Antique Caucasian Kuba Afshan long rugs with 'snowflake' motif

The present group constitutes a sub-category of Kuba Afshan carpets. Although occasionally misattributed to Shirvan, such designations are unfounded. Indeed, long-format Shirvan carpets featuring the Afshan pattern are occasionally encountered, albeit rarely; however, the documented long runners belonging to this particular group originated in the Chirag-Gala area of the Shabran sub-district, within historical Kuba. Kerimov points to Ugah as the main site of production, listing Tekye, Haji Iskandarli, Charag, and Nohurlar as secondary weaving villages. The majority of extant pieces belong to the second half of the 19th century.

Conceptually, the design stems from Safavid floral models. Extant 18th-century specimens with Afshan patterns are well documented, mainly produced in eastern Azerbaijan.

The inception of this specific subgroup dates to roughly the third quarter of the 19th century, with the earliest dated examples recorded in the 1860s. This confirms its status as a design type established in the pre-commercial era.

In the vast majority of cases, the dates inscribed on these carpets authentically denote their true period of production. The bulk of these specimens falls cleanly into the 1870–1890 range.

To be sure, earlier 19th-century Kuba Afshan carpets do exist; however, these should be analyzed as a separate subgroup. Although one subgroup evolved from another, it can be asserted that earlier designs continued to be produced alongside later iterations well into the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

In the category of Caucasian runners, these pieces represent some of the most highly coveted examples. A selection of outstanding comparable specimens is presented below.

Inscribed with the date AH 1288 / 1871 AD, this object constitutes one of the earliest examples of its genre, as evidenced by its light-colored palette. Private Collection.

264 x 106 cm. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (Acc. No. 08.173.11). Second half 19th century.

This exemplar was brought to auction at Christie’s in London in 2002, realizing a final sale price of 11,352 GBP

A very similar example, dating back to the 1870s, was offered for sale at Christie’s auction house in New York in 2005 and was acquired for 8,400 USD

Dated AH 1293 (1876 AD) and originating from the collection of Mr. and Mrs. Donald Bauchner, this item was sold at Christie’s in 2000 for USD 17,625

Featuring four snowflake motifs in each row, this exemplar dates to approximately 1875–1880. It was auctioned at Christie’s London in 2015, realizing a price of GBP 12,500.

Bearing the date AH 1303 / 1885 AD, this Kuba carpet realized GBP 6,572 at Christie’s London in 2004, having been erroneously attributed to Shirvan.

As for the Kuba rug in the collection of the Azerbaijan Carpet Museum (Inv. No. 4029), it is inscribed with the date AH 1294 (1877 AD).

A contemporaneous Kuba Afshan rug, likewise dated AH 1294 (1877 AD), was sold at Sotheby’s New York in 2002 for a realized price of 19,120 USD

Formerly in the Bausback Collection, this carpet was included in the exhibition publication Antike Orientalische Knüpfkunst by Peter Bausback (Galerie Franz Bausback, Mannheim, 1977) and is also cited in Doris Eder's Orientteppiche, Band 1: Kaukasische Teppiche. circa 1870-80

This example is also preserved in the collection of the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum.

Featuring an ashyg motif border, this exemplar was published in Ulrich Schürmann’s Kaukasische Teppiche (1961, pl. 57)

Similarly, this Kuba rug featuring a Kufic border was offered at Christie’s London in 2003, where it was sold for 10,994 GBP.

Dated 1292 AH (1875 AD), this Kuba Afshan long rug is published in Ian Bennett’s Oriental Rugs, Volume 1: Caucasian

Previously held in the private collection of Peter H. Tillou in the United States, this carpet was acquired for 22,500 USD at a specialized rug and carpet auction several years ago

Carpets manufactured from the post-1895 period onward exhibit visible chromatic degradation in certain specimens. Dated 1313 (1895).