Strange Karabagh Rug - 4'5"x5'10"
#2556
4’-5”x5’-10”
AGE & ORIGIN:
Early 20th C.
Caucuses
OVERVIEW:
While we are still scratching our heads at this one, that’s ultimately what makes this rug so compelling. The design is playing with Persian designs; the central medallion paired with the 4 spandrels are very ‘Fereghan’, and the full and half vases at the four quadrants of the rug with flowers spewing forth are very Sarouk. The main borders, while seen in many Persian rugs, may be harkening to Heriz rugs with their meandering herati-style borders.
The structural elements are also very odd. The selvedges are more fine than a typical Karabagh, almost as if it was from Quba or the NE Caucuses, yet the other hallmarks of these areas are absent. That being said, the design, leaning more into Persian aesthetics, does feel more Karabagh than other Caucasian pieces.
So we have a Caucasian Karabagh masquerading as some Persian Frankenstein’s monster and yet, the more Karabagh features stand out including the more geometric drawing and the ghostly twin figures on the field. There is an incredible amount of personality on this rug that only continues to impress, if not raise a few eyebrows.
We’ve attributed this to somewhere in the South of Karabagh region, but accept this may not be an entirely satisfactory attribution.
CONDITION:
Some end loss and one slit which we can quote a repair for.
#2556
4’-5”x5’-10”
AGE & ORIGIN:
Early 20th C.
Caucuses
OVERVIEW:
While we are still scratching our heads at this one, that’s ultimately what makes this rug so compelling. The design is playing with Persian designs; the central medallion paired with the 4 spandrels are very ‘Fereghan’, and the full and half vases at the four quadrants of the rug with flowers spewing forth are very Sarouk. The main borders, while seen in many Persian rugs, may be harkening to Heriz rugs with their meandering herati-style borders.
The structural elements are also very odd. The selvedges are more fine than a typical Karabagh, almost as if it was from Quba or the NE Caucuses, yet the other hallmarks of these areas are absent. That being said, the design, leaning more into Persian aesthetics, does feel more Karabagh than other Caucasian pieces.
So we have a Caucasian Karabagh masquerading as some Persian Frankenstein’s monster and yet, the more Karabagh features stand out including the more geometric drawing and the ghostly twin figures on the field. There is an incredible amount of personality on this rug that only continues to impress, if not raise a few eyebrows.
We’ve attributed this to somewhere in the South of Karabagh region, but accept this may not be an entirely satisfactory attribution.
CONDITION:
Some end loss and one slit which we can quote a repair for.
#2556
4’-5”x5’-10”
AGE & ORIGIN:
Early 20th C.
Caucuses
OVERVIEW:
While we are still scratching our heads at this one, that’s ultimately what makes this rug so compelling. The design is playing with Persian designs; the central medallion paired with the 4 spandrels are very ‘Fereghan’, and the full and half vases at the four quadrants of the rug with flowers spewing forth are very Sarouk. The main borders, while seen in many Persian rugs, may be harkening to Heriz rugs with their meandering herati-style borders.
The structural elements are also very odd. The selvedges are more fine than a typical Karabagh, almost as if it was from Quba or the NE Caucuses, yet the other hallmarks of these areas are absent. That being said, the design, leaning more into Persian aesthetics, does feel more Karabagh than other Caucasian pieces.
So we have a Caucasian Karabagh masquerading as some Persian Frankenstein’s monster and yet, the more Karabagh features stand out including the more geometric drawing and the ghostly twin figures on the field. There is an incredible amount of personality on this rug that only continues to impress, if not raise a few eyebrows.
We’ve attributed this to somewhere in the South of Karabagh region, but accept this may not be an entirely satisfactory attribution.
CONDITION:
Some end loss and one slit which we can quote a repair for.