Cart
0
Product
Products
(empty)
No products
Free shipping!
Shipping
0 €
Total
Product successfully added to your shopping cart
Quantity
Total
There are 0 items in your cart. There is 1 item in your cart.
Total products
(tax incl.)
Total shipping (tax incl.)
Free shipping!
Total
(tax incl.)
Masterpieces III There are 40 Lots.
-
Startpreis / Startingbid
2 000 €Lot: 1
Ersari Torba125 x 43 cm (4' 1" x 1' 5")
Turkmenistan, mid 19th century or before
Condition: good, mostly good pile, left side slightly incomplete, minor small repairs
Warp: wool, weft: wool, pile: wool
The bags and trappings made by members of the Ersari tribe represent an interesting and understudied phenomenon. While the shallow tent bags made by all other Turkmen tribes depict a conservative tradition with clearly defined design compositions, the bags made by an Ersari weaver represent arguably the most innovative and varied output of all Turkmen weaving, and this torba is a corollary of that.
The design is unique and uses elements found in other weavings of the group within a new compositional framework. The rosettes in the panels have a sense of rotation due to the use of different colours, and the variation in the background colours of all the panels provides real depth to the overall design.
Estimate: € 4000 - 60002 000 € -
Startpreis / Startingbid
2 000 €Lot: 2
Early Eagle Group I Tent Band Fragment91 x 83 cm (3' x 2' 9")
Turkmenistan, 18th century or before
Condition: fragments sewn together, mounted on frame
Warp: wool, weft: silk, pile: wool with small silk highlights
The assembled fragments appear to come from a tent band formerly attributed to the Saryk but now believed to belong to the Eagle gül group. Nearly a dozen bands of this type are known, and they are thought to have been produced in workshops in and around Astarabad, with some examples dated as early as the mid 16th century.
Although the three ply pile often associated with this group does not appear consistently across all examples, the presence of silk in the pile suggests that this piece - and others like it - belongs to Group 1.
The distinctive hooked motifs and flowering buds show striking similarities to the complete bands illustrated as plates 110 and 111 in Jürg Rageth's "Turkmen Carpets: A New Perspective". These tent bands served as decorative (rather than structural) elements on wedding yurts, with the hooked motifs displayed through the lattice wall openings.
Interestingly, in some pieces the decoration extends beyond the white ground and continues over the ground borders - an unusual aesthetic choice for Turkmen weavings.
Estimate: € 4000 - 60002 000 € -
Startpreis / Startingbid
5 000 €Lot: 3
Early Salor Chuval126 x 66 cm (4' 2" x 2' 2")
Turkmenistan, early 19th century
Condition: according to age, incomplete all around, low pile in places, corroded purple silk, some missing parts backed with fabric, scattered small repairs
Published: "Gewebt und geknüpft V, die Pracht der Saloren", Georg Butterweck, 2013, plate 30
Warp: wool, weft: wool, pile: wool and silk
This fragment is very similar to plate 12 in Rageth's book "Turkmen Carpets: A New Perspective", which is dated to the 17th or 18th century. Both examples have the secondary 'sagdag' gül of boxed flowers, with cochineal silk used to fill the four empty rectangles in its centre and parts of the stars.
The contrast between the magenta silk, the light and dark blue, and the white wool provides a wonderful compositional contrast within the main Salor güls.
These iconic güls, the only ones to be explicitly described as Salor, are rarely better expressed than in this fragment, notably in the range of colours used but also the small white buds placed on the vertical and horizontal hooks on the outside of the güls, and the space afforded to the hooked cross element within the ground of each gül.
It is worth noting that the dye research carried out on plate 12 by Rageth showed that the subtle variations in the red were achieved by using madder and insect dye lac in different combinations and densities, characteristics that help to emphasise the skill and resources invested in these prestigious weavings.
