A Konya rug fragment, South Central Anatolia

acquired from Gary Muse, London, 1984

Alexander, C., A Foreshadowing of 21^st Century Art The Color and Geometry of Very Early Turkish Carpets, New York, 1993, pp. 202 - 207, ill pp. 203.

Overall measurements; 148cm across the top, 148cm across the bottom, 230cm the left hand side, 228cm the right hand side. (45cm at narrowest point, 148cm at widest point) On a polychrome cotton mount, imitating field and border framing. Fragmentary. Pile varies from 3mm down knotheads. First hand inspection is advised, images can be requested from the department. Large section of field missing, also left hand border as visible from the image. Would benefit from a clean.
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The remains of this rug would suggest that it initially had a double niche with a central small dark medallion. The field design seems to derive from the courtly ‘small medallion’ double niche rugs of Oushak – especially when considering the green and blue spandrels and arabesques. As with another of the Alexander works, Sotheby’s London, 7 November 2017, lot 7, this work belongs to a group of rugs which all share such a design. However, as with the example sold last year, they usually have an ivory ground to the border, which possibly derives from Selendi or ‘bird’ rugs of the 16^th/17^th centuries which in turn seem to have been inspired from tilework, see the mihrab of the of the Sahip Ata Mosque, Konya. Alexander also cites an example formerly in the Divrigi Mosque and now in the Vakiflar museum, Alexander, op cit, p. 202. This example is reproduced in black and white but certainly shares the same border design, although likely on an ivory ground, it also has a central medallion, spandrels and similar layout to the offered lot. In terms of colour there are later Konya examples exhibiting similar colour schemes and balance which have appeared in auction, for example a couple column prayer rug which sold Sotheby’s new York, 2 June 2010, lot 56.