Grogan & Company | The Kaffel Collection | Sunday, January 21, 2024

T H E KA F F E L CO L L E C T I O N JANUARY 21, 2024

G R O G A N & C O M PA N Y I S P R O U D T O B R I N G T H E COLLECTION OF RALPH KAFFEL TO AUCTION

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HONORING FORTY YEARS OF RUG SCHOLARSHIP AND COLLECTING

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RALPH AND LINDA KAFFEL THE SOUL OF THE RUG WORLD

Ralph Kaffel (1932–2023) left a legacy to rug connoisseurship well beyond the fabled collection he and his wife Linda assembled over the past forty years. His steadfast curiosity led him to amass an extensive research library, write noteworthy articles and books, and organize important exhibitions and conferences. The world-wide rug community became more enlightened because of Ralph’s insightful and enduring contributions.

Ralph and Linda arrived on the New York rug auction scene in 1979. They had come to educate themselves, having recently purchased a few carpets that were unsatisfactory. Hand in hand, they viewed the offerings, modestly asking questions along the way. Their enthusiasm and commitment was evident immediately, and it is not surprising that The Kaffel Collection blossomed into one of the world’s finest.

Professionally, Ralph’s career was in the music industry, with a specific emphasis on jazz. Much like that improvisational music medium, the tribal and village rugs in The Kaffel Collection reflect the heart and soul of the weaver. Together, Ralph and Linda personified the lyrical spirit of a jazz composition and the appealing charm of a village rug. Discussing music and rugs with Ralph periodically over the past five decades was a golden thread in my life that I relished and will miss.

A phone call from Ralph regarding a specific rug at auction, with Linda on speaker phone, was a treasured and welcome interlude.

Ralph assembled a detailed archive of virtually every rug in the collection, with his handwritten notes for each rug organized geographically in a three-ring binder. In honor of Ralph’s rug knowledge, the voice throughout the auction catalogue is his: the terminology, descriptions, dates, and footnotes are drawn directly from his archive. A facsimile of his corresponding notes will accompany each purchased rug.

It is with honor and respect that we offer The Kaffel Collection.

Sincerely, Michael B. Grogan

Ralph and Linda Kaffel in Paris

GEORGINA C. WINTHROP President & Fine Art Director georgina@groganco.com

MICHAEL B. GROGAN Founder & Chief Auctioneer michael@groganco.com

TAYLOR P. SEE Jewelry Director taylor@groganco.com

CLAUDIA E. DEELEY Gallery Director claudia@groganco.com

MIMI K. CABOT Auction Coordinator mimi@groganco.com

LILIA T.M. HUTCHINS Marketing Coordinator lilia@groganco.com

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LIVE AUCTION S U N DAY, JA N UA R Y 2 1 , 2 0 2 4 SESSION I

· 11 AM

SESSION II · 3 PM

AUCTION EXHIBITION F R I DAY, J A N U A R Y 1 2 — S AT U R DAY, J A N U A R Y 2 0 For more information please contact: info@groganco.com | 617.720.2020

20 CHARLES STREET, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02114

SESSION I ANATOLIAN Lots 1 – 52

CAUCASIAN Lots 53 – 98

SOUMAC Lots 99 – 138

SESSION II PERSIAN Lots 139 – 167

CENTRAL ASIAN Lots 168 – 221

BELOUCH Lots 222 – 241

ANATOLIAN

1 Mujar Prayer Rug Central Anatolia, ca. 1800 4 ft. 11 in. x 3 ft. 10 in. $5,000–10,000 Provenance: Sotheby's London, Joseph Ritman Collection, 18 October 1995, Lot 74.

Literature: - Herrmann, Eberhart. Asiatische Teppich- und Textilkunst I. E. Herrmann: Munich, 1989, pl. 10.

- Hali 84. "Auction Price Guide." Hali Publications Ltd: London, 1996, p. 33.

