CENTRAL ANATOLIA, EARLY 18TH CENTURY

Details

A KARAPINAR COUPLED COLUMN PRAYER RUG
Central Anatolia, early 18th century
The shaded brick-red field with two pairs of columns flanked and divided by pendant inverted polychrome floral sprays supporting an angular triple shaded medium blue arch containing angular motifs and stylised serrated leaves, a broad cross-panel above with three arched panels issuing polychrome tulips divided by stylised floral sprays, in a shaded sea-blue border of alternating red and blue cusped linked cartouches containing floral sprays between plain polychrome stripes, corroded black, localised slight wear, occasional old repairs, generally good condition
5ft.5in. x 3ft.6in. (165cm. x 107cm.)

Provenance

Anon sale, Lefevre & Partners, The Persian Carpet Galleries, London, 21st May 1976, lot 50 (catalogued as "Ladik").

Special notice

No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 17.5% will be added to the buyer's premium which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis.

Lot Essay

This is a most unusual rug which appears to be a village interpretation of one version of the "Transylvanian" coupled column prayer rug. Lot 213 in this sale is a late double-ended example of the original type; better earlier examples are in the Wher Collection (Bailey, Julia: "Ladik Prayer Rugs", Hali 28, October/December 1985, pp.18-25 esp.pl.6, attributed to Ushak) and in the G.H.Myers Collection (Hali, 33, January/March 1987, p.9). A number of later versions of the present rug are also known, usually attributed to Karapinar (Batári, Ferenc: 500 Years in the Arts of Ottoman Turkish Carpet Weaving, Budapest, 1986, no.81; Beattie, May H.: "Some Motifs in Anatolian Rugs, Ancestors and Descendants", Hali vol.2, no.2, Summer 1979, pp.101-105, esp.pl.3, p.103). They share with the present rug the colouring, the inverted floral forms within the arches and a number of other motifs. Among these village versions however the present rug stands out a long way; it is the only one which captures the elegance and serenity of the original.

More from THE AITA COLLECTION: EXCEPTIONAL CARPETS

View All