WEST ANATOLIA, FIRST HALF 17TH CENTURY

The central medallion found here is one of the rarer forms seen in Transylvanian rugs. It combines the hexagonal medallion as used in the following lot which derives from Small Medallion Ushak carpets of the 16th century, with the leaves surrounding it which originally stem from 16th century Cairene rugs, as seen in lot 87. Other examples of similar medallions can be found in the Bruckenthal Museum, Sibiu (Kertesz-Badrus, Andrei: Trkische Teppiche in Siebenbrgen, Bucharest, 1985, no.74; Végh, Gyula and Layer, Károly: Turkish Rugs in Transylvania, Fishguard, 1977, no.14, and Csányi, Károly et al.: Erdélyi Török Szónyegek, (in Hungarian), exhibition catalogue, Budapest, 1914, no.168). A further example is in the McMullan Collection (McMullan, Joseph V.: Islamic Carpets, New York, 1965, no.88, p.276-7).