Exhibitions: Ralph & Linda Kaffel, Seattle, Washington, American Conference on Oriental Rugs 7: ‘Cedar Chest’ Session, March 2004.

Ralph’s Notes: Late 18th/early 19th c. (dated 18th c. by Herrmann). In the English supplement to ATT 1, Herrmann wrote, in part – “... it differs from the many well-known and much published standard examples in that the usual main border with rows of diamonds has been reduced to an inner blue-ground guard stripe, and the yellow border with an ascending tree-like motif has become the main focus.” Writing about an analogous fragmented prayer rug in Sailer’s Fragments (1988), Dr. Spuhler called this border motif a “rising blossom vine” (pl. 22). Another such example appeared at Sotheby New York, 3 June 1989, #158, described in the catalog as a “pinnacle of Turkish village weaving” (Hali 46, p. 81). An example from the Joseph Bezdjian collection having 3 borders (top and sides) and a bottom border of these “tree-like” motifs was published in Hali 105, p. 27 and in Eiland & Eiland (1998), plate 155. Another example, cited by Herrmann as related, has a very similar palette, a plain red mihrab, and a yellow-ground meander border characteristic of Ladik (Hali 5/2, p. 20; Hali 36, p. 96; Bernheimer, 1987, pl. 2). Having seen and examined the first three rugs in person (SNY, SLO and Sailer), Herrmann adds, “... the fragment (Sailer) and this prayer rug (ours) are very similar in their deep primary colors, structure and soft handle. The (SNY example) has a subtler palette and a somewhat harder handle. It is very tempting to see the latter as a product of the local workshop tradition, whereas the Sailer fragment and this rug are probably village/nomadic weavings.” Herrmann and Sailer dated their rugs to the 18th century, Sotheby’s to circa 1800.

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2 West Central Anatolian Prayer Rug mid 19th century 4 ft. x 3 ft. 5 in.

Ralph’s Notes: The only comparable example to my knowledge was offered by Persian Carpet Galleries (Lefevre) London on 6 February 1976 #17, a slightly larger (4’4 x 3’5) example attributed to Konya, mid-19th century.

$3,000–5,000 Provenance: The Collection of Michael Cuccello, Chicago, Illinois; Leslie Hindman Auctioneers, Chicago, Illinois, 27 February 1994, Lot 131.

Literature: Hali 157. “Unusually Anatolian.” Hali Publications Ltd: London, 2008, p. 83, no. 8.

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Both rugs are virtually identical, having the rare (in Anatolian weavings) tree of life in the mihrab, a multi-striped border containing cartouches which in turn contain hooked motifs. While our prayer niche is red, Lefevre’s is described as golden yellow (in the lower part) and light green. Our spandrels are indigo, Lefevre’s are red. The cartouches in Lefevre’s are outlined in ivory, while ours are outlined in red, green and ivory.

3 East Anatolian Prayer Rug ca. 1865-75 3 ft. 6 in. x 3 ft. 5 in.

Literature: - Oriental Rug Review. Philadelphia, 1990, vol. 10, no. 4 (April/May 1990), p. 8.

- Eiland, Murray. Oriental Rugs from Pacific Collections. San Francisco Bay Area Rug Society: San Francisco, 1990, pl. 28.

- Hali 157. “Unusually Anatolian.” Hali Publications Ltd: London, 2008, p. 84, no. 12.

$5,000–10,000 Provenance: John C. Edelmann Galleries, New York (private purchase, ca. 1979).

Exhibitions: - Fort Mason, San Francisco, The International Conference on Oriental Carpets 6, November 1990.

- Ralph & Linda Kaffel, Seattle, Washington, American Conference on Oriental Rugs 7: ‘Cedar Chest’ Session, March 2004.

Ralph’s Notes: In Pacific Collections Murray Eiland wrote, in part: “This is the kind of rug that defies labels, as its ivory warps would not seem congruent with field design and colors, both of which suggest Anatolian Kurdish work. The tightly packed knotting allows no weft to be seen from the back of the rug, and the texture is most unusual.”

