KAZAK REGION, SOUTH CAUCASUS, CIRCA 1880

This Sewan Kazak rug from the south-west Caucasus represents another well-defined group named after Lake Sevan in the Central Transcaucasus. Among the boldest of Caucasian designs, the drawing of the central medallion, which extends along the entire length of the field, appears to fall into three different design shapes that include larger wings and arrowheads, square or squared-octagonal ends, into which the present lot falls, or straight sides with an arrowhead finish. The shape of this medallion is highly reminiscent of the much earlier Anatolian Bellini 'Keyhole' design, a 16th century example of which was in the collection of H. Kirchheim, Orient Stars, A Carpet Collection, Stuttgart and London, pp.234-5, pl.159. For a fuller discussion on the design development of this group see, "The Development of Four Kazak Designs", Raoul Tschebull, HALI, Vol 1, No.3, p.257-259. A comparable Sewan rug is illustrated by Herrmann, (E. Herrmann, Seltene Orientteppiche, VI, Munich, 1984, pp.82-3, pl.26).