ORIGINALLY CARPETS WITH THIS DESIGN WERE THOUGHT TO HAVE COME FROM USHAK, HOWEVER SELENDI IS NOW THE PREFERRED PLACE OF ORIGIN AMONGST THE SCHOLARS, BASED ON THE PUBLICATION OF A REFERENCE IN 1983 TO A TURKISH INVENTORY OF 1640, IN WHICH THE ONLY RUG THAT HAD A WHITE GROUND WAS ATTRIBUTED TO THERE (INALICK, HALIL: 'THE YURUKS', IN PINNER, R. AND D, W.(ED.): ORIENTAL CARPET AND TEXTILE STUDIES, II CARPETS OF THE MEDITERRANEAN COUNTRIES 1400-1600, LONDON, 1986, PP.58). THE DESIGN IS DESCRIBED IN THE INVENTORY AS 'CROW DESIGN' AND REFERS TO ANOTHER RUG AS 'SELENDI STYLE WITH LEOPARD DESIGN', PRESUMABLY REFERING TO CINTIMANI DESIGN.
THE ANGULARITY WITHIN THE DESIGN OF 'BIRD' RUGS MOST LIKELY DERIVES FROM ELEGANT ARABESQUE AND FLORAL MOTIFS IN TILES. IT HAS BEEN SUGGESTED THAT 'BIRD' RUGS ARE A POPULAR INTERPRETATION OF COURT COMISSIONED TILE AND CERAMIC DESIGN (SURIANO, CARLO MARIA: 'PATTERNS OF PATRONAGE, CLASSICAL CARPETS IN THE BARGELLO MUSEUM, FLORENCE', HALI 83, OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 1995, PP.84-86) AND WITH THEIR DIFFERENT VARIATIONS THERE IS A PROBABILITY OF MORE THAN ONE PLACE OF MANUFACTURE IN THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY.
A CONSIDERABLE NUMBER OF TURKISH CARPETS OF THE 17TH AND 18TH CENTURIES WERE BROUGHT TO HUNGARY BY FOREIGN MERCHANTS. ARCHIVAL MATERIAL DATES VISITS FROM FOREIGN TRADERS THAT DETAILS THE CARPETS AND PRICES (BATARI, F.:OTTOMAN TURKISH CARPETS, BUDAPEST, 1994, PP.30). SOME OF THESE ARE SO PREVALENT THERE THAT IT IS PROBABLE THAT THEY WERE SPECIFICALLY WOVEN FOR EXPORT. 'BIRD' USHAK RUGS OF THE TYPE OFFERED HERE ARE AMONG THESE. SIMILAR EXAMPLES TO THE LOT OFFERED ARE HOUSED IN THE MUSEUM OF APPLIED ARTS IN BUDAPEST (BATARI, F.: OP.CIT., PLS.25-28). ALTHOUGH THE CLOUDBAND AND ROSETTE BORDER IS NOT UNCOMMON WITH THIS GROUP THE LOT OFFERED HERE HAS A MOST UNUSUAL TWO TONED CLOUD BAND IN ONE CORNER PERHAPS TO ENSURE THE CONTINUATION OF COLOUR.