A West Anatolian rug

Sotheby's New York, 11 December 1991, lot 136

PIle ranges from approximately 1/8th of an inch to low to knotheads. Scattered fold wear. Upper section of left side red reserve in field with slightly dry foundation, now reinforced with later stitching on reverse, approximately 4 x 7 inch area, a much smaller 1 x 1 inch area with similar condition nearby in inner guard border. Left border with a 2 x 1 inch reweave; some further small scattered reweaves, mostly visible on the reverse. Ends with original flat woven kilim finishes, with some fraying; sides reselvaged, detached and fraying with losses in a few areas. Very supple handle, lustrous wool, very good 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.

The present lot has almost the same field and border decoration as a rug in the Ballard Collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, except for the latter's missing outer guard border, see M. S. Dimand and Jean Mailey, Oriental Rugs in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1973, pp. 245-46, n. 137. A number of comparable seventeenth-century prayer rugs from West Anatolia with similar decorative elements resembling serrated leaves or cloudbands above the arches and with hexagon-cartouche borders are now in the Museum of Applied Arts, Budapest, see Emese Pásztor, Ottoman Turkish Carpets, Budapest, 2007, pp. 138-147. These earlier prayer rugs depict arches supported by actual columns, which can be viewed as predecessors of the field-dividers of the lot offered here. The small ornaments in the arches of this lot resemble hanging lanterns, or stylized carnations as in the Budapest pieces, which further suggest that this lot is a variation on the six-column prayer rug design.