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Dear all,
Two years ago I posted a couple of Baluch rugs. The resulting discussion was very lively and educating (thanks again!) and really piqued my interest in Baluch rugs: I acquired some literature on the subject and have kept my eyes open for older examples at auctions and flea markets ever since.
Most of the numerous Baluch I've come across over these two years have clearly been quite recent production, but I've managed to purchase two rugs that seem definitely a bit older and also more classic in their design. Both rugs were bought from local auctions and come from private homes where they had been for several decades. Here's the first one:
The two pictures above come from the auction catalog, and the red in them looks way too bright at least on my computer. So here's a photo of the rug taken on top of my mid-20th century Afghan (now the lighter blue is too bright!):
The size is 190 x 90 cm. Plenty of mostly even wear (one kilim completely worn out, some left of the other). Five colors: medium red, white, blue (in two shades, the other almost black), reddish brown, and dark brown (noticeably corroded).
When I saw the rug for the first time, I was certain I had seen something very much like it before. So I went back to my Baluch books and found this rug from Siawosch Azadi's Teppiche in der Belutsch-Tradition/Carpets in the Baluch Tradition (Munich: Klinkhardt & Biermann, 1986), pp. 186-187 (sorry about the low-quality cellphone photo):
Azadi identifies this rug as "Kurd Baluch?, Ali Mirzai, Khorasan, Torbat-e Haidari, Northeast Persia, 176 x 102 cm, ca. 1880." As you can see, the resemblance to my rug is almost uncanny, down to the abrash with the blue color.
So what do you make of Azadi's rug (and its identification) vis-a-vis my rug? (Early?) 20th century reproduction of a traditional pattern or what?
All feedback is most welcome!
Best,
Mikko
Two years ago I posted a couple of Baluch rugs. The resulting discussion was very lively and educating (thanks again!) and really piqued my interest in Baluch rugs: I acquired some literature on the subject and have kept my eyes open for older examples at auctions and flea markets ever since.
Most of the numerous Baluch I've come across over these two years have clearly been quite recent production, but I've managed to purchase two rugs that seem definitely a bit older and also more classic in their design. Both rugs were bought from local auctions and come from private homes where they had been for several decades. Here's the first one:
The two pictures above come from the auction catalog, and the red in them looks way too bright at least on my computer. So here's a photo of the rug taken on top of my mid-20th century Afghan (now the lighter blue is too bright!):
The size is 190 x 90 cm. Plenty of mostly even wear (one kilim completely worn out, some left of the other). Five colors: medium red, white, blue (in two shades, the other almost black), reddish brown, and dark brown (noticeably corroded).
When I saw the rug for the first time, I was certain I had seen something very much like it before. So I went back to my Baluch books and found this rug from Siawosch Azadi's Teppiche in der Belutsch-Tradition/Carpets in the Baluch Tradition (Munich: Klinkhardt & Biermann, 1986), pp. 186-187 (sorry about the low-quality cellphone photo):
Azadi identifies this rug as "Kurd Baluch?, Ali Mirzai, Khorasan, Torbat-e Haidari, Northeast Persia, 176 x 102 cm, ca. 1880." As you can see, the resemblance to my rug is almost uncanny, down to the abrash with the blue color.
So what do you make of Azadi's rug (and its identification) vis-a-vis my rug? (Early?) 20th century reproduction of a traditional pattern or what?
All feedback is most welcome!
Best,
Mikko
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