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Masterpieces IV There are 45 Lots.
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Startpreis / Startingbid
10 000 €Lot: 21
Early Exceptional Kazak161 x 112 cm (5' 3" x 3' 8")
Caucasus, ca. 1800 or before
Condition: according to age, low pile, sides and ends incomplete, several professional restorations
Published: "Weise Collection - Ambassadors from the Orient", Roland Weise, 2019, page 31
Warp: wool, weft: wool, pile: wool
A particularly beautiful and archaic-looking Kazak with an unusual field design. The lower octagon is known from a small, exclusive group of carpets; however, these are without exception prayer rugs. All the pieces in this small group - probably only six in total - are dated, with dates ranging between 1780 and 1830. Although they can generally be placed in the Caucasus, they do not fit clearly into any specific category, especially because of their structure, with cotton warps and silk wefts. Even the attribution to the Caucasus has already been questioned; see John Thompson, "Carpets from the Tents, Cottages and Workshops of Asia", page 42, where such a piece is illustrated.
As early as 1989, Detlef Maltzahn pointed to an Anatolian connection when publishing lot 115 in catalogue 30. One may certainly think of Holbein carpets. In comparison with our piece, it is striking that the weaver omitted the four leaves between the blue lozenges and adopted only the blossoms in the corners. In the upper medallion, she has selected a smaller motif from the gable of the prayer rugs and and given it greater prominence.
Around this, she has incorporated the rare white secondary borders in a harmoniously colored yellow. The bold S-border forms a wonderful contrast to the delicate secondary stripes. The diverse small motifs in the field feature, in addition to four animals in the upper half, combs at the very bottom right and left - tools the weaver used to beat down the weft threads, which also serve as amulets.
It is probably the only known Kazak with this design and such magnificent colours, and it was presumably made around the same time as the dated pieces.
Estimate: € 16000 - 2200010 000 € -
Startpreis / Startingbid
10 000 €Lot: 22
Fine Early Caucasian Prayer Rug125 x 94 cm (4' 1" x 3' 1")
Caucasus, dated 1206 (1791)
Condition: good for its age, low pile, several professional restorations
Published: "Weise Collection - Ambassadors from the Orient", Roland Weise, 2019, page 30
Warp: wool, weft: wool, pile: wool
In his 2019 book "Ambassadors from the Orient", on page 30, collector Roland Weise compared this wonderful little rug with the other piece discussed here and its relatives. At first glance, this seems a bit bold, but it becomes understandable when we compare an intermediate example illustrated as number 24 in Ralph Kafel's "Caucasian Prayer Rugs".
First, there are the triangular shapes around the consistently white medallion, but especially the cartouche below it, which can be seen in exactly the same way in the small group of rugs with silk and cotton foundation. In this context, Kaffel points to a piece published as number 14 in "Through the Collector's Eye," the catalog for the first ACOR in 1991. It features the same main and secondary borders, the medallion, the green squares above it, as well as comparable secondary motifs in and above the spandrel, and even the triangular cubes protruding into the field.
The medallion, however, is rather crude, and the weaver quickly gave up on trying to render it correctly. Like the entire group, this piece is also dated between 1785 and 1827.
If we interpret the medallion in the rugs with silk and cotton foundation as being inspired by Holbein carpets, it is also striking that both the ACOR piece and the Weise carpet feature the Kotchanak border, as seen in Holbein examples from the 15th and 16th centuries.
Estimate: € 16000 - 2200010 000 € -
Startpreis / Startingbid
3 000 €Lot: 23
Unusual Shirvan150 x 107 cm (4' 11" x 3' 6")
Caucasus, mid 19th century
Condition: used, low pile in places, both ends incomplete, several old repairs and reweavings, selvedges rebound
Published: "Teppiche aus dem Kaukasus", Ulrich Schürmann, 1965, p. 198
Warp: wool, weft: cotton, pile: wool
This small, elegant rug was already illustrated in 1965 in Ulrich Schürmann's Caucasus "Bible". On page 198 of "Teppiche aus dem Kaukasus", Schürmann, the doyen of the carpet trade in Germany at the time, describes the piece as North Shirvan or Kuba and dates it to the late 18th century. A little more than half a century later, and with the corresponding increase in knowledge, one can speak with greater certainty of Shirvan and date the rug to the 19th century.