Estimate: € 8000 - 120005 000 € -
Startpreis / Startingbid
5 000 €Lot: 4
Fine unusual Tekke Main Carpet with...287 x 195 cm (9' 5" x 6' 5")
Turkmenistan, second half 19th century
Condition: good, good pile, scattered small professional restorations, slight signs of use on the sides and ends
Warp: wool, weft: wool, pile: wool
Estimate: € 10000 - 150005 000 € -
Startpreis / Startingbid
2 000 €Lot: 5
Ning Xia Sitting Rug with Tiger-Skin Design74 x 74 cm (2' 5" x 2' 5")
China, second half 19th century
Condition: very good, good pile, dark brown partially corroded, slight signs of use on sides and ends
Warp: cotton, weft: cotton, pile: wool
This outstanding sitting rug symbolizes strength and power. The abstract tiger skin, which was reserved for high-ranking individuals, is depicted with a central spine and surrounded by a dragon border.
The pairs of dragons seem to chase the flame pearls between the cloud depictions. They are depicted in a naturalistic, almost playful manner and counterbalance the field in the most exquisite way. In the field, the tiger stripes can be seen either arranged horizontally, or if you let your eye jump around, they appear V-shaped, dynamically arranged.
This effect underlines the quality of the rug. An elegant dark blue pearl border, accompanied by two fine, different light blue stripes, encloses the field. Genuine old Chinese carpets with tiger depictions are extremely rare, and the tantric representation of the tiger skin also suggests that this throne seat was made for a Tibetan prince or high lama.
Eberhart Herrmann wrote about a Tibetan example in "Rare Oriental Carpets VI", no. 90: "The tiger skin was intended to express the lama's spiritual ability to control the untamed emotions within a person" (Kuløy 1982, p. 26).
A photograph of a lama sitting on a Tibetan example can be found in Hali 181, p. 66.
A tiger throne rug comparable to our piece, but with a Yün-Tsu-Tai border, can be found in Hali 201, p. 139.
Estimate: € 4000 - 60002 000 € -
Startpreis / Startingbid
4 000 €Lot: 6
Tibet Tiger Rug171 x 102 cm (5' 7" x 3' 4")
Tibet, ca. 1900
Condition: good, mostly good pile, scattered small repairs, stained
Published: "The Tiger Rugs of Tibet", Mimi Lipton, 1988, plate 59
Warp: cotton, weft: cotton, pile: wool
This wonderful tiger rug is pictured as No. 59 in Mimi Lipton's groundbreaking publication "The Tiger Rugs of Tibet".
The depiction of a tiger on a tiger skin can only be described as unique. However, there are no one-of-a-kind pieces in the world of carpets, no matter how rare the example may be. In the same book, we find a virtually identical rug, which probably comes from the same loom. The naturalistic drawing of the striding tiger is due to Chinese influence.
There are a number of pieces in which a tiger or a pair of tigers roam through bamboo. Mimi Lipton refers to this and interprets the lines in front of the tiger's head as such plants. However, one clearly has the impression that the big cat has scratched something, and the open mouth also suggests an attack.
However, the "splashes" on the three lines are blue and not blood red. Wide-open eyes, protruding tongue, and bushy eyebrows in a "pepper and salt" color scheme reinforce the impression of aggression.
At the other end of the tiger, the tail swings elegantly around two shortened tiger stripes. This is a unique motif that can perhaps be explained by a legend or other narrative. A narrow T-meander border is still preserved on the left side.
This is an expressive piece with an almost unique design in the already rare group of tiger rugs.
Estimate: € 8000 - 120004 000 € -
Startpreis / Startingbid
4 000 €Lot: 7
Tibet Tiger Rug169 x 97 cm (5' 7" x 3' 2")
Tibet, ca. 1900
Condition: good, pile low in places, minor small repairs, slightly stained, edged and backed with fabric
Warp: cotton, weft: cotton, pile: wool
A cheerful rug with an unusual design. Naturalistic depictions of tigers in Tibetan carpets are influenced by Indian and Chinese styles. The tigers circle a "Shou" symbol, which stands for long life.
