EAST CAUCASUS, EARLY 19TH CENTURY

An rug of almost identical design dated AH 1230/1815 AD was sold at Sotheby's New York, 5 December 1987, Lot 90, and a prayer version was sold at Sotheby's New York, 11 December 1981, Lot 136. For a further similar example please see Eberhart Hermann, Asiatische Teppich und Textilkunst, Vol.3, Munich, 1991, no.24, p.56. The design in the rug illustrated is somewhat cramped in relation to the one offered here. Another example is illustrated in black and white (Eberhart Hermann, Von Lotto bis Tekke, Seltene Orienteppiche aus vier Jahrhunderten, Vol.1, Munich, 1978, No.33 (attributed to Daghestan). The design appears to have been inspired by 18th century Caucasian weaving, especially the field which displays a relationship to shield carpets (Robert Pinner and Michael Franses, 'Caucasian Shield Carpets' Hali Vol.1, No.1, Spring 1978, pp. 4-22). The lot offered here represents post-classical Caucasian village weaving at a highly sophisticated level with balance and harmony in both design and palette.