SOUTH CAUCASUS, LATE 17TH/EARLY 18TH CENTURY

The present lot is part of the well-documented group of ‘Caucasian’ embroideries which are commonly attributed to Azerbaijan. These textiles are most frequently dated between the 17th and 18th centuries and consistently exhibit harmonious colouring and variety of design. The parallels to early Caucasian carpets are undisputed; the stylised motifs of the ‘Dragon’ carpets is clearly visible in the present lot as are elements from a Karabagh ‘Blossom’ carpet sold in these Rooms, 10 April, 2008, lot 20. It is clear that the influences behind the designs found within the group is both varied and wide, the medallion and cartouche arrangement found in our embroidery is said to have originated in Safavid tile patterns such as those seen in the Friday Mosque, Isfahan (Christine Klose, 'The Transformation of Rug Designs', Hali, Vol.4, No.4, p.351). Woven with a cross-stitch technique our embroidery is imbued with a somewhat tranquil impression on account of its heavily corroded black ground, an example with a similar effect sold in these Rooms, 21 April 2015, lot 10. In comparison, an embroidery with a comparable medallion and patterned border to the present lot, but with a well-saturated black ground, sold in Sotheby’s New York, 31 January 2014, lot 1. The largest group of these embroideries can be found in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, and are discussed in length in Jennifer Weardon’s seminal article 'A Synthesis of Contrasts' (Hali, Issue 59, pp.102-111).