345 x 158 cm (11' 4" x 5' 2")
Turkey, first half 19th century
Condition: good, scattered low pile, sides and ends minimally incomplete, some old repairs, signs of use
Warp: wool, weft: wool, pile: wool
Brian Morehouse published his widely cited article "Menderes Valley Carpets" in HALI 121, pp. 100-107, in which he examined the relationships between the carpets of this region and other weaving areas - mostly located further north - as well as their earlier models. Dazkiri, situated at the eastern end of the Menderes Valley, plays a central role in this context.
In addition to the Transylvanian type - of which we are also pleased to offer an example in this auction - Morehouse also discusses the design group to which our carpet belongs; see p. 104, no. 14.
A massive, elongated medallion dominates the field. Its basic form can be traced, through various intermediate stages, back to the medallion of a Star Ushak. If you turn to the corresponding example in our catalog, you will recognize the underlying form in principle. Due to the narrower format, the lateral extensions here are reduced to protruding white double hooks. Four squares appear in the center; if one simplifies the star within them, one ultimately arrives at the pointed cross of our carpet. The design of the corner spandrels also completes this image.
Some interesting comparative examples and formal intermediate stages - which, notably, do not represent a chronological sequence of development - can be found in Michael Franses, "Orient Stars II," HALI Publications 2021, Nos. 18 and 19, as well as Figs. 220 and 221.
In keeping with an independent village or nomadic reinterpretation of older weaving traditions, the weaver also added an unmistakably personal touch: a water jug appears completely unexpectedly in the upper right blue spandrel. A small, almost casually inserted detail that lends a charming, individual touch to the otherwise strictly geometric composition.
Colorful, carefree, and expressive, this carpet stands as an exemplary piece of the art of weaving from the Dazkiri region.
Estimate: € 12000 - 16000