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Masterpieces II There are 51 Lots.
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Startpreis / Startingbid
4 000 €Lot: 1
Azeri Embroidery121 x 64 cm (4' x 2' 1")
Azerbaijan, 18th century
Condition: good according to age, some small abrasions, partially corroded dark brown, sides and ends partially incomplete
Silk on cotton
This highly interesting embroidery is one of only four known examples of its kind worldwide. It differs fundamentally from other Azerbaijani embroideries both in technique and in design. While most embroideries from this region are executed in 'couching stitch' or 'cross stitch', our piece was worked in 'darning stitch'.
Another distinguishing feature is the style of drawing: it is clearly inspired by Anatolian models, whereas the other known examples show influences from Safavid Persia and from dragon carpets. In the central field appears a classic Memling-gül motif, familiar from Italian paintings since the 15th century - here, however, rendered in a softer, slightly more folkloric manner. The accompanying band is a simplified version of a cartouche border, as known, for instance, from the so-called Transylvanian carpets.
The secondary border of all pieces in this group is a reciprocal crenellated border; an outer border was apparently never intended, as comparison with the other examples suggests. On January 31, 2014, Sotheby's New York sold one example with angularly drawn hooks and a darker color palette (Lot 8) for $18,750. The catalog author noted that scarcely any other embroidery so clearly demonstrates that these Azerbaijani works were the prototypes for Caucasian carpets of the 19th century. Our piece, with its wonderful palette and soft drawing, undoubtedly belongs to the very finest of this small and rare group.
Estimate: € 8000 - 120004 000 € -
Startpreis / Startingbid
3 000 €Lot: 2
Kaitag Textile87 x 61 cm (2' 10" x 2')
Caucasus, 18th century
Condition: very good, minor small repairs and abrasions
Silk on cotton
The first Kaitag to be published in the West appeared in Hali 2/2, p. 37, in an advertisement by Lisbeth Holmes. It was an embroidery with equestrian motifs, attributed to northwest Persia and dated to the 17th century. In the following issue (2/3, p. 48), another example was illustrated and described as Uzbek. It was not until the early 1990s, particularly through Robert Chenciner's book 'Kaitag, Textile Art from Daghestan', that collectors' passion for these works was truly ignited.
In the years that followed, nearly all pieces available on the open market disappeared into private collections, so that today it has become rare for examples to surface. In Chenciner's book, four related pieces are published under numbers 95 to 98. All display six circular forms surrounded by secondary motifs. Our example, however, additionally features circles and X-shapes arranged around the center. A number of Kaitags constitute unique works of art in their own right, imaginatively incorporating inspirations from Ottoman art - for instance, from yastiks. Thus, in Hülya Bilgi, 'Çatma ve Bilki', Sadberk Hanim Museum, 2007, pls. 34-37, we encounter velvet yastiks with a sun motif at the center. The red rays of the sun taper as they radiate outward. If, however, we adjust our view to the negative form, we suddenly see the white arrowheads of the Kaitag pointing toward the center. The yastik illustrated on pl. 34 is further encircled by tulips alternating with golden circles, each bearing a red dot at its center - a motif that explains the outer frame of the Kaitag. Turning to Mackie's 'Symbols of Power', Cleveland 2015, p. 300, we find a silk velvet with an allover pattern corresponding to that of the yastik. Here, saz leaves and blossoms appear in the interstices, which again connect with the Kaitag motifs. Though the two textiles appear utterly different at first glance, each is of extraordinary beauty in its own way, and they share far more than one might initially assume.
Estimate: € 6000 - 80003 000 € -
Startpreis / Startingbid
8 000 €Lot: 3
Ottoman Bokche119 x 101 cm (3' 11" x 3' 4")
Turkey, 17th century
Condition: good according to age, some fabric-lined areas in the foundation, minor small repairs
Silk on cotton
Square textiles, known as 'Bokche', were used in the Orient for covering and wrapping Qur'ans, gifts, turbans, and the like.
In Ottoman Turkey, they are usually silk embroideries on a white ground. If a circle or another form of central motif appears in the middle of these square textiles, it indicates a turban cover.
The distinguished Ottoman gentleman kept at home a 'Kavukluk' (turban stand), on which he placed his turban and covered it with such an embroidery. Pieces, however, that lack a central motif - such as ours - were used as wrapping cloths for gifts or as cloths to carry towels on the way to the hammam. In 'Flowers of Silk and Gold' by Sumru Belger Krody (Textile Museum Washington, 2000), page 73 shows a contemporary illustration of two women, one of whom carries such a bundle under her arm. On page 75 is a miniature, apparently depicting a turban wrapped in embroidery being carried beside the Sultan. In the catalogue of the exhibition 'Splendor of Colour and Silk' (Jerusalem, 2011), page 39 features a miniature showing such embroideries hanging on a washing line.
