wefts typical of Kurdish weavers relates to one formerly in the de Calatchi Collection (de Calatchi, Robert: Oriental Carpets, Switzerland, 1967, pl.1). A carpet with very similar colours and drawing, but of a more floral design, is in the Jim Dixon Collection (Eiland, Murray L. Jr.: "Oriental Rugs in Occidental", Hali 109, March/April 2000, pl.6, p.102).
For two very different eighteenth century harshang design carpets from the North West Persia/Caucasian borderlands please see lot 13 and, in the Aita Collection sale immediately preceding this, lot 211).
For two very different eighteenth century harshang design carpets from the North West Persia/Caucasian borderlands please see lot 13 and, in the Aita Collection sale immediately preceding this, lot 211).