WEST ANATOLIA, 18TH CENTURY

This carpet is related in design to the so-called 'Ghirlandaio' carpets, such as lot 110 of the Bernheimer sale noted above. This design is encountered in many different forms throughout Anatolian weavings. The present rug, while differing in the overall layout of the field, is very similar to a rug that was with Lefevre & Partners in 1979 (see "Rugs on the Market," Hali, Vol. II, no.1, 1979, p.73, fig.7). Both the Bernheimer and the Lefevre rug share the same colouration. They also share many minor but interesting design motifs, the most notable being the red/green reciprocal latch-hook designs to the secondary medallions in the Bernheimer rug and to the shaped field reserve of the Lefevre piece. Both pieces also have similar interlocking cruciform design borders.