Our piece displays in beautiful fashion the typical Ottoman saz leaves, enclosing a tulip or possibly a pomegranate motif.
This design is known from velvet fabrics but is also used on the large-scale embroideries of this group, which served as bed covers. This remarkable embroidery was published by Elio Cittone in 'Tesori Ottomani del XVI e XVII Secolo' (1984, p. 46) - though there published upside down.
Estimate: € 16000 - 220008 000 € -
Startpreis / Startingbid
3 000 €Lot: 4
Early Central Asian Rug227 x 104 cm (7' 5" x 3' 5")
Central Asia, mid 19th century or before
Condition: used, low pile, sides and ends partially incomplete and backed with fabric, scattered small repairs
Warp: camel wool, weft: camel wool, pile: wool
A mysterious, striking, and likely unique piece of nomadic weaving. It first appeared in Hali 77, p. 157. Alan Marcuson wrote of it: "The Ersari - if indeed it is one - has an extraordinary design. At first glance, one might take it for an Anatolian kilim..." This was part of his review of Eberhart Herrmann's final exhibition in Munich.
Shortly thereafter, the exhibition catalogue 'ATT 5', published in boxed format, featured the rug on plate 96. Herrmann persuasively compared the layout with a Konya carpet in 'ATT 2', no. 6. That example, in turn, has been linked to Ottoman court kilims - bringing us once again into the realm of flatweaves.Apart from the possibly comparable arrangement of motifs, however, the outer border and the internal drawing of the lower serrated medallion point unmistakably to the Ersari sphere. The white ground, which is always perceived as something special in Central Asian rugs, invites the perception that the broad dark brown-red bands lie upon it. Yet when one focuses on the two centers, hooked hexagons suddenly emerge.
The bands curiously recall the "RKO" carpets of East Turkestan and Gansu. Some have suggested a Kyrgyz connection for this unique piece. In overall structure it most closely resembles the 'Eshik Tish', the tent-door rugs of the Kyrgyz. However, our rug is almost too long and bears an upper finishing border absent from those. What they do share - like our piece - is the reciprocal "ram's horn" border.
The serrated medallions, by contrast, do not occur in that tradition; they belong rather to the Turkmen domain. One might also think of the still little-studied group of Khiva carpets. This enigmatic, challenging, and at the same time impressive rug, with its subtle play of colors, will doubtless continue to occupy its new owner for a long time to come.
Estimate: € 6000 - 80003 000 € -
Startpreis / Startingbid
4 000 €Lot: 5
Early Chodor Ensi148 x 118 cm (4' 10" x 3' 10")
Turkmenistan, first half 19th century
Condition: good according to age, mostly good pile, several small repairs
Published: HALI 197, p. 134
Warp: wool, weft: wool, pile: wool
Chodor Ensis are rare - even rarer, however, are those examples that break away from the usual quadrature of the field, where, in addition to a horizontal bar, two mihrabs typically appear. The Ashiks, usually confined within the quadrants, are here freely placed, covering the entire ground in an endless repeat. The color arrangement follows a clear order; only in the lowest row does it seem the weaver was still undecided as to how she wished to proceed.
In our example, the footed Ashik motif is set upside down, giving the composition a carefree, almost playful undertone. The color quality is unique and comparable only to a fragment illustrated in Loges' important article in Hali 26, p. 33, where he describes it as one of the oldest known Turkmen pieces. That fragment was sold by Nagel in 2012 and, nine years later, successfully by us on September 25, 2021.
The deep aubergine ground, echoed in the animals of the elem, sets collectors' hearts racing. An intense turquoise-green-blue is counterpointed by a delicate apricot. Particularly remarkable is the drawing of the elem: a row of fantastical, double-headed quadrupeds crowns the whole. Here too, the weaver has taken charming liberties that subtly undermine the otherwise striking clarity of the piece - thereby completing it as a true work of art.
In the upper end, mighty ram's horns appear to guard the entrance to the yurt.
Estimate: € 8000 - 120004 000 € -
Startpreis / Startingbid
3 000 €Lot: 6
Small Early Cloud Band Beshir200 x 123 cm (6' 7" x 4')
Turkmenistan, first half 19th century or before
Condition: good according to age, low pile, scattered small old repairs
Warp: wool, weft: wool, pile: wool
This classic small Central Asian carpet presents in concentrated form all the hallmarks of a fine Beshir: deep, varied shades of blue, a powerful main motif set against a midnight-blue ground, enlivened with a wealth of different filler motifs, and framed by an unmistakably Turkmen border.