The way in which the tigers do this is reminiscent of classic Chinese carpets from the so-called "Lion Dogs" group, which circle a ball, a "Yin-Yang" symbol, or the flame pearl. A group of lucky bats circles the "Shou" symbol in unusual colors, which are also reflected in the tendrils on the sides and in the corners.
This design is very unusual for Tibetan rugs, but one example has been published in the Rutherford Collection. It can be seen in "Woven Jewels, Tibetan Rugs from the Rutherford Collection", No. 99, and in Eiland, "Oriental Rugs from Pacific Collections", 1990, No. 255. The only difference is in the central motif: In the Rutherford rug, instead of the "Shou" symbol, there is a circling rainbow, symbolizing creation. Everything else is the same, only the ground color appears to be more beige.
Since the similarities are repeated in the smallest details, such as the curvature of the tails, it can be assumed that both were made in the same workshop.
Estimate: € 8000 - 120004 000 € -
Startpreis / Startingbid
7 000 €Lot: 8
Ushak Saph Fragment164 x 210 cm (5' 5" x 6' 11")
Turkey, ca. 1700
Condition: fragment, sewn onto fabric
Provenance: Roland Weise Collection
Warp: wool, weft: wool, pile: wool
Estimate: € 10000 - 150007 000 € -
Startpreis / Startingbid
4 000 €Lot: 9
Ning Xia Pillar Rug525 x 105 cm (17' 3" x 3' 5")
China, ca. 1900
Condition: excellent
Warp: cotton, weft: cotton, pile: wool
Estimate: € 6000 - 80004 000 € -
Startpreis / Startingbid
2 000 €Lot: 10
Early Chinese Silk Textile Fragment43.5 x 18 cm (1' 5" x 7")
China, 16th century
Condition: fragment, mounted on frame
Warp: silk, weft: silk
In this precious silk fragment, steppe horses gallop across the primordial ocean. Rising from it is the sacred Mount Meru, which represents the center of the physical, metaphysical, and spiritual universes. The crests of the waves and the horses' wings, drawn like fire, convey the power and dynamism of the scene.
The winged horse Pegasus originates from ancient Greek mythology; it was born from the blood of Medusa. This symbolism may have been transferred to Alexander the Great's campaign in Persia. In the Sassanid Empire (224 - 642), the winged horse was depicted on both silver plates and silk textiles. Winged animals were considered in Central Asia to be the carriers of the souls of the dead to heaven and are often found on Sogdian silks.
When the depiction of the winged horse reached China, it was interpreted as the "horse of the West," referring to the horses that China imported from Central Asia. The motif was also referred to as the "heavenly horse," as in the present textile. Both names are associated with the speed and endurance of this tough breed.
The winged horse also appears in Chinese textiles on the so-called rank badges, the square insignia of Chinese officials and military personnel. The ninth rank of the military shows a winged horse and is extremely rare. To this day, the wind horse is the national symbol of Mongolia.
Estimate: € 3000 - 40002 000 € -
Startpreis / Startingbid
5 000 €Lot: 11
Ning Xia Dragon Carpet210 x 140 cm (6' 11" x 4' 7")
China, 19th century
Condition: good, full pile, both left corners restored, scattered small repairs
Warp: cotton, weft: cotton, pile: wool
An archaically depicted dragon rushes excitedly through the clouds to chase the Buddhist flame pearl.
This type of depiction is mostly found on Chinese column carpets. However, these are designed in such a way that the complete dragon can only be seen when the carpet is wrapped around a column and the right and left sides are brought together. The complete depiction of a dragon is much rarer.
Such pieces were also used to decorate Buddhist temples. Other carpets with different representations, but with similar or identical upper and lower borders, were hung next to the dragon. At the upper end, we see shapes that are often found in Tibetan monasteries in a wide variety of textile techniques.
The dragon flies over the primordial ocean, from which Mount Meru rises in the middle, representing the center of the physical, metaphysical, and spiritual universes. Buddhist symbols seem to emerge from the waves: we recognize corals, the wheel of the law, the pagoda, and the sounding stones. The same depiction can also be found on the lower hems of dragon robes.