One thing that has not changed is its uniqueness. There is no directly comparable example. The diamonds in wonderful colors on a deep blue ground are unparalleled, even though the borders are familiar. The wineglass/leaf border, today more commonly referred to as a calyx border, is framed by densely drawn secondary borders, which Schürmann described as a "barber-pole" pattern. The hook-adorned triangles projecting into the field were probably inspired by botehs; such designs can be seen on Sarab and Hamadan carpets, where they also project from the side. One might be tempted to associate the piece with a Shirvan depicted on page 197 of Gans-Ruedin's "Caucasian Carpets," but the resemblance is only remote.
However, we come closer to the mark on page 15 of Maria Cohen's "Shirvan," Umberto Allemandi & C., 1995. The carpet appears less elegant, but in a shimmering way that is not unattractive. Instead of dots in the quarters, the diamonds feature additional diamonds and display the same dotted border. Instead of the midnight-blue ground, the diamonds are shown on a beige-brown ground.
Schürmann concluded his description of the rug with the words: "The rug captivates through the variety and beauty of the colors used, which, in unusually muted tones, give the small piece its distinctive character."
Estimate: € 4000 - 60003 000 € -
Startpreis / Startingbid
6 000 €Lot: 24
Early Transcaucasian Carpet Fragment72 x 63 cm (2' 4" x 2' 1")
Caucasus, 17th century
Condition: fragment, sewn on fabric
Published: "Weise Collection - Ambassadors from the Orient", Roland Weise, 2019, page 26
Warp: wool, weft: wool, pile: wool
The group of so-called "Golden Triangle" carpets is one of the most fascinating of all, as it includes so many unusual pieces. This is due, on the one hand, to the influence of regions as diverse as Persia, the Caucasus, and Eastern Anatolia, and on the other hand, to the unique artistic style of ethnic groups that have not yet been precisely identified.
In this fragment, wonderful colors combine with a complex field design to form a small work of art. The octagonal and star border is borrowed from the Safavid style but displays a color palette and design all its own. The field, on the other hand, draws on Azerbaijani embroidery. The patterns of some of these embroideries, in turn, trace back to tile patterns in Persian art.
See also "Stars of the Caucasus," pages 179, 187, and 191: The embroideries depicted there also feature octagons with stars arranged in a tile-like pattern, connected by cartouches. In contrast to the aforementioned silk embroideries, our carpet is rendered in entirely different, early Caucasian colors and is significantly more abstract than the embroideries.
Many of these fragments were discovered in Tibet in the 1980s and 1990s, and the present piece was once reused there as half of a saddle cover.
Estimate: € 10000 - 150006 000 € -
Startpreis / Startingbid
7 000 €Lot: 25
Early Transcaucasian Carpet Fragment189 x 135 cm (6' 2" x 4' 5")
Caucasus, ca. 1800 or before
Condition: fragment, mostly good pile, scattered small repairs, upper border comes from a different carpet, lower border restored
Published: "Weise Collection - Ambassadors from the Orient", Roland Weise, 2019, page 33
Warp: wool, weft: wool, pile: wool
Alberto Levi wrote a seminal article for HALI 214 in which he described his passion for carpets from the Golden Triangle - Turkey, Persia, and the Caucasus. This piece is also published on page 111 of the essay titled "The Golden Triangle Syndrome." Next to it, under number 25, is a carpet with a similar pattern.
He writes: "While most TGT pieces apparently follow an early Caucasian development, there are some that appear in both Caucasian and Anatolian versions, thus illustrating the essence of the Golden Triangle."
