Dating a Baluch prayer rug

[Mikko Saikku Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Mikko Saikku]

Dear all,

I recently acquired this reasonably old Baluch prayer rug. The rug (82 x 155 cm) is in good shape with even pile and higher-than-usual knot count. Six colors: brick red, camel, dark blue, two distinct shades of brown, and a very light orange (for accents), no white. All colors seem to be natural. Noticeable corrosion to the darker brown. I would date it most probably to the first half of the 20th century because of certain rigidity in design and absence of elaborate kelims (although there are some quirks with the borders):





I'd be more than happy with the classic "5th quarter, 19th century" attribution. But what do our Baluch experts have to say? And any ideas about the geographical origin? Also, is it possible to point out a tribal affiliation for this generation of Baluch prayer rugs? In any case, it looks pretty nice in person!

Best,

Mikko

[PaulSmith Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close PaulSmith]

I'm not an expert, but I think your "5th quarter 19th century" attribution is correct. I would guess about 1910-20 for this one. The running dog minor border suggests NE Iran, but... I don't know for sure in this case.

[Chuck Wagner Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Chuck Wagner]

Hi Mikko,

Looking through my references, the best fit for what I see is that this piece originated in northwest Afghanistan, likely from the region around Herat - particulalry the motif that fills the rectangles at upper right and left. The nice white wool warps certainly suggest a pre-Russian-invasion time period. The palette, selvage, and combination of motifs utilized make me think 1920's to 1950.

Regards
Chuck

[Joe Lawrence Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Joe Lawrence]

When I first saw this post I thought of a time period near the 1940-50’s based on a silmilar color piece I have.

[Mikko Saikku Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Mikko Saikku]

Dear Paul, Chuck, and Joe,

Many thanks for your comments--I really appreciate them. And glad to hear I was on the right track.

But how useful do you find the corrosion of dark browns in the dating of 20th century Baluch rugs?

Best,

Mikko

[Joel Greifinger Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Joel Greifinger]

But how useful do you find the corrosion of dark browns in the dating of 20th century Baluch rugs?

Not very. Wool can corrode fairly quickly.

Joel Greifinger

[Steve Price Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Steve Price]

Not very. Wool can corrode fairly quickly.

Joel Greifinger

That's true, but it doesn't corrode unless a corrosive dye is on it.

Dating Belouch group rugs is very difficult because they were still using natural dyes until after WW-II. Mikko's tree of life prayer rug could have been woven any time before 1950.

Steve Price

[Mikko Saikku Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Mikko Saikku]

Joel and Steve,

Thanks for the further comments. I was wondering about the timeline for the adoption of non-corrosive, synthetic dark browns and blacks among not only the Baluch, but also the Turkmen and Caucasians. What would be a good scholarly reference?

Mikko

[Erik Persson Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Erik Persson]

I found this somewhat similar carpet in Helmut Klieber: Afghanistan, Landsberger Verlagsanstalt, 1989 p. 88:

[Erik Persson Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Erik Persson]

As an aside, I just discovered Klieber's books - quite fascinating stuff, with many interesting pictures from his travels in Asia:
https://search.worldcat.org/search?q...2C%20Helmut%22

[Steve Price Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Steve Price]

Joel and Steve,

I was wondering about the timeline for the adoption of non-corrosive, synthetic dark browns and blacks among not only the Baluch, but also the Turkmen and Caucasians.

Mikko

Years ago I gathered descriptions of as many rugs with inscribed dates as I could find. Here's a link to it: Re: Dyes and dating Caucasian rugs (turkotek.com)

Steve Price

[Frank Petruziello Member Find all posts View Profile Close Frank Petruziello]

The best reference book on Belouch prayer rugs I have found is by Adraskand, Inc. Here is the cover and title page. Many color photos and analysis by type and origin. Here is one of my Beluch I believe from about mid 19th century using this book’s methodology.

Frank

[PaulSmith Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close PaulSmith]

Hi Frank,

I agree that Michael Craycraft's book is required reading/looking on Baluch prayer rugs; it's clear that the OP's rug is a later example that has many features in common with rugs in the Craycraft book. Your example is very nice, and an interesting piece for sure, but I would suggest that it is from the second half of the 19th century. There are not many surviving examples from the mid-19th century or before, and I don't see anything in particular that would make your piece that old, but it's a lovely example.

Cheers,

Paul

[Frank Petruziello Member Find all posts View Profile Close Frank Petruziello]

Thanks Paul, I’m sure you’re correct on the dating. Not having seen any of these rugs in person except for my own it’s hard to compare. Examples 1 and 2 in the book looked closest to mine so I just went with that dating.

Frank

[Chuck Wagner Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Chuck Wagner]

Hi

For comparison, here are a few photos of a classic Kawdani Baluch prayer rug from northernwestern Afghanistan. I think this one is 1950s-1960s. These are very well constructed fully depressed double-wefted goods, made with synthetic reds. The "older" ones have sometimes contained camel hair for the beige tones.

Regards
Chuck