Sotheby's New York,Carpets, 2 April 2004, lot 62
Slightly irregular in length:
Measurements approximately 158cm wide across the top, 156cm. across the bottom, 228cm long left side, 224cm long right side.
Pile low overall to knotbars with foundation visible (red wefts). Areas of repiling scattered throughout. The dark brown outlining has been redone in the lower border and central field in particular. There is work in the blues and greens scattered repiling in the melon colour and whites. Some spot tinting. There is a tuck or repaired fold line through the centre just below the central green gul (91cm in length) and another tuck (11cm. long) in the left hand side border (about 62cm down from top edge). Later fringing and rebound side cords.
Specialist Comment:
This is a collector's piece. Although this rug has had restoration this is not unusual in a piece of this age. What is unusual is the extraordinary scale of the border with its enormous archaic stylised palmette forms, which here resemble crabs or scorpions, counterpointed by the delicate drawing in the narrow field. The scale and bold graphics make a very powerful statement.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
The composition of this rug, with its narrow field enclosing a delicate medallion, strongly contrasted with an exceptionally broad border of highly stylised and bold palmettes, is shared with a small group of Turkish village rugs variously attributed to Bergama or Konya, western or central Anatolia. Wherever they may have been woven, the colouring, weave and unusual design of these rugs certainly point to a common place of origin.
The medallion here resembles the tracery in the field of western Anatolian carpets such as 16th century Oushak carpets, for one example, the Oushak star medallion carpet in the Kirchheim collection, see Kirchheim, E. H., ed., Orient Stars, London and Stuttgart, 1993, pl. 192, p. 301. Yet, the archaic quality of design and colouring in the border motifs is much more reminiscent of central Anatolian weavings, such as the corner elements in a Konya rug also in the Kirchheim collection, ibid., pl. 178, pp. 256-7 or those in the Christopher Alexander collection, see Alexander, C., A Foreshadowing of 21st Century Art,New York and Oxford, 1993, pp. 169 and 173.
The overall design scheme of bold border, narrow field with medallion, inner narrow guard stripe and outer guard border in this rug are most closely shared with three published examples; please see Herrmann, E., Asiatische Teppich-und Textilkunst, Vol. 1, Munich, 1989, pp.24-25, pl. 8; Hali, issue 55, Boralevi ad, pg. 45; and Hali, issue 31, pg. 94. Other rugs with a similar pattern, although with small differences in the guard borders, include Sotheby's New York, September 17, 1992, lot 84, and Jacoby, H., Eine Sammlung Orientalisher Teppiche, pp.89-90, pl. 25, then Friedsam collection now in the Brooklyn Museum of Art. Examples of rugs with a similar format, yet with a rosette-filled field as well as variations in the border, include McMullan, Joseph V., Islamic Carpets, New York, 1965, pl. 114, now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art; Spuhler, Konig and Volkmann, Old Eastern Carpets, Munich, 1978, pl. 27; Herrmann, Eberhart, Seltene Orienteppiche, X, Munich, 1988, pp.44-45, pl. 16; and Sotheby's New York, April 7, 1999, lot 35.
