Lot Essay
The long rug of multiple niches is normally thought to be a multiple prayer rug, but as a letter to HALI pointed out, there are at least two examples known where the niches face each other, indicating this might not be the correct use. The present example, with its eleven niches, is longer than most although Murray Eiland illustrates one belonging to Meschulam with twelve (Eiland, Murray L. jnr., 'East Turkestan Rugs Revisited', in HALI 85, March/April 1996, pp.102-3). The present rug has an unusually large range of colours used for the fields of the niches. Two further examples were sold in these Rooms from The Bernheimer Family Collection of Carpets, 14 February 1996, lots 182 and 184.