An Oushak saph, West Anatolia

The Frank M. Michaelian Collection

Sotheby's New York, 13 December 1986, lot 65

Ettinghausen, Dimand, Mackie and Ellis, Prayer Rugs, The Textile Museum, Washington, D.C., 1974, plate 11, pp. 52-53.

Reduced in size. Woven horizontally. Pile generally low to knotheads throughout. Oxidized dark browns. Scattered restitching with the two most prominent ones in the lower center right niche and the niche to its right. Scattered reweaves throughout. Sides and ends rewoven. Partially rewoven borders. Most of the reweaves very well executed, done in the early 20th century in Istanbul. Flexible handle, very good color retention. 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.

While saphs have long been considered a multiple series of prayer arches upon which a family, or group, would worship, Walter Denny suggests that they were not necessarily intended for the floor. The design, of a series of entrances or openings, also appears in Ottoman architectural tilework. These saphs, therefore, could be have been an alternative to a tilework arcade and adorned the walls of places of worship. Walter Denny, "Saf Carpets: Their Origins, Use and Design," Vienna, 5th International Conference on Oriental Carpets, September 17-21, 1986. For a similar example, see Kurt Erdmann, Seven Hundred Years of Oriental Carpets, Berkeley and Los Angeles, 1970, p. 109, pl. 127.