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Antique Shirvan Kabistan prayer rug, 115x167cm, 1900s, Shirvan Region, Azerbaijan. published at Siyawouch Azadi "Azerbaijani Caucasian rugs", plate no: 77


Warps: wool, wefts: cotton. The light central field with an expressive mihrab design is arranged asymmetrically. Generous red cupolas are woven into pentagons with appendages below the mihrab and above the gable (tagh). The religious purpose of the prayer carpet is underlined by the cupolas f a shrine and mausoleum. It is difficult to say why there are a few four and five legged figures above the mihrab. Other than this, there is a continuous bandi-rumi pattern with plant and geometrical palmettes. The main border on a brownish red groud consists of a row of squares with eight triangle figures. A reciprocal crenellated border delineates the central field. Towards outside, there is a sequence of rectangles on a red ground which contain two counterset bird heads.