EAST TURKESTAN, MID 19TH CENTURY

This pair of throne covers combines some of the most instantly-recognisable features of the rugs woven in East Turkestan in the 18th and 19th centuries. This includes a central lotus medallion, a complicated network of branches blooming into pomegranates, a fretwork design based around the swastika, and stylised 'cloudhead' motifs in the lower corners (see Hans Bidder, Carpets from East Turkestan, Tübingen, 1979, Chapter 3 for a discussion of each of these elements). Another pair of purple-ground throne covers, woven together to form a single carpet, was sold in these Rooms, 6 October 2015, lot 92