The evocative term "cloudband" for the principal motif has become established and facilitates communication about such pieces. Other interpretations - ranging from snakes and dragons to purely floral motifs - have been proposed. A striking feature of these pieces is a single motif set on the diagonal, oriented from one side to the other. This is rare in Oriental rugs, but here it links those Beshirs to the Goradis weavings of Karabagh. In fact, when the Beshir is viewed upside down, the relationship becomes evident - despite the entirely different palette.
The Goradis motif has alternately been described as a scorpion, a dragon, or a boteh. The Persian-European character of these pieces also suggests a connection to French textiles. A compartment border, possibly derived from Salor or Saryk traditions, anchors the rug once again within the Turkmen sphere. Beyond all these aspects, this is a delightful small rug which, for all its greatness, is of a refreshingly manageable size by Beshir standards.
Estimate: € 6000 - 80003 000 € -
Startpreis / Startingbid
8 000 €Lot: 7
Early Eagle Group II Main Carpet292 x 182 cm (9' 7" x 6')
Turkmenistan, ca. 1800 or before
Condition: according to age, low pile, both ends incomplete, some small repairs, signs of use
Warp: wool, weft: wool and cotton, pile: wool
When one thinks of the Tsarist double-headed eagle, it is hardly surprising that the very first Turkmen collector - General Andrei A. Bogoljubow - named the güls of these rare carpets "eagle güls" when he published the first example as early as 1908. In their groundbreaking publication 'Studien zur Teppichkultur der Turkmenen', Annette and Volker Rautenstengel together with Siawosch Azadi analyzed the structural characteristics of these weavings and subsequently divided the few main carpets into three groups.
In addition to important technical differences - asymmetrical open left in Group I and open right in Group II - the most striking external distinguishing feature is the number of rows of eagle güls.
It is remarkable how distinctly different the pieces of the first group with three rows appear in comparison to the four-rowed carpets of the second group. The former occupy a special position - not only because their "feathered" form stands out so clearly from the abstraction of other gül motifs, but also because they are numerically in the minority. This can appear elegant, as in the piece in the Ashmolean Museum (fig. 2), or overwhelming, as in fig. 4 of the aforementioned work. In the four-rowed carpets, on the other hand, all güls appear more or less equal, since they occupy approximately the same space in the field and thereby suggest an all-over repeat.
Almost all of the roughly 20 known examples carry a vine-scroll border. In our piece, however, the blossom is replaced by a star form - an extremely rare detail that directly connects it to fig. 13 in the Rautenstengel/Azadi publication, which is strikingly similar to our example apart from the internal drawing of the eagle gül.
Estimate: € 16000 - 220008 000 € -
Startpreis / Startingbid
4 000 €Lot: 8
Moghan216 x 150 cm (7' 1" x 4' 11")
Caucasus, ca. 1870
Condition: good, mostly good pile, corroded dark brown, scattered small repairs, one repair in the lower middle
Warp: wool, weft: wool, pile: wool
Estimate: € 8000 - 120004 000 € -
Startpreis / Startingbid
3 000 €Lot: 9
Mudjur Prayer Rug165 x 133 cm (5' 5" x 4' 4")
Turkey, mid 19th century
Condition: very good, scattered low pile, corroded dark brown, minor small repairs
Warp: wool, weft: wool, pile: wool
Estimate: € 6000 - 90003 000 € -
Startpreis / Startingbid
5 000 €Lot: 10
Two Karakecili Divan Rugs260 x 235 cm (8' 6" x 7' 9")
Turkey, mid 19th century
Condition: very good according to age, scattered low pile, scattered small repairs
Warp: wool, weft: wool, pile: wool
In the living room of Anatolian houses, there are often two divans facing each other, pushed up against the wall and covered with rugs and cushions. There exist continuous divan rugs, in which one section covers the seat and the other the wall, or - as in our case - two-part works, where other textiles adorn the wall. The best-known counterpart to our carpet is in the Textile Museum, Washington (R 34.12.5). With almost identical drawing - the only difference being seven instead of eight rows of octagons - the colors of the museum piece appear much darker, suggesting an attribution to eastern Anatolia.
In Ahmet Ertu?'s magnificent publication 'Anatolian Carpets' (1999), two fragments of this type from the Türk ve Islam Museum (inv. nos. 291 and 144) are illustrated on pls. 28 and 29. Walter Denny, in the accompanying text, describes the technical challenge of these patterns. While hexagons present no difficulty in kilims, they occur rarely in Anatolian pile rugs, for the technical reason that diagonal lines are difficult to execute in knotted weaving. Normally, the knots stand neatly above one another, so that a diagonal appears stepped unless the weave is extremely fine.
