Small Zeichur Rug

[Lorenzo De Rosa Registered Find all posts View Profile Close Lorenzo De Rosa]

Hello to all members,

I would kindly like to ask you a few questions about a rug of mine! It is a small, medium size zeichur rug, circa 1910, for what I am told. I think it is of certain quality and fine. My three questions. 1 Do you think this Rug might had been made for the use of the weaver or for sale, export? This is for me an important question ,maybe it had been made as a prayer rug?
2 What do you could say about technique ,pile, colours, design, I attach a close photo of a particular of the rug. 3 Last question ,as you see by the photos the rug is in quite good condition overall though it is damaged in the upper left border, and also at the corners. In your personal opinion did you think this rug deserves to be restored in its critical points!?! I am told by a professional cleaner and dealer this rug restored will be not only finer, but really very valuable. Honestly, I like very much this Rug, and have no intentions to resell it . Also, I am doubtful about restoration ,in general. I attach a few photos. Thank you so much for all the information, opinions, ideas, you could provide. Kind Regards.

Lorenzo De Rosa

From Florence, Italy.

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

Greetings Lorenzo and welcome to Turkotek,

Please visit your profile and chane your user name to your full name. If you have problems, post a message here and I'll change it for you.

We do not permit the use of pseudonyms on Turkotek.

Regards
Chuck Wagner

See top of page:

"Please use your full name. We do not permit posting anonymously or under a pseudonym, ad hominem remarks, commercial promotion, comments bearing on the value of any item or on the reputation of any seller."

[Lorenzo De Rosa Registered Find all posts View Profile Close Lorenzo De Rosa]

Hello Chuck ,

I am sorry, it was not my intention to break your rules!
So, I tryed to change my name, but am unable. Maybe, could you do it for me!?!
Thank you so much.

Lorenzo

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

Hello and welcome. You have a wonderful rug there! If it were mine I’d leave it as is pending how much of the border is missing. I’ve seen other examples where there is another 5-7 cm of border going all the way around the rug. Others I have seen look like yours and the border is similar. If I were to have it repaired, the only place that comes to mind is a well established large place near Izmir Turkey. I can’t recall the name and have never used them but I have seen a lot written about them. When it’s finished, you cannot tell there was ever any missing parts.

[Lorenzo De Rosa Registered Find all posts View Profile Close Lorenzo De Rosa]

Hello Joe ,

Thank you for your reply! So, at the end of the story are you telling me that this rug deserves to be restored!?! Did you know that in the case I will go for it, I will need a lot of money, I think...I found here in Italy, a good restorer, in Turin, not an italian, an oriental that may be cheaper than send it to Turkey, I suppose. As, I have already said I am skeptical about restoration, in general. Regards.

Lorenzo

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

Hi Lorenzo

I changed your user name and display name to: Lorenzo De Rosa

Password should be the same.

Let me know if you have problems logging in.

Regards
Chuck

[Lorenzo De Rosa Registered Find all posts View Profile Close Lorenzo De Rosa]

Hi Chuck,

Now, it is alright. Thank you.

Lorenzo

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

Lorenzo,

You're quite welcome. Also, in order to make more informed comments on this piece, may I ask that you add one or two sharp closeup images of the back of the rug ?

It will facilitate better analysis of dye behavior and structural analysis.

Regards
Chuck

[Lorenzo De Rosa Registered Find all posts View Profile Close Lorenzo De Rosa]

Hi Chuck,

As requested I attach a few close-ups photos of the back of the rug. What could say me about this Zeichur Rug? Let me know. Thank you. Regards.

Lorenzo


Lorenzo

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

Hi Lorenzo,

Now, to some of the questions you posed. I include a few images of a Seichour rug we have, that I think can be reasonably dated into the range of 1870 to 1900. Othe rexamples in auction house posting suggest 1865-1885. I am inclined to agree with the person who placed your at the beginning of the 20th century. Anywhere in the range of 1900-1930 seems sensible to me. So many of this style were made in the latter 19th and early 20th century, in a variety of weaving settings, from cottage to city, that we have to assume that these pieces were made for commercial consumption, whether as trade goods or for cash sales.

Caucasian rugs became popular in Europe and buyers from OCM in England and several German rug houses contracted with local markets to accumulate from local weavers and ship. So while the patterns, in particular, were copied widely, the execution and colors were highly variable. The early 20th century rugs are often less vibrant, although after 1930 or so, wild colors became fashionable. The palette on yours is a bit more muted than on ours, partially due to fading (compare the front to the back), but also as part of the rug plan.

Another consideration is the "stiffness" of the weave structure. Steel beam or permanently fixed wood beam looms tend to produce a more consistent tension on warps and wefts, and he rugs are on the loom from start to finish. In cottage or nomadic settings it is not unusual to have everything taken down and set up again, which produces a lot of variability in the character of the weave itself. You can compare my images with yours; I'm sure both were commercial products but there is a lot more variability in the weave on ours.

Regards
Chuck

[Lorenzo De Rosa Registered Find all posts View Profile Close Lorenzo De Rosa]

Hi Chuck,

Thank you so much for your reply, and accurate analysis of my rug. Your are really knowledgable on this field ,an expert! I am still learning, especially about technique. Indeed it is a very short time that I am passionate about rugs, I have begun to acquire a few rugs since just one year, now. I find rugs truly fascinating Textiles, so beautiful and rich of history. So, my rug, as yours, you are saying to me is a rug made for sale, not for the maker, a commercial one. I thought it might be a prayer rug...instead...honestly I cant hide ,I am just saddened, perhaps I hoped something better. Certainly, I know it is quite difficult to find older pieces, however, it seems to me that my rug as yours are two good examples of this type of rug. Very interesting, now I have learned the question of the "stiffness" ,as you called it. Order rugs have ,thus more variability. So, from this observation it is possibile to know, at least to guess the age of a rug. Congratulations for your huge, very fine Zeichur rug! Thank you so much for your contribution, let me now take this opportunity to wish you a happy festive season! Ciao.

Lorenzo

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

Both rugs are very beautiful in my humble view! Merry Christmas from Sweden!

[Lorenzo De Rosa Registered Find all posts View Profile Close Lorenzo De Rosa]

Hi Erik,

Thank you. Merry Christmas to you, too!
Greetings from Florence, Italy.

Lorenzo