The pattern can be traced back to Persia. However, it is incredibly fascinating that there is a similar artistic interpretation from two different regions. Characteristic of these two pieces - as well as of another example from the Berlin Museum, illustrated as number 24 - are crosswise palmettes, mainly yellow in our carpet, each containing a triangular shape.
In our last Masterpieces Auction III, we had, as Lot 28, a fragment showing this palmette in a more naturalistic design as well as the ascending palmette within a system. A carpet illustrated in McMullan, "Islamic Carpets", number 27, shows a fully preserved example with a naturalistic depiction. See also our Auction XXXIX, Lot 166, also published in HALI 222, page 150, as well as Masterpieces III, Lot 32.
Estimate: € 12000 - 180007 000 € -
Startpreis / Startingbid
6 000 €Lot: 26
Large Lambalo Kazak370 x 185 cm (12' 2" x 6' 1")
Caucasus, late 19th century
Condition: very good, full pile, corroded dark brown, scattered small repairs
Warp: wool, weft: wool, pile: wool
Lambalo-Kazaks are quite rare, so it is a true delight to come across such a colorful and well-preserved piece. Lambalos often feature a red field surrounded by a multi-layered border system. See Azadi/Kerimov/Zollinger, "Azerbaijani-Caucasian Carpets," nos. 162 - 165.
Two of these carpets feature these floral medallions within a large diamond shape that leaves only triangles of the ground open at the top and bottom. Another example can be found in Gans-Ruedin, "Caucasian Carpets," page 107. However, none of these pieces feature the white stars; nor is any of them nearly as beautiful.
In the auction commentary on a carpet that likely originates from the same workshop as ours, HALI made an interesting observation in issue 74 on page 140. There, the field pattern was described as an abstracted Mina Khani design. It was described as a very dramatic specimen, whose impact is further enhanced by the unusual white corners.
This carpet also bore a date, albeit one that was more legible, from the Hijri year 1329, which corresponds to 1911 CE. In the lower section of the deep blue, precisely rendered field, one can see that the weaver initially attempted to connect the flowers with jagged lines, but fortunately decided against it. Further up, she deliberately placed an aubergine-black flower as an eye-catcher. In the green flowers, we discover a wonderful abrash.
Diverse narrow borders are a hallmark of Lambalo Kazaks; however, the floral scroll pattern - usually on a white background and here also on yellow - is a must. A warm, friendly, and rare carpet that evokes the joy of early summer.
Estimate: € 10000 - 150006 000 € -
Startpreis / Startingbid
40 000 €Lot: 27
Early Salor Torba130 x 57 cm (4' 3" x 1' 10")
Turkmenistan, mid 18th century or before
Condition: very good for its age, full pile, minor small repairs, corroded purple silk, slight signs of use
Warp: wool, weft: wool, pile: wool and silk
This unique piece perfectly demonstrates why the Salors are considered the 'elite' among the Turkmen. The skillful design of a mosaic featuring hook-adorned diamonds and Memling-Güls makes this piece especially appealing. It is an elegant composition found only in the very finest Turkmen works.
In addition to the classic Salor primary and secondary borders, the lower edge of these hangings always features an Elem with a Chamtos pattern, which already appears on early Islamic woodwork; see Metropolitan Museum of Art, Inv. No. 1937.103.
Fewer than twelve Salor pieces with Memling-Güls are known, most of which feature only two horizontal rows. Another three-row example from the Munkacsi Collection is published as No. 8 in Jürg Rageth's "Turkmen Carpets". This one, however, has only four vertical rows. In our hanging, three by six rows are depicted in a unique and highly impressive manner, suggesting an endless repeat.
The captivating colors are further accentuated by the generous use of shiny silk, while the delicate border system skillfully contrasts with the field. A unique masterpiece of Turkmen carpet art.
