CENTRAL ANATOLIA, LATE 18TH CENTURY

Named after the medallion type rug that first appeared in a painting by the Renaissance artist Carlo Crivelli, the use of the ‘Crivelli’ star in pile carpets dates back to the second half of the 15th century, as seen in the famous Anatolian fragment in the Budapest Museum of Applied Arts, and the ‘Anatolian design’ Spanish carpet in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London; (HALI 6, vol.1, p.49, figs 4, 5). The design’s basic geometry is founded upon Islamic conventions, while the nomadic tradition provides the additional ‘abstract animal style’ hook motifs. The same double-headed horse motif and small eight-pointed stars that appear within each of the star's lobes on the present rug appear on a richly coloured but fragmentary Anatolian rug of 'Crivelli' star design, dating to the 15th or 16th century in the iconic 'Orient Stars' Collection, (H. Kirchheim et al., Orient Stars, A Carpet Collection, London 1993, pp.294-5, fig.188. The 'Crivelli' star continues to appear in Anatolian rugs through the 19th century and also appears frequently in Caucasian soumac carpets.