An Ottoman 'coupled-column' prayer rug, West Anatolia

Stefano Bardini collection, Florence (by repute)
Collection of Cavaliere Raoul Tolentino, sold American Art Galleries, New York, April 22-26, 1924, lot 786
H. Kevorkian Collection, sold Anderson Art Gallery, New York, January 8-9, 1926, lot 316
The Persian Carpet Galleries, London, May 26, 1972, lot 1
Sotheby's London, March 7, 1990, lot 70
Eberhart Herrmann, Munich
The Textile Gallery, London

Eberhart Herrmann, Asiatische Teppich-und Textilkunst, v. 3, Munich, 1991, pl. 3, pp. 14-15
Hali, June 1990, "Auction Price Guide," p. 180

Woven upside down. Pile generally low to knot heads with areas in border and in blues closely shorn 1/8in. Dark browns oxidized showing foundation. Lazy lines also lower and visible in the field. Small scattered reweaves in field; not extensive. Partially rewoven side guard stripes, rewoven end guard borders in approx. 1/2in. into upper end border; well executed. Scattered spot stains in field. Velcro hanging tape sewn on reverse at upper end. Supple handle and good condition.
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.

The coupled-column prayer rug group represents provincial Anatolian interpretations of sixteenth and seventeenth-century Ottoman court prayer rugs with triple-niche and coupled-column designs, such as the renowned Ballard prayer rug now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, see M. S. Dimand, Rugs in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1973, p. 158, fig. 188. Although previously thought to be of Ladik production, May Beattie, in her 1968 article entitled “Coupled-Column Prayer Rugs,” Oriental Art, vol. XIV, no. 4, pp. 243-258, convincingly identifies separate sources of origin for the coupled-column group and the Ladik rugs because of different structural characteristics. It is now generally agreed that weavings from the couple-column group are products of Western Anatolian looms, most likely those of Oushak. This group can be dated to at least the early seventeenth century by their European paintings, such as a 1664 still life by Nicolaas van Gelder, see Bailey, op. cit., pp. 24-25, fig. 8. The lot offered here is different from most coupled-column prayer rugs in its coloration: whereas the majority of examples from this group are dominated by madder red as a primary color, here the entire rug is worked in a golden straw yellow. This pale and delicate dye does appear in other prayer rugs of this type but it is almost always delegated as a secondary color in the borders that is complemented by a strong madder red in the field. Here, the border is a slightly contrasting butterscotch color, making this rug appear particularly delicate, subtle, and restrained. This quality is further emphasized by the limited number of secondary colors. Comparable coupled-column prayer rugs where the border and the field are similarly colored are in the collection of the Museum of Applied Arts, Budapest, and the Dumbarton Oaks Collection, Washington, D.C., see Ferenc Bátari, Ottoman Turkish Carpets, Budapest-Keszthely, 1994, p. 165, fig. 76, and Richard Ettinghausen, et. al., Prayer Rugs, Washington, D.C., 1974, pp. 56-57, pl. XIII, respectively.  Another unusual feature of the lot offered here is the use of secondary design elements in the arches. It seems that other coupled-columns examples’ side arches are hung with stylized flowers only when the central mihrab is decorated with a bouquet. In other pieces, these side arches are left empty while the central arch is adorned with flowers. Here, the central arch was left empty while those flanking it were woven with stylized floral elements. The small-patterned interlocking tulip, carnation and vine border also renders this lot unlike most coupled-column prayer rugs, which are most often framed with borders decorated with either medallions, multi-faceted medallions or large-scale floral designs.