Estimate: € 70000 - 9000040 000 € -
Startpreis / Startingbid
5 000 €Lot: 28
Red-Ground Karadashli Asmalyk119 x 71 cm (3' 11" x 2' 4")
Turkmenistan, first half 19th century
Condition: good, low pile but not worn, lower end incomplete, minor small repairs
Warp: wool, weft: wool, pile: wool
Red-ground Turkmen asmalyks are extremely rare and highly sought after by collectors. Only a few examples have been published. These coverings for the bride's camel were originally made in pairs, but have mostly been separated through trade and use in the West.
In this context, it is particularly interesting to compare this Asmalyk with the specimen we sold on September 28, 2019, as
Lot 137. In most Asmalyks, the leaves are monochromatic or, more rarely, decorated with small colored diamonds.
See also Hali 202, page 137, regarding this piece.
A relatively late red-ground hanging is illustrated as number 76 in the classic standard work by Mackie/Thompson, "Turkmen." On November 26, 2011, the auction house Rippon Boswell sold as Lot 225 a specimen that had previously been illustrated at the bottom of page 136 in Bausback 1980. Eberhart Herrmann even showed a pair from this rare group in "SOT IV" on page 185. A final piece from the Sienknecht Collection, in which the border is also drawn in red, can be seen in Hali 200 on page 185.
Estimate: € 10000 - 150005 000 € -
Startpreis / Startingbid
10 000 €Lot: 29
Early Saryk Main Carpet285 x 250 cm (9' 4" x 8' 2")
Turkmenistan, 17th/18th century
Condition: according to age, low pile in places, slightly incomplete all around, missing parts and small holes backed with fabric, scattered small repairs, signs of use
Provenance: ex Hans-Christian Sienknecht collection
Warp: wool, weft: wool, pile: wool
When one approaches this carpet, one is struck by its outstanding quality, and any imperfections fade into the background.
A distinguished collector like Hans-Christian Sienknecht was not interested in undertaking any restoration attempts, but simply in preserving this significant piece.
Five rows of nine imposing Temirjin-Güls cover the field. The name likely derives from Timur, Tamerlan. Jürg Rageth writes on this subject in his book "Turkmen Carpets: A New Perspective" on page 592: "The Temirjin-Gül would thus be another pattern originating from this period that was adopted by the Turkmen from the repertoire of Timurid carpet patterns, or at least inspired by it." He dates the piece illustrated on page 109 to the 17th or 18th century.
The warm brown-red of the field harmonizes beautifully with the apricot tone in the guls. Among the not-too-common carpets of this type, most - just over a dozen - feature four rows of Temirjin-Gül, and only three other pieces with five rows are known: Rippon Boswell 66, 2005, Lot 62; Herrmann ATT 4, 1992, No. 94; Christie's London, October 19, 1995, Lot 461.
A carpet that is not only very rare but also significant and early, with outstanding charisma.
Estimate: € 20000 - 3000010 000 € -
Startpreis / Startingbid
4 000 €Lot: 30
Early Tekke Main Carpet288 x 210 cm (9' 5" x 6' 11")
Turkmenistan, ca. 1800 or before
Condition: very good for its age, low pile in places, scattered small repairs
Provenance: ex Hans-Christian Sienknecht collection
Warp: wool, weft: wool, pile: wool
Tekke main carpets are the quintessential classics of Turkmen carpet-weaving. In English, they used to be referred to as the "Gentleman's Library Carpet." However, they come in quite varying qualities. As early as 1900, travelers to Turkmenistan complained that no good pieces were available locally anymore.
Our wonderfully colored piece features 4 x 10 well-rounded Tekke guls on a warm red ground, surrounded by Chemche guls. The main border, however, is very unusual. At the top and bottom, it shows abstract flowers in boxes with a white ground, and in the other boxes, the Chajkelbagi motif. See also the tent band fragment in this auction. Remarkably, two of these are depicted in the upper left corner. On the long sides, they can also be interpreted as intersecting wave-like tendrils.