The clouds are also particularly varied in their design, some woven in a swastika shape, others in a mushroom shape.
A similar carpet is illustrated in Hali 194, page 75.
Estimate: € 8000 - 120005 000 € -
Startpreis / Startingbid
12 000 €Lot: 12
Early Ning Xia362 x 178 cm (11' 11" x 5' 10")
China, late 17th century
Condition: good for its age, pile low in places, some old repairs, selvages rebound
Warp: cotton, weft: cotton, pile: wool
The understated elegance of classic Chinese carpets is unmatched in the world of rug-weaving. In this example, the ground is covered with a swastika latticework pattern. Eight large lotus blossoms, drawn in almost identical fashion, appear to float above the field. Their varying sizes enhance the impression of depth.
The swastika braid pattern is arranged vertically in most pieces of this type, whereas the diagonal arrangement has a more dynamic effect and also reinforces the impression of an infinite repeat. See also the chapter on swastika braid carpets in Franses / König, "Glanz der Himmelssöhne. Kaiserliche Teppiche aus China", Cologne 2005.
A lotus vine border, but without flowers, surrounds the field. As floral vines, however, they can also be found as field patterns in classic Chinese carpets. On page 113 of Hali 170, there is a picture of a carpet that was shown in Moshe Tabibnia's gallery.
It has two borders, one of which shows flower tendrils on a blue background, while the other - without flowers - corresponds to our piece in terms of color.
Chinese carpets, especially those of this age, are always perfectly designed and executed. There are no awkward corner solutions or asymmetrical field motifs. In addition, the axes are often marked in the border by a reversal of the design. This can also be seen in the upper and lower borders of this carpet.
Estimate: € 18000 - 2400012 000 € -
Startpreis / Startingbid
4 000 €Lot: 13
Fragment of an early antique wall hanging45 x 25 cm (1' 6" x 10")
Middle East, 5th-6th century
Condition: Fragment, composed of several pieces, sewn onto fabric
Wool on linen fabric
In addition to the thousands of flat-woven Coptic fragments, textiles made using the pile-forming nub technique are very rare. This is partly due to the more complex weaving technique and partly to the fact that clothing was far more commonly found in desert tombs than furnishing textiles. Among these, it is wall hangings in particular that feature pile. These hangings often depict figures, biblical characters, and other mythological personifications.
A large example in the Benaki Museum in Athens shows a man and a woman with their hands raised in prayer under an arch resting on columns. In the British Museum in London, there is a figure, probably a man, who raises only one hand
(James Trilling, "The Roman Heritage", p. 94). In the Louvre, there is a captivating depiction of Jonah rising from the whale with both hands raised (Égypte, la trame de l'histoire, Paris 2002, fig. 2). In the Rietberg Museum, we also find two faces, numbers 88 and 89, in the catalog "Textiles from Egypt", Zurich 1976.
What all these faces have in common is that the eyes are depicted with slightly lowered eyelids. Only the whites of the eyes are visible to the right and left of the pupils. An exception with wide-open eyes was shown in "Favorite Fabrics from the Katoen Natie Textile Collection", illustration 1. In Austria, too, a face was published in nubby technique, prominently featured on the cover of a catalog. The director of the TKF, Peter Bichler, writes in "Antike koptische Textilien in österreichischem Besitz" ("Ancient Coptic Textiles in Austrian Ownership") that the way the faces are depicted departs from the classical Greek style and develops its own Coptic style.
Estimate: € 6000 - 80004 000 € -
Startpreis / Startingbid
4 000 €Lot: 14
Chios Silk Textile with metal threads227 x 124 cm (7' 5" x 4' 1")
Ottoman Empire / Island of Chios, ca. 1700
Condition: two panels sewn together, condition good for its age, some abrasions, scattered small repairs, signs of use
Silk and metal threads on silk
Silk hangings from Chios often feature architectural motifs, such as Ottoman kiosks with domes crowned by crescent moons.
