LOT 86

AN EAST CAUCASIAN CARPET (Kuba Khanate)
20,000—30,000 USD
Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 114,000 USD

MEASUREMENTS

approximately 9ft. 7in. by 5ft. 1in. (2.92 by 1.55m.)

DESCRIPTION

18th century

Condition Note: oxidized browns, missing outer side guard borders, reselvaged, foldwear, repiling and reweaves, partial end guard borders

TECHNICAL ANALYSIS

Warp: Wool, Z2S, brown and ivory twisted

Weft: Cotton, Z2S, 2 shoots, natural ivory

Sides: Not original

Ends: Not original

Density: 8-9 horizontal, 8-9 vertical - between 112 000 & 115 000 knots per square meter (VD)

Colors: dark blue, medium blue, light blue, madder red, aubergine, soft yellow, chocolate brown, walnut, beige, ivory


CATALOGUE NOTE

The present lot, with its palette of ten colors and rams horn design, belongs to the group of carpets produced in the Caucasus in the 18th and 19th centuries that are now considered as precursors to the Perpedil weavings of the late 19th century. Perpedil carpets, named after the northeast Caucasian [Kuba (VD)] village, usually exhibit a wide variety of rams horn motifs along with vine arabesques, tulips, and birds. Many of these design elements originate in the patterns of Caucasian embroideries. For an example of such embroidery, see Burns, James D., The Caucasus, Traditions in Weaving, Seattle, Court Street Press, 1987, plate 49. These carpets went through numerous transformations throughout the centuries. The hallmark rams horns design itself can be considered as a later variation of the earlier blossom design. For a transitional carpet, where the rams horn motif is still clearly a part of the blossom design, see Yetkin, Serare, Early Caucasian Carpets in Turkey, London, Oguz Press, 1978, vol 1, pg. 89, plate 37. In the lot offered here, the repeat concept of earlier weavings of the 17th century disappears with motifs standing isolated in a single vertical row. The practice of isolating a number of elements from a richly varied design and using them as the building blocks of new compositions is typical of many carpets from the Caucasus. The only repeating motifs in the field of the carpet offered here are the in- and outward-facing pairs of rams horns that flank different decorative elements, creating a new pattern in every row. The fields bold and free design is contained by a floral-inspired main border. A similar Caucasian carpet is in the collection of James D. Burns, see Burns, James D., op. cit., plate 20.
 

Plate 37

Floral Carpet, Transitional Type, late 18th century

Turk ve Islam Eserleri Museum, Istanbul. Inv.no. 881 (1-3) from the Evkaf depot 1.95 x 3.90 m, fragment

 

Field: Dark blue ground. Pattern on three axes. Central axis: a large star, offset from the centre, is outlined in red and contains smaller purple and red flowers. The ornament is surrounded by two pairs of white and red and blue and white pointed leaves. Above and below are large yellow palmettes and small red palmettes between small yellow leaves. There is a small white star at the end. Side axes: large white, red and yellow alternate with large diagonal palmettes, cut by the border.

Border: yellow cartouches alternate with red, purple and dark yellow palmettes on a yellow ground. Guard stripes - inner blue and outer yellow stripes outlined in brown.

warp: Z2S w, brown and ivory

weft: w, red: two shoots

knot: sy, 30H x 30V = 900/sq dm

pile: w, slanting to the left, medium length

colours: red. purple, blue, green, yellow, brown and ivory

condition: border missing on one side, worn in places. Bright colours.

Tafel 37

Auch auf Einband. Teppich, spätes

18. Jh. (Übergangsgruppe)

Türk ve Islam Eserleri Museum, Istanbul Inv. Nr. 881 (1-3) aus dem Evkaf Depot 1,95 x 3,90 m, Fragment

Feld: Dunkelblauer Grund. Muster auf drei Achsen. Mittelachse: ein groβer, rot konturierter Stern, der nicht genau im Zentrum liegt, enthält einen kleineren violetten und roten Stern. Er ist von zwei weiβen und roten, und weiβen und blauen, spitzen Blattpaaren umgeben. Darüber und darunter groβe gelbe und kleine rote Palmetten zwischen kleinen, gelben Blättern. Seitenachsen: Groβe, weiβe, rote und gelbe Palmetten alternieren mit groβen, roten, diagonalen Palmetten, die von der Borte geschnitten werden.

Bortt: Gelbe Kartuschen alternieren mit roten, violetten und dunkelgelben Palmetten auf gelbem Grund. Begleit-streifen: innerer blau und aüβerer gelb mit brauner Kontur.

Kette: Z2S, braun und elfenbeinfarben

Schuβ: W, rot; zwei Schüsse

Knoten: sy, 30 Breite x 30 Höhe = 900 dm2

Flor: W, nach links gezogen, mittellang

Farben: rot, violett, blau, grim, gelb, braun, elfenbein

Erhaltung: an einer Schmalseite fehlt die Borte, an verschiedenen Stellen abgenutzt. Leuchtende Farben.