The weavers therefore resorted to so-called 'offset knotting': the knot is placed slightly shifted, no longer exactly above or below the adjacent knots. The rare use of the hexagon can be traced from the famous white-ground Seljuk carpet with red hexagon in the Türk ve Islam Museum, through the equally celebrated Memling-gül carpet in the Museum of Applied Arts, Budapest, to the present group. The coloration of certain warp threads in our carpet may indicate that it was woven in one piece, with the two sections worked one above the other (cf. also 'Lefevre, Turkish Carpets' 1977, no. 1).
Estimate: € 10000 - 150005 000 € -
Startpreis / Startingbid
2 000 €Lot: 11
Melas151 x 110 cm (4' 11" x 3' 7")
Turkey, mid 19th century
Condition: very good, good pile, minor small repairs
Warp: wool, weft: wool, pile: wool
An exemplary specimen of this popular group of rugs from southwestern Anatolia. The strong presence of yellow and the warm red, contrasted only by a rich aubergine, have always attracted collectors. Blue and green, as seen in our example, were traditionally used only sparingly. The large field motifs, sprouting from a tree, most often appear with a tilted tip, frequently interpreted as boteh, but equally plausible as cypresses.
The weaver chose to render the characteristic waved-vine border once in the classical aubergine-and-red combination, and on the opposite side in a warm yellow-and-red arrangement. Aubergine also appears in the upper border, while yellow flows into the lower one. In this way, the carpet acquires a diagonal orientation, further emphasized by the positioning of the white "saplings" within the field.
By introducing hooked lozenges in the lower border and a complex star motif in the upper border, the weaver also imparts to the piece an almost vagireh-like (sample carpet) character. A true classic, with depth, brilliant colors, and in excellent condition - an enrichment for any collection that values Turkish rugs.
Estimate: € 4000 - 60002 000 € -
Startpreis / Startingbid
10 000 €Lot: 12
Early Cal Yatak206 x 194 cm (6' 9" x 6' 4")
Turkey, first half 18th century
Condition: good according to age, low pile, both original kilim ends partially incomplete, some professional repairs, corroded dark brown
Warp: wool, weft: wool, pile: wool
Nomadic village rugs from western Anatolia in square format are known as Yatak - literally "bedstead", something to sleep on. This piece clearly stands out from other sleeping rugs through its careful planning and execution. The border, which in Yataks is often very simple or reduced to a single-colored stripe (cf. Bernadout 1983, no. 44), is here unusually complex. The corner solutions are almost flawless; only in the upper left corner is there a charming makeshift adjustment.
The field is dominated by Memling güls, underlaid with color - in contrast to less engaging examples with a plain white ground (cf. Herrmann, ATT 4, no. 30). The colored octagons appear in groups of four, while the centrally placed green-ground octagon forms a harmonious correspondence with the border in the same color. Secondary star-octagons divide the rug into rows; their irregular coloration enlivens the overall composition.
In addition, the field gains an almost third dimension through carefully placed hook motifs. An S-guard border, which in some examples even appears as the main border (cf. Hali 205, p. 122), encloses the field. Particularly noteworthy is the wonderful green of this border, which, together with the other harmonious colors, creates a simple yet striking elegance. This example is undoubtedly among the finest of its kind - one could truly rest well upon it.
Estimate: € 20000 - 3000010 000 € -
Startpreis / Startingbid
2 000 €Lot: 13
Ning Xia Pillar Rug280 x 103 cm (9' 2" x 3' 5")
China, first half 19th century
Condition: used, low pile in places, scattered small holes, scattered small repairs, sides and ends partially damaged, signs of use
Warp: cotton, weft: cotton, pile: wool
Estimate: € 4000 - 60002 000 € -
Startpreis / Startingbid
2 000 €Lot: 14
Ning Xia157 x 94 cm (5' 2" x 3' 1")
China, 19th century
Condition: good, mostly good pile, partially corroded brown, scattered small repairs, slight signs of use at sides and ends
Published: "Seltene Orientteppiche VII", Eberhart Herrmann, 1985, plate 92
Warp: cotton, weft: cotton, pile: wool
Estimate: € 4000 - 60002 000 € -
Startpreis / Startingbid
3 000 €Lot: 15
Ning Xia213 x 132 cm (7' x 4' 4")
China, late 19th century
Condition: very good, full pile, slight signs of use at the ends
Warp: cotton, weft: cotton, pile: wool
Estimate: € 6000 - 90003 000 € -
Startpreis / Startingbid
4 000 €Lot: 16
Unusual Chila302 x 163 cm (9' 11" x 5' 4")
Caucasus, second half 19th century
Condition: good, mostly good pile, scattered small repairs, upper end minimally incomplete
Warp: wool, weft: cotton, pile: wool
Estimate: € 8000 - 120004 000 € -
Startpreis / Startingbid
8 000 €Lot: 17
Khotan Saph311 x 107 cm (10' 2" x 3' 6")
East Turkestan, early 19th century
Condition: good, mostly good pile, some small repairs, right side restored (ca. 35 cm)
Warp: cotton, weft: wool, pile: wool
This Saph prayer rug is unique in many respects. Most other examples display a variety of motifs in the niches, such as single flowers, shrubs, or purely geometric patterns. However, when - as in Lorentz's 'Chinese Carpets' Nos. 11 and 12 - all the niches are uniformly designed, the spandrels above them are at least executed with some variation.
