Antique Kuba rug with a beautiful green ground, this type of rugs were woven in the Mountainous Kuba villages such as Khynalyg, Budag, Söhüb, Gyryz, Derk, Talish and etc., North East Azerbaijan

60 Arsalan
Konakhkend district, Kuba (the district was dissolved in 1959)
229 X 100 cm
Middle of the 19th century

Serrated lozenges in staggered rows appear on the green ground of the central field. The light-ground main border is the familiar shamdan (candelabra). This border is flanked by minor borders of reciprocal crenels (madakhil) and rosettes. A narrow, white-ground stripe with a series of Z-like motifs frames the carpet. L. Kerimov reports that Arsalan is not the name of a place, because these carpets were made in the villages Khaynalyg, Budag, Sefejb, Gyryz Derk and Talysh (I would presume that this carpet was produced in Gyanja). Kerimov comments that this name possibly refers to Arsalan. the son of Toghrul the Seljug, ruler of the Seljug dynasty in the 11th century. A well-known Turkish tribe of the 12th century is also said to have borne this name.

Warps: Wool, Z3 S, dark ivory.
Wefts: Wool, Z2, light ivory, 2 wefts: Ist minimally tight, 2nd waved,
Pile: Wool,Z2, Pile Height: 5 mm.
Knots: Symmetrical 1 - Symmetircal 5, \, H 40, V34 = 1,360 Kn/dm2.
Handle: Velours, not thick, coarse-grained.
Upper End: 2.5 cm wool flat-woven end, c. 1 cm blue (4 rows) and dark red (1 row) soumak, the remainder of fringes knotted in staggered groups.
Lower End: Like upper end, but without the dark red soumak row.
Selvedge: c. 1 cm dark brownish-red woolen shirazi around 2 ribs in figure-of-eight wrapping with supplemental threads.

Condition: Good, but somewhat dry wash. Remarks: Outstanding light, classic colours, and very good design.

Literature: L. Kerimov II, colour ill 31.
published at Siyawouch Azadi "Azerbaijani Caucasian rugs" plate no: 60