Lot Essay
Warp: wool, tan, natural, some barberpoles, Z2 or Z3S
Weft: wool, tan, natural, Z2, 2 shoots alternating, 1 straight and 1 wavy; extra thick wefts irregularly every 2-3 inches
Pile: wool, Z2, symmetric knots pulled right, average 80 degrees alternate warp depression, H8xV8-10
Sides: not original
Ends: both not original
Colors: brick, old ivory, brown, black, pale yellow, pale aqua, dark blue, pale green, dark red, deep blue-green, forest green, tan
This carpet belongs to a group of rugs, formerly called 'Kouba' and now generally attributed to Karabagh, produced in the Caucasus while it was under Persian rule. This design with the central "blossom" medallion with flanking arms is what later developed into the popular 19th Century Chelaberd rugs, which like this example almost always have a red field.
In his catalogue of the 1975 Textile Musuem Exhibition, Ellis (Charles Grant: Early Caucasian Rugs, Washington, DC, 1975) publishes three related pieces (nos. 15-17). Each of these has a central column of radiating palmettes and panels flanked by lanceolate leaves. The first two carpets illustrated show the design as a repeat which could extend indefinitely. In what would appear to be a developement of this, the present carpet, as with Ellis no. 17, has taken a section of this and expanded it into a static centralized design.
Weft: wool, tan, natural, Z2, 2 shoots alternating, 1 straight and 1 wavy; extra thick wefts irregularly every 2-3 inches
Pile: wool, Z2, symmetric knots pulled right, average 80 degrees alternate warp depression, H8xV8-10
Sides: not original
Ends: both not original
Colors: brick, old ivory, brown, black, pale yellow, pale aqua, dark blue, pale green, dark red, deep blue-green, forest green, tan
This carpet belongs to a group of rugs, formerly called 'Kouba' and now generally attributed to Karabagh, produced in the Caucasus while it was under Persian rule. This design with the central "blossom" medallion with flanking arms is what later developed into the popular 19th Century Chelaberd rugs, which like this example almost always have a red field.
In his catalogue of the 1975 Textile Musuem Exhibition, Ellis (Charles Grant: Early Caucasian Rugs, Washington, DC, 1975) publishes three related pieces (nos. 15-17). Each of these has a central column of radiating palmettes and panels flanked by lanceolate leaves. The first two carpets illustrated show the design as a repeat which could extend indefinitely. In what would appear to be a developement of this, the present carpet, as with Ellis no. 17, has taken a section of this and expanded it into a static centralized design.