However, in his magnum opus "Turkmen Carpets" on pages 809 - 820, Jürg Rageth interprets the motif as an ancient protective symbol dating back to pre-Islamic times. Moshkova writes that the name of the motif originates from the Tekke and is associated with women's adornment. This border appears in a small group of early Tekke main carpets, but occasionally also in other pieces, such as an Arabatchi carpet in Hali 191 on page 121.
You don't need a "Gentleman's library" to appreciate this classic, and the border provides intellectual food for thought in addition to the carpet's aesthetic appeal.
Estimate: € 8000 - 120004 000 € -
Startpreis / Startingbid
8 000 €Lot: 31
Northwest Persian Runner486 x 87 cm (15' 11" x 2' 10")
Persia, dated 1258 ? (1841 ?)
Condition: very good, scattered low pile, lower end slightly incomplete, minor small repairs
Warp: wool, weft: wool, pile: wool
At first glance, one might think this is the border of a large carpet, but this runner uses this impression to great effect. Large, beautifully drawn palmettes are surrounded by sweeping lancet leaves, giving the rug a dynamism unusual for a runner. Between the leaves, floral rosettes appear on the warm camel-colored ground, subtly suggesting a second system of tendrils.
At the upper and lower ends of the field, these rosettes are shown cut off in the corners, closing the field in a manner more typical of a carpet of different proportions. The warm, harmonious colors are effectively supported by two pairs of white lancet leaves, which give the piece a clear structure. A variety of small motifs in the field playfully adorn the ground. Through the differing sizes of similar motifs, they create an impression of optical depth.
In the dark blue border, we see highly abstracted red blossoms beside green leaves. In the upper right corner, there is a date, which is also shown twice, though somewhat less legibly, at the upper end of the field. The slightly muted yellow of the minor borders harmonizes perfectly with the camel-colored ground. A light blue abrash in the inner guard stripe enlivens the composition.
Estimate: € 12000 - 160008 000 € -
Startpreis / Startingbid
5 000 €Lot: 32
Bakhshaish407 x 101 cm (13' 4" x 3' 4")
Persia, late 19th century
Condition: very good, good pile, partial corroded dark brown, minor small repairs
Warp: cotton, weft: cotton, pile: wool
The weaver of this rug has masterfully fulfilled the task: "Weave a runner with an all-over pattern that isn't boring." Against a rare white background, she has arranged small flowering trees in neat rows and depicted them in the widest possible variety of colors. She achieved a certain depth and layering by knotting three or four flowering trees in a row. However, the way she utilized the remaining space to the right and left of the row of three is simply delightful.
One can imagine her dreaming of a spring meadow on long winter evenings. She framed the blossoms, beginning with a dog in the lower right and concluding in the upper left with a person with raised hands. In the first third and up to the middle, she introduces us to her entire flock of chickens and several four-legged animals. In the upper half, additional people appear, perhaps her family: first two smaller figures, one of them leading an animal, and then four adults. Three of them appear to be wearing large wrap skirts, and the traditional costume in the top right is particularly striking.
Despite all the playful individuality of her knotwork, she is mindful of the Persian tradition, for she depicts the flowering trees just as they are known from 17th-century Persian silks. The nearly circular flower with two smaller leaves below is classic; but the small mound of earth, which was once depicted as little clouds, is particularly typical.
In the border, she has knotted an open, clear wave-like tendril with flowers that harmonize beautifully with the field in their warm red. This joyful rug would brighten up any hallway.
Estimate: € 8000 - 120005 000 € -
Startpreis / Startingbid
15 000 €Lot: 33
Fine Silk Kashan Souf with metal brocade317 x 208 cm (10' 5" x 6' 10")
Persia, ca. 1900
Condition: very good, full pile, slight signs of use on the fringes
Warp: silk, weft: silk, pile: silk and metal brocade
This souf Kashan carpet is one of the most beautiful of all the Kashan carpets. The souf technique involves the design being piled as in a normal carpet. The ground however is flatwoven, making the design stand out both physically and visually. Sometimes additional metal threads are found in the weft; very few Souf carpets have this technical feature.
