Lot Essay
This carpet is one of a small but well-defined group which was extensively discussed in the first issue of HALI (Pinner, R. and Franses, M.: 'Caucasian Sheild Carpets', HALI vol.1, no.1, spring 1978, pp.4-22). The present rug is typical of the group of which most examples have either four or three columns of shield motifs. Within the examples with three columns a number share with the present rug a colouring which focusses the eye on the central motif. A very similar rug is in Old Deerfield, Massachussets (Pinner, R. and Franses, M.: op. cit., pl.17, p.13) while another was sold at Sotheby's, London, 16 October, 1985, lot 646. Both these rugs have not only exactly the same arrangements of motifs, but also identical major and minor borders.