SHIRVAN REGION, EAST CAUCASUS, CIRCA 1880

The present lot is one of a group of narrow, blue ground Akstafa prayer rugs displaying a serrated lattice filled with geometric hooked motifs and polychrome quadruple double hooked bars within the border. Nearly all known examples have a squat, flat prayer arch - those with an ivory field have greater variation - beneath which is woven the motif of a comb. This small geometric figure may appear modest at first glance, but upon closer inspection, it reveals a deep cultural and symbolic meaning, often connected to purity, femininity, and protection. A rug with a comparable number of colours and very similar in design to the present rug formerly in the Zaleski Collection, sold Rippon Boswell, 30 November 2019, lot 94.