Occam's razor: Three legged confronted animals, early memling guls and triple wefts

[James Morris Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close James Morris]

Barely a rug anymore, more of a fragment or a collection of knots held together by threads, this one had me scratching my head for ages.


It has the colours of a caucasian but, I think some interesting features which hark back to earlier days:
- three legged confronted animals
- a non-reciprocating border (which lends itself extremely well to a reciprocating border)
- Mostly 2-shoot weft but an occasional, seemingly random, 3 shoot weft
- Early style Memling guls
- Curious numerical inscription
- Crusader style cross


All wool. Warp is 3s natural coloured wool. Weft a red dyed 2 strand wool. Symmetric knot.
Colours all vegetable: dark brown; red; dark blue, lighter blue, yellow & white/cream

My craziest moments had me speculating that this was a rug woven to celebrate the Ottoman capture of a Crusader fort, as a storyboard from top to bottom.
Occam's Razor convinced me otherwise ... though I still refer to it as my Crusader rug !!!

[Filiberto Boncompagni2 Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Filiberto Boncompagni2]

Hi James,

Blimey!!! (1)

Where did you find that thing? It looks archaic, doesn't it?

At first sight I thought it's a grand-grandfather of the Bordjalou Kazaks gender.
But, all considered, I am now thinking about a Kurdish attribution.
Woven somewhere near or inside Caucasus, perhaps.

When I have time I'll try to elaborate a little more, maybe.

Regards,

Filiberto

(1) A good administrator should know how to address to patrons in a way suitable to their cultural background, right?

[James Morris Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close James Morris]

Hi Filiberto
That was probably the exact word that went through my head when I saw it!

It was part of a small job lot of rugs at an auction (together with quite possibly the most ugly rug I've ever seen)
I totally agree with you as to where it came from ... Kazak / caucasian

But when I'm trying to guess how old, common sense tells me 19th, maybe 18th century ... then i think of the "content" and all reason goes out of the window.

First medallion: Christian fort (red cross, white background)
second medallion: siege (surrounded by horses)
third medallion: aftermath of siege (birds feasting on remains; grave crosses in field; what looks like a ribcage and a decapitated figure holding a sword)
Fourth medallion: long-term aftermath ... Christians gone. Peace again.

I'd love to hear any other thoughts to disavow me of this though ...
Cheers
James

[Filiberto Boncompagni2 Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Filiberto Boncompagni2]

Hmmm!

James, the first thing to consider before fantasizing on “content”: the medallions of your rug are filled with Memling guls.
Memling guls have very often a cross at the center.
See John Howe's lecture on the subject of Memling guls. Brace yourself for a Memling gul overload:

https://rjohnhowe.wordpress.com/2010...f-the-lecture/

Second, what is the meaning of these crosses on Oriental textiles in general?
We had plenty of discussions on that here. Quite HEATED discussions.

This one is freshly archived in PDF and rather sedated:

http://www.turkotek.com/archiveOldMa...border_rug.pdf

Read the above and let us know...

Regards,

Filiberto

[James Morris Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close James Morris]

Good articles, thanks. I now feel far more educated on both subjects!

It's a shame it's missing so many knots! I wish I had a clearer view of the middle memling guls. When I have some time I'll have a go at recreating what I can of them on screen.

Certainly the top and bottom are very similar to each other, both cross-shaped; one with a red cross at the centre and one, presumably, with a brown/black cross (from the few remaining knots !!!).

They do seem even simpler than the simplest guls that Memling painted.

Maybe its been woven by a four year old?
Best
James

[Filiberto Boncompagni2 Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Filiberto Boncompagni2]

But that is one the reasons that makes me think your rug is Kurdish: Kurdish weavers are known for producing very sloppy designs, occasionally.

I find your rug very interesting, however, with that primitive look. Unfortunately its condition is pitiful...

Well, for your consolation, you are not alone in collecting this kind of wrecks. See, for example, this old

Salon: Relics, Wrecks and Rags, Fragments of the Imagination

Regards,

Filiberto

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

Hi

Filiberto,

Some of the Kazaks are pretty sloppily executed as well. I'm with your first impression; a Bordjalu Kazak.

Regards
Chuck

[James Morris Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close James Morris]

Hi Chuck and Filiberto,
I wasn't familiar with the Bordjalu ... so searched for as many examples as I could find ...
Lo and behold there were a "strain" of them very similar to this ... almost identical borders in the same colours, some more sloppily weaved than others.
On the one hand I'm happy to know what it is, on the other, having been disabused of my crusader rug notion I'm a little sad!
Cheers