Our precious silk depicts an interior with an arch supported by columns. We recognize this motif from a handful of early Ottoman niche carpets and from the classic Transylvanian column carpets. A lamp bearing the seal of Solomon hangs from a chain in the gable.
We can see European influences in the tendrils covering the field. The bouquets in the vases, on the other hand, are in the Ottoman tulip and carnation style. The flowers swaying in the wind with their heads bowed in the upper and lower panels originate from the Mughal Indian tradition. Wonderfully naturalistic flower branches on a gold background can be found in the arch.
Chios was under Genoese rule until 1566, but had been producing velvet and silk for the Ottoman Empire long before that. The island maintained representative offices in Constantinople and had its own han in Bursa as a trading post.
Such textiles can be seen in the National Museum in Krakow; some of these wonderful silks have also been preserved in the Topkapi Seraglio.
Estimate: € 6000 - 80004 000 € -
Startpreis / Startingbid
3 000 €Lot: 15
Mughal Embroidery Fragment with metal threads147 x 71 cm (4' 10" x 2' 4")
India, 17th century?
Condition: Fragment, some minor abrasions, signs of wear, mounted on frame
Silk and metal threads on cotton
Estimate: € 4000 - 60003 000 € -
Startpreis / Startingbid
4 000 €Lot: 16
Bukhara Nim Suzani166 x 102 cm (5' 5" x 3' 4")
Uzbekistan, mid 19th century
Condition: very good, slight signs of wear on the base fabric
Silk on cotton
Estimate: € 6000 - 80004 000 € -
Startpreis / Startingbid
15 000 €Lot: 17
Bukhara Large-Medallion Suzani253 x 166 cm (8' 4" x 5' 5")
Uzbekistan, early 19th century
Condition: very good for its age, small missing areas in the ground fabric
Published: "The Great Embroideries of Bukhara", Michael Franses, 2000, p. 86, plate I1
"Vok Collection - Suzani", Ignazio Vok, 1994, plate 11
Sotheby's London auction catalog, April 1988, lot 5
Silk on cotton
This wonderful Suzani was shown at Ignazio Vok's first major exhibition at Castello di Lispida in 1994. See Jacob Taube / Ignazio Vok, Susani, 1994, no. 11. One might wonder where the large medallion is now.
At the end of the 1970s, only a handful of these pieces were known to exist. In the following decades, further examples were discovered. Over the years, several subgroups have been identified within the group, some of which feature different medallions or qualify as belonging to the group due to other characteristics.
In the text accompanying the Vok catalog, the authors point out that such large flowers are unusual in Bukhara.
However, the border is designed in exactly the same way as the large medallion pieces. Particularly striking are the "centipede" leaves, which appear to have green feet and a small head.
With very high-quality Suzani pieces, it is always worthwhile to look for small details among the magnificent flowers and elegant tendrils. In this case, the search is particularly rewarding. At first, the few iris flowers catch the eye, but one quickly discovers watering cans, such as the one at the top left, and birds, for example in the bottom left corner of the border. However, the saddled horse in the upper right corner of the field is particularly noteworthy. There is only one other piece with an Indian-influenced diamond grid that belongs to the large medallion Suzani.
This embroidery was first shown at Sotheby's on April 13, 1988. Today, it is considered certain that these Suzanis come from Bukhara or the surrounding area. Both pieces in this small subgroup are illustrated on page 87 of Michael Franses' seminal work "The Great Embroideries of Bukhara", London 2000. A comparable piece can be found in Hali 56, page 21.
A fantastic, extremely rare embroidery of the highest quality.
Estimate: € 30000 - 4000015 000 € -
Startpreis / Startingbid
7 500 €Lot: 18
Kaitag Textile110 x 53 cm (3' 7" x 1' 9")
Caucasus, 18th century
Condition: very good, minor abrasions, minor signs of use
Silk on cotton
Even those unfamiliar with this art form are immediately impressed by the friendly colors and the playful design of the individual motifs in this outstanding embroidery from Dagestan.