Despite - or perhaps because of - its rich variety of colors, it appears harmonious and elegant. The precise weaving attests to the highest level of craftsmanship and, combined with the finest materials, brings the pattern to life in a dynamic way.
At the center is a medallion of immense complexity, adorned with precious metallic threads within the central diamond.
This technique is known from the so-called Polonaise carpets of the Safavid period and is used here in a pleasantly subtle way.
There is no restraint, however, in the use of shiny silk in the most joyful colors, which stand out against the lime-green ground. The cartouche and star-octagon border was also developed by the Safavids and is very lively in its design here. Small birds are hidden within the cartouches, perched on flowering branches.
The brown-gold tendrils swirl around the center and are adorned with palmettes, elegant flowers, classic rosettes, and hidden cloud bands. A luxurious carpet full of joy.
Estimate: € 30000 - 4000015 000 € -
Startpreis / Startingbid
15 000 €Lot: 34
Fine Large Kashan Mohtashem456 x 326 cm (15' x 10' 8")
Persia, early 20th century
Condition: very good, scattered low pile but not worn
Warp: cotton, weft: cotton, pile: wool
It takes great skill just to design such a masterpiece - not to mention the precise execution of the knotting. Even in Persia, this was a feat reserved for only the finest workshops.
At the very center is a star-shaped flower from which the carpet unfolds. It is surrounded by a whirlwind of floral tendrils. It is framed by a blue-outlined medallion with two three-petaled pendants. From these pendants grow small branches bearing a variety of flowers against a muted salmon-red background.
A white medallion with larger pendants forms the base of this, which in turn is bordered in blue and rests on another floral medallion. Here we now arrive at the actual field, from whose four corners richly decorated vases reach toward the center. The entire composition is finally enclosed by another blue inner border line.
In the resulting field, yellow-green bouquets of flowers form the background from all four corners. The main border echoes the color of the inner medallion in a slightly deeper shade and, with its accompanying stripes, has a calming effect on the field.
The term "tour de force" is often misused, but here it is clearly justified.
Estimate: € 30000 - 4000015 000 € -
Startpreis / Startingbid
4 000 €Lot: 35
Fine Kontusz Sash275 x 29 cm (9' x 11")
Poland, early 18th century
Condition: good, slightly reduced in length, some small professional restorations, mainly along the sides and ends
Silk and metal threads on silk
Estimate: € 6000 - 80004 000 € -
Startpreis / Startingbid
3 000 €Lot: 36
Large Unusual Sarab595 x 197 cm (19' 6" x 6' 6")
Persia, dated 1288 (1870)
Condition: very good, full pile, several small repairs
Warp: cotton, weft: cotton, pile: wool
Estimate: € 6000 - 80003 000 € -
Startpreis / Startingbid
3 000 €Lot: 37
Tibet Tiger Rug179 x 93 cm (5' 10" x 3' 1")
Tibet, early 20th century
Condition: very good, good pile, adhesive residue on the back side, minor signs of use
Warp: wool, weft: wool, pile: wool
Estimate: € 6000 - 80003 000 € -
Startpreis / Startingbid
5 000 €Lot: 38
Khotan308 x 152 cm (10' 1" x 5')
East Turkestan, early 19th century
Condition: good, scattered low pile, several small professional restorations, signs of use on the sides
Published: "Carpets from Eastern Turkestan", Hans Bidder, 1964, plate XVII
Warp: cotton, weft: wool, pile: wool
It is difficult to imagine what we would know about East Turkestan carpets if a young diplomat in Shanghai in the 1920s had not taken an interest in them. He had access to Chinese dealers and studied the carpets - as well as the felt pieces - during the next 20 years he spent in China. Hans Bidder (1897 - 1963) was only able to devote himself to his notes after his retirement, and his wife eventually published the book posthumously; for decades, it remained the only monograph on this group of carpets.
