SOUTH CAUCASUS, CIRCA 1890

The accomplished drawing and colouration of this rug marks it as a fine example of the classic Chelaberd design, derived from the Karabagh dragon carpets of the seventeenth century. The ubiquitous green, blue and white medallions set upon a red field within a floral-crab border are all features that our rug shares with the vast majority of this group. What is more unusual about the present lot is the three ‘sunburst’ medallions represented in their entirety. A particularly fine example showcasing this arrangement was published by Ian Bennett and Aziz Bassoul (Tapis du Caucase Rugs of the Caucasus, Beirut, 2003, pl.29, p.111).