232 x 136 cm (7' 7" x 4' 6")
Turkey, mid 19th century
Condition: very good, scattered low pile, minor small repairs
Warp: wool, weft: wool, pile: wool
Rugs from Central Anatolia featuring a central quatrefoil medallion, such as our example, appear both as single-motif pieces and in runner format. For the latter, see Brüggemann/Böhmer, " Teppiche der Bauern und Nomaden in Anatolien," No. 20. This piece, as well as a carpet featured in Eberhart Herrmann, "Seltene Orientteppiche VIII," No. 12, displays more red and a darker blue; see also Christie's, May 17, 2005, Lot 50, and a carpet from the Bogner Collection, Rippon Boswell, December 4, 2010, Lot 23. Pieces in this color scheme consistently feature white borders with the same pattern as our specimen.
An attractive subgroup, to which this rug belongs, features warmer colors, including a brownish-red that harmonizes beautifully with the apricot of the border, as well as a light blue in the spandrels. The panels at both ends, derived from Ottoman silk velvet yastiks, are particularly richly detailed here.
The quatrefoil medallion can be traced back to 17th-century Turkish carpets. A beautiful compilation of its various forms can be found in Michael Franses, "Orient Stars II," HALI Publications, 2021. See also the Dazkiri in our auction. In Michael Franses' book, Figs. 147 and 148 depict two pieces that provide an explanation for the design of the spandrels in our example; Fig. 150 shows the medallion on another rug with pendants.
Our rug is one of the most attractive examples of this group and is also in very good condition.
Estimate: € 10000 - 15000