Mystery rug#1
This is the first mystery rug proposed in this "salon".
Please refer to Rug#1 in your messages concerning this rug.
This rug measure 110X180 cm ( 3'8''x6') and was probably woven during the first half of the 19th century
Its design is very intriguing and I don't recall any other published example.
The ivory/tan field is covered by a lattice design of hexagonal brownish-red palmettes having an irregular shape. Each palmette contains a small cruciform motif.
The field overall lay-out with irregular shaped palmettes contrast with the curvilinear rendering of the borders reminiscent of central Persian rugs and peculiarly of rugs from Ispahan. A carefully look at the corners of the minor borders let us see that the rendering is irregular and that this rug isn't a workshop product but more probably a rug woven by settled villagers without cartoon. A look at the close-up of the back let us also see that the construction was irregular with uneven tight warps and wefts.
The natural colours which have mellowed are ivory, chestnut, walnut, emerald, ochre, and a very unusual bluish green (tips of this colour have faded).
This kind of colours is reminiscent, I think, of colours found in some north-western Turkish rugs. This first orientation is comforted by the fact that rugs with Persianate design and the same borders were common in this area and peculiarly in Kum Kapi and Hereke.
The first objection will surely be that the rugs woven in this area were workshop products made with cartoon and that those rugs are of the turn of the century and not of the first part of the 19th.
Another technical feature points in the same direction: the wefts are grey wool single (Z), two shots and if I am not mistaken the use of one single for each shoot is an important feature in the structure which pinpoints to a Turkish weaving.
Last lattice design somewhat reminiscent of this rug are documented in some early rugs.
Dimension: 110 cm x 180 cm
Knot: wool, symmetric H 10/per inch V 10/ per inch 100/per square inch;
H 40/dm V 40/dm 1600/dmē
Warps: ivory wool, alternated warps slightly depressed
Wefts: grey wool, 2 shoots, Z spun, probably single
Selvage and ends not original
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| MYSTERY RUG#1 Dimension: 110 cm x 180 cm Look at this picture only to see the design and look at the direct scan below for the real color |
close-up Look at this picture only to see the design and look at the direct scan below for the real color |
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| Direct scan from the lattice design | Direct scan of the Persianate borders |
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| Direct scan of the Persianate main border | Direct scan of the Persianate minor border with the Herati design |
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| Direct scan of the
back Dimension: 110 cm x 180 cm Knot: wool, symmetric H 10/pi V 10/ pi 100/psi H 40/dm V 40/dm 1600/dmē Warps: two ply ivory wool warp (Z2S) , alternated warps slightly depressed (on the right) Wefts: grey wool single (Z), 2 shoots Selvage and ends not original Colours: the natural colours which have mellowed are ivory, chestnut, walnut, emerald, ochre, and a very unusual bluish green (tips of this colour have faded). |
Direct scan of the back showing the two ply white wool warps(Z2S) and the two shots of grey wool single (Z) wefts between each row of knots. |
Related early Turkish rugs with a latice design:
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| TIEM N° 689 - Seljoukide period | HALI 102 : Anatolian pile rug fragment before 1800 |