Lot Essay
Star Ushak carpets are related to the Ushak Medallion carpets discussed in the introductory essay at the front of this catalogue. It has been suggested, however, that the earliest Star Ushaks pre-date the Medallion type because their concept of the infinite repeat is more accentuated and in keeping with early Turkish design traditions (Tapis Present de L'Orient A L'Occident, Paris, 1989, p.94). Because of their strong allusion to the infinite repeat, the Star Ushak design can be utilized on carpets of any size and as such, Star Ushak carpets can be found in many varying dimensions. Star Ushak carpets first appear in Western paintings in 1534 in a painting by Paris Bordone and continue to be depicted until the mid-seventeenth century (King, Donald and Sylvester, David: The Eastern Carpet in the Western World, London, 1983, p.70). Their designs were also copied by domestic European weavers as evidenced by a sixteenth century English carpet with Star design in the collection of The Duke of Buccleuch and Queensberry at Boughton House (Ibid, p.71, no.37).
The small square format of the Bernheimer example is unusual and has always been considered by the family as being the original size. A thorough examination of the rug, in particular the restoration patterns on the back, may suggest that this piece has been altered in size. However, a close inspection of the rug's design indicates that the rugs is basically its original size and that the cut seen on the reverse may just be a re-application of a severed border. The half star and diamond lozenge motifs seen at either end of this rug are pushed together in a manner quite unlike the spacious joining of these motifs in the center of the rug. This crowded joining of the end motifs is suitable and successful for the end resolution of the design, but would be unlikely if one of these sections was fragmented from another full repeat of the field design. This crowded joining of the end motifs can also be seen in Star Ushak carpet, with two full star medallion repeats in the field, in the John D. McIlhenny Collection in the Philadelphia Museum of Art (see Ellis, C. G.: Oriental Carpets in the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, 1988, no. 23).
The small square format of the Bernheimer example is unusual and has always been considered by the family as being the original size. A thorough examination of the rug, in particular the restoration patterns on the back, may suggest that this piece has been altered in size. However, a close inspection of the rug's design indicates that the rugs is basically its original size and that the cut seen on the reverse may just be a re-application of a severed border. The half star and diamond lozenge motifs seen at either end of this rug are pushed together in a manner quite unlike the spacious joining of these motifs in the center of the rug. This crowded joining of the end motifs is suitable and successful for the end resolution of the design, but would be unlikely if one of these sections was fragmented from another full repeat of the field design. This crowded joining of the end motifs can also be seen in Star Ushak carpet, with two full star medallion repeats in the field, in the John D. McIlhenny Collection in the Philadelphia Museum of Art (see Ellis, C. G.: Oriental Carpets in the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, 1988, no. 23).