The extraordinary border of our example immediately reminded us of this publication, but one must turn the book upside down to be certain that it is indeed the upper carpet on Plate XVII.
The field is covered with so-called Besh Güls, the five-flower motif. Four of these Besh Güls combine with a rhombus in a staggered arrangement to form what Bidder described as a Herati pattern. The field appears to rest on another carpet displaying a four-flower motif inscribed within rhombuses. The illusion is particularly perfect in the lower right corner.
This border design would appear to be unique among East Turkestan carpets, were it not for a carpet by Sandra Whitman, shown in Hali 20th Anniversary, page 68. The use of green, although sparse, is also very unusual.
A wonderful carpet with first-class provenance.
Estimate: € 8000 - 120005 000 € -
Startpreis / Startingbid
5 000 €Lot: 39
Early Talish284 x 107 cm (9' 4" x 3' 6")
Caucasus, ca. 1800
Condition: according to age, heavily corroded dark brown, several small repairs, sides and ends partially damaged
Published: "Weise Collection - Ambassadors from the Orient", Roland Weise, 2019, page 34
Warp: wool, weft: cotton, pile: wool
A rug with unusual colors and patterns. Rows of octagons - whether aligned or staggered - are not uncommon in themselves, but they typically feature a Memling gül at their center or, in the case of kilims, a motif related to the Memling gül. Nor is it unusual for the octagons to be arranged in rows rather than diagonally staggered. The central design and the border surrounding it, however, are very unusual.
The trained eye of collector Roland Weise immediately recognizes that this design is native to the Chelaberds, the so-called Eagle or Sunburst Kazaks. In these and their precursors, it can be traced back to the 17th century. See the Zaleski floral carpet in "Stars of the Caucasus," page 24. The same book also features an embroidery on page 129, 17th/18th century, as well as the 18th-century McMullan carpet on page 211.
In HALI 98, a Kazak by David Reuben is presented that features such octagons. However, this one, as well as a Gendje on page 189 in Eder, "Caucasian Carpets," show only a thin, color-interrupted line. A final example, described as South Caucasian, can be found in "The Oriental Rug Collection of Jerome and Mary Straka," number 120.
The shape of the gül in our piece appears to be unique, as far as is known. In Schürmann, "Carpets from the Caucasus," a carpet with a Lenkoran pattern from the Talish region is illustrated on page 175, which likely comes close to the coloration of our piece.
Estimate: € 8000 - 120005 000 € -
Startpreis / Startingbid
5 000 €Lot: 40
Transcaucasian Rug with Palmettes295 x 115 cm (9' 8" x 3' 9")
Caucasus, early 19th century
Condition: very good for its age, mostly good pile, scattered small repairs, lower end slightly incomplete
Warp: wool, weft: wool, pile: wool
This colourful runner belongs to a small group of carpets that closely follow and reinterpret Azerbaijani pieces of the
17th and 18th centuries. These may be Dragon, Floral, or Harshang carpets. In this auction, we are offering, under
lot number 42, a Harshang carpet with complex ornamentation.
From such a piece, the weaver of this carpet has selected individual motifs and rearranged them beautifully according to her own ideas. On a warm red ground, she presents the palmettes, rosettes, and floral octagons of the Harshang design, surrounding them with small motifs drawn from her rural everyday life. We see birds, quadrupeds, geometric forms, amulets, and other small motifs, scattered loosely yet symmetrically across the field.
The border, in turn, is taken directly from the classical Dragon carpets, though rendered here with a greater variety of colours. In one of our first auctions, on 16 September 2014, we were able to offer a nearly identical piece, which differed only by the addition of two Memling güls at the upper end, included to make the carpet slightly longer. Another example is published in "Alte Teppiche aus dem Orient" (1980), Gewerbemuseum Basel, page 63.
The cheerful polychromy and the playful combination of classical motifs give this weaving its extraordinary charm.
Estimate: € 8000 - 120005 000 €