The composition is perfectly balanced and testifies to the embroiderer's confidence in the expression of form and color.
The colorfulness of the green fields is particularly captivating.
The blue diamonds appear to be surrounded by orange-red flickering fire, which is separated from the green field by an orange contour line. Small orange tongues of fire seem to flicker around it. A finely curved arc, in which the blue background fabric is visible, encloses the field - but not completely, because the embroiderer allows the red discs to connect directly to the white field on both sides. This is not only aesthetically appealing, but also opens up a broader view. It allows the discs to be perceived not only as overlapping, but also as part of a larger whole.
These embroideries are deeply rooted in the most important events in the lives of the people who live there. Birth, marriage, and ultimately death are associated with these textiles. The cradle is covered with a kaitag, as is the face of the deceased. According to Michael Franses, only 500 to 600 examples are thought to have survived, scattered today in collections and museums around the world. It is the degree of abstraction combined with the excellent coloration that makes these small works of art so immediately appealing.
Estimate: € 15000 - 200007 500 € -
Startpreis / Startingbid
3 000 €Lot: 19
Early Demirci Kula150 x 120 cm (4' 11" x 3' 11")
Turkey, ca. 1800
Condition: good, pile low in places, lower end slightly restored, upper blue outer border restored, several old repairs
Warp: wool, weft: wool, pile: wool
Kula rugs come in two color variations: one cheerful, like this one, and the other depressing, with only shades of blue, red, and black. The latter were marketed as "Kömürcü" Kula, Turkish for "coal merchant". In terms of pattern, most of the carpets in both color groups are based on the so-called Transylvanian carpets, whereas the pattern of our piece is rare.
It is interesting to note that the popularity of this subgroup is inversely proportional to the number of rugs that have survived. Every connoisseur of Turkish carpets is familiar with the design, but it is rather rare to find.
This may be due to the fact that, in addition to the color scheme, the large floral motifs at both ends of the field are so unusual for Turkish rugs of the period. This group could be called "Yastik"-Kula, as the inner field design clearly goes back to the pattern of 17th-century silk velvet cushions. See "Çatma ve Kemha, Sadberk-Hanım-Müzesi," Istanbul 2007, plates 35 - 38.
This also explains the fork-shaped lines surrounding the rhombus. There are tulip depictions as on plate 39 in the spandrels and even more naturalistic depicted than on plate 40. A Rippon Boswell catalog, A 102, lot 250, depicts a "Demirçi" Kula, which, in addition to the Yastik design, also depicts the tips of the latter at the lower and upper ends. In issue 73, page 132, Hali wrote about an almost identical piece that it was perhaps the best and probably the oldest they had ever seen.Estimate: € 6000 - 9000
3 000 € -
Startpreis / Startingbid
4 000 €Lot: 20
Early Megri170 x 106 cm (5' 7" x 3' 6")
Turkey, early 19th century
Condition: good for its age, good pile, corroded brown, minor small repairs
Warp: wool, weft: wool, pile: wool
The rugs known by the old name of the coastal town of Fethiye-Megri often feature two elongated cartouches, one blue and the other red. However, there are also pieces with only one or three such double niches. These usually feature flower shapes on one side and a kind of tree of life on the other.
It is interesting to note that in our example, the tree shape has been abandoned in order to achieve a colorful field division. In wonderfully bright colors, the "feathered" triangular shapes are attached only with fine lines at the central axis. The well-known English dealer Richard Pardon advertised a piece in Hali 48, page 46, that is somewhat similar to our example. There, however, the triangular shapes are connected by a rod and resemble a tree representation more closely.
Peter Willborg exhibited a piece at the fourth Hali Fair in 2001 (Hali 116, page 44) that also shows a field divided into two parts. A possible earlier phase in the development of the pattern can be deduced from a carpet shown by Thornborough Galleries in Hali 6/2, page 34. One need only imagine drawing a line through the middle and squaring the flowers to create the triangular shapes on a tree branch.
Estimate: € 6000 - 80004 000 €