In our piece, the differences are limited to small pattern variations and the coloration of the mihrabs. Precisely because of this - and due to the large proportion of yellow - the rug appears friendly, open, indeed almost inviting. Contributing to this impression is the particularly generously drawn outer border. Its form, derived from the reciprocal crenellated border, harmonizes beautifully with the field.
The fact that a Khotan saph has such a wide border is rather rare. Looking at the beginning of the rug on the left side, one notices that the weaver was apparently not entirely certain how to arrange the border: the first "trefoils" point exclusively outward - as is almost always the case in rugs. Only after the second mihrab does she, quite unusually, alternate them inward- and outward-facing. She also experimented with the framing of the niches: initially she used the so-called "rice grain" motif but then switched to a very rare square pattern.
An example of this hourglass-shaped design can be found in a rug illustrated in Hali 92, p. 59. There the "rice grain" motif is placed in the outer border. Completely enigmatic, however, remains the double heart in the spandrels. It appears to be unique within the design canon of East Turkestan rugs and must have held a special meaning for the weaver - it immediately catches the viewer's eye.
Estimate: € 16000 - 220008 000 € -
Startpreis / Startingbid
6 000 €Lot: 18
Gansu334 x 149 cm (10' 11" x 4' 11")
East Turkestan, early 19th century
Condition: good according to age, low pile in places, scattered small repairs
Warp: cotton, weft: cotton, pile: wool
This East Turkestan carpet bears a dotted pattern on a midnight-blue ground. This motif is called 'po-lu', which also appears on reserve-dyed textiles in other Tibetan regions. It can already be seen in the wall paintings of the monasteries of Alchi in Ladakh, dating to around 1200. The motif is found not only on East Turkestan pieces, but also in China. This is also indicated by the medallion in the center: it shows two circling dragons surrounded by bats. In the corners we find latticework of the kind familiar from Chinese carpets of the classical period.
Hans König has written extensively about the reciprocal crenellated border in Hali 174 (pp. 43 ff.), and also mentioned the special form in which it is not reciprocal. This occasionally appears in Khotan (Tabibnia, 'Intrecci Cinesi', Milan 2011), but also in Yarkand, as in the Doris Duke carpet (Christie's New York, June 3, 2008, lot 32). However, the majority of pieces with crenellations pointing only in one direction come from Gansu (König in Hali 138, pp. 52 ff.).
A pure cotton foundation with two wefts confirms the assumption that our carpet originates from the other, eastern end of the Taklamakan Desert. König also points out that the crenellations almost always point outward, in a protective manner, and in his article he illustrates only a small, unusual carpet in which they are directed inward. By chance, in our auction we have not just one but two carpets with outward-pointing crenellations.
Simple yellow, red, and blue guard stripes combine with the meander border to form, so to speak, the masonry on which the crenellations rest. In König's Gansu article, several carpets with 'po-lu' design are illustrated, and a fragment from the Marshall and Marilyn Wolff collection on page 56 seems to evoke a comparable impression to that of our extraordinary example.
Estimate: € 12000 - 180006 000 € -
Startpreis / Startingbid
5 000 €Lot: 19
Kazak257 x 134 cm (8' 5" x 4' 5")
Caucasus, ca. 1880
Condition: excellent
Warp: wool, weft: wool, pile: wool
Estimate: € 10000 - 150005 000 € -
Startpreis / Startingbid
7 500 €Lot: 20
Karachoph Kazak220 x 161 cm (7' 3" x 5' 3")
Caucasus, ca. 1880
Condition: very good, full pile, partially corroded dark brown, minor small repairs
Warp: wool, weft: wool, pile: wool
Estimate: € 15000 - 200007 500 €