A 'Star' Oushak carpet, West Anatolia,

Pile generally low to knotheads overall with foundation in oxidized and worn areas scattered throughout. 2/3 of red field reknotted, most of central blue medallion reknotted, repiling in both large blue medallions, less repiling in all side medallions. Repiled areas generally faded. 15in. by 4in. stepped reweave in upper right corner. A 3ni. by 2in. reweave in central medallion, small reweaves generally along end edges, missing outer yellow guard border and losses to dark brown guard stripe. Sides and ends now secured, sides reselvaged, ends with fabric backing on reverse. Velcro strip at upper edge on reverse for hanging. Selvages are too tightly sewn so carpet does not lie flat. Supple handle, good color, respectable condition for age.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Before the appearance of Persian imports in the West, rugs and carpets from the city of Oushak in Western Anatolia were among the most appreciated and sought-after oriental weavings among the European elite. From the early sixteenth to the eighteenth century works from Oushak formed the largest part of oriental carpet collections in Europe, where these weavings were admired for both their beauty and their exotic nature, and where they served as symbols of wealth and status. Oushak carpets and rugs often also appeared in the works of the most distinguished artists of the time, such as Lorenzo Lotto, Paris Bordone and Carlo Crivelli, after whom many of the indigenous Anatolian patterns were named in Europe. For examples of Anatolian rugs and carpets named after European painters, please refer to Emese Pásztor, Ottoman Turkish Carpets in the Collection of the Budapest Museum of Applied Arts, Budapest, 2007.  Written records indicate that carpets and rugs were woven in Oushak as early as the late fifteenth century. These weavings were produced with many different patterns arranged in accordance with the principle of the endless repeat, but few were as complex in their arrangement of motifs as 'Star' Oushak carpets. The lot offered here, with its large octofoil lobed stars, is an outstanding example of such a carpet from the seventeenth century. As surviving pieces and written accounts suggest, 'Star' Oushak carpets were not produced after the seventeenth century. Interestingly, these carpets never showed any signs of demise before their sudden disappearance in the late 1600s. 'Star' Oushak carpets can be embellished with different variants of the star motif and it has been suggested that pieces with four-lobed stars predate those with eight-lobed stars, see Donald King, "Turkish Carpets in the Victoria and Albert Museum," Hali, Vol. 6, No. 4, 1984, p. 367. It has also been suggested that the designs of the tiles of the sixteenth-century Gök Mescid mosque in Tabriz could have been a source for the development of the 'Star' Oushak pattern, see Oktay Aslanapa, One Thousand Years of Turkish Carpets, Istanbul, 1988, p. 113. In the lot offered here the field around the emblematic star and diamond-shaped medallions is enriched with an abundance of stylized flowers and palmettes that evenly fill the red background. These floral motifs are juxtaposed against both the angular medallions and the restrained arcaded design of the border, creating an overall harmonious design. For a comparable 'Star' Oushak carpet with a similar use of the eight-lobed star and diamond medallions, flower-fret field and related border, that is in the collection of the Textile Museum in Washington, D.C., see Walter B. Denny, The Classical Tradition in  Anatolian Carpets, Washington, D.C., 2002, p. 96. Related examples that have sold at auction include lot 146A, Nagel, 8 November 2005; Christie's London, 24 April 1997, lot 409 and most recently, a 'Star' Oushak carpet with quatrefoil medallions was sold Sotheby's London, April 9, 2008, lot 375.