PROBABLY KARABAGH DISTRICT, CIRCA 1800

Details

A SOUTH CAUCASIAN RUG
Probably Karabagh district, circa 1800
The golden yellow field with palmettes and bold stylised tulip heads issuing angular flowering and leafy vine around a central light blue medallion containing a rosette centrepiece, in a reciprocal skittle-pattern border between plain stripes, areas of repiling and small reweaves, slight loss at each end
6ft.2in. x 3ft.11in. (188cm. x 119cm.)

Literature

Burns, James D.: The Caucasus, Traditions in Weaving, Seattle, 1987, no.14.

Special notice

VAT rate of 5% is payable on hammer price plus buyer's premium.

Lot Essay

This powerful tribal rug, with its bold version of part of the Afshan design, has very few close comparions. There is a similar feel in a number of Kurdish rugs dating from around 1800, most of which have a deliberately asymmetric version of the design and are attributed to the Sauj Balaq area (Kirchheim, E. Heinrich et al.: Orient Stars, Stuttgart and London, 1993, no.28, p.58 for example). A closer version was sold at Sotheby's New York, 10 April 1997, lot 56, with full cartouche border, but still with an asymmetric field. Similar drawing was found on a large kelleh with white ground, which probably dates from slightly earlier (Rippon Boswell, Wiesbaden, 15 May 1993, lot 127 catalogued as "Transcaucasian").

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