Posted by Sophia Gates on July 25, 1999 at 19:50:25:
Well, I think it's a cool rug. It's very cheerful, quite unique, I wish I could see it in person.
It's too bad that the selvages and ends are missing, from the standpoint of attribution. Round, rust colored wool covered selvages might well indicate a Kurdish attribution, and this "feels" Kurdish to me. The discipline that I associate with the Shahsavan is missing here, although I must add I haven't seen that many pile Shahsavans. But also the blue-gold color range and the seemingly random, joyous scattering of figures seem possibly Kurdish - perhaps, though, this was the work of a young person?
Finally, I had a Kurdish rug with hand-spun cotton warps and wefts, although the knots were square and it was multiple-wefted - almost like a gabbeh. It too, had a human figure and many Caucasian features.
I realize this isn't a very good argument, but it's the best I can do!