In the Hali article I wrote: “I know of no close analogies among piled prayer rugs to… this piece. Its closest counterparts are three Reyhanli Kilims with similar mihrabs and virtually identical multi-striped border systems. One was published by Yanni Petsopoulos in 1979, a second, now with Albert Mazzie in San Francisco was published the same year by Alan Marcuson in the slender booklet that accompanied an exhibition at the Douglas Hyde Gallery in Dublin, Ireland, and a third was posted online in January 2002 by Dr. Mark Berkovich of Marvadin Gallery in Israel. The similarity of this prayer rug to the kilims suggests that it may have been woven in southeastern Turkey, in or around Reyhanli, which is near Gaziantep and the border of Kurdish Anatolia.”

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4 Mujar Prayer Rug Central Anatolia, ca. 1800-25 4 ft. 7 in. x 3 ft. 10 in. $4,000–6,000 Provenance: Sotheby's New York, Carpets and Textiles from Distinguished Collections, 31 January 2014, Lot 116.

Literature: - Jenkins, Donald. Near Eastern Art in Chicago Collections. "Mr. and Mrs. B.C. Holland Collection."

The Art Institute of Chicago: Chicago, 1974, no. 10.

- Hali 179. "Auction Price Guide." Hali Publications Ltd: London, 2014, p. 13.

Exhibitions: The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, Near Eastern Art in Chicago Collections, November 17, 1973– January 30, 1974, cat. no. 10.

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Ralph's Notes: A rare type of Mujur prayer rug from the collection of Dr. William T. Price of Amarillo in Texas, which was exhibited at the Art Institute of Chicago in 1973/74 when it was the property of Mr. and Mrs. B.C. (Bud) Holland (Near Eastern Art in Chicago Collections, no. 10). As far as we know, there are only two directly comparable pieces. The closest comparison, in which the central column is flanked by two shorter columns, is at the TIEM in Istanbul (Turkish Handwoven Carpets 4, no. 0398). Other than this difference the design of the two rugs is virtually identical, including the border of linked hexagonal cartouches containing florets, the flowerhead motif of the interior guard borders, and similar motifs in the spandrels. This cartouche border is extremely rare in Mujur prayer rugs, but characteristic of the ‘Transylvania’ genre. The second comparable rug is published in Georg Butterweck & Dieter Orasch, Handbook of Anatolian Carpets/Central Anatolia, p. 121, described by the authors [as] “a remarkable piece woven by Christian weavers in the Mujur region.” The design of the main border consists of rounded cartouches, typical of Konya rugs (see Belkis Balpinar & Udo Hirsch, Vakiflar/Carpets, 1988, pl.70).

5 Makri Prayer Rug West Anatolia, ca. 1875 4 ft. 10 in. x 4 ft. 2 in. $5,000–10,000 Provenance: Christie's New York, Meyer-Muller Collection, 22 January 1991, Lot 122.

Ralph’s Notes: Christie’s attributed this rug to “Bergama”. Lefevre attributed a virtually identical rug as “Bergama, 18th century”.

Both attributions are incorrect as this rug and others like it should be attributed to Makri, as all of the color and design indices make the Marki attribution a near certainty. Similar rugs have been attributed to Makri by Nagel (15 May 2001 #1704) and by Dr. Mohamed Mustafa (Turkish Prayer Rugs Cairo 1953 pl. XXI #2).

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6 Manastir Prayer Rug Macedonia, late 19th/early 20th century 4 ft. 5 in. x 3 ft. 10 in. $2,000–4,000 Provenance: The Collection of Michael Cuccello; Leslie Hindman Auctioneers, Chicago, Illinois, 27 February 1994, Lot 149; Maury Bynum, Chicago, ca. 1995.

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Ralph’s Notes: While this rug is missing parts of its side borders, it retains its original ends and is essentially complete and free of repair or reweaves. According to Sonny Berntsson (Hali 112 pp. 98-103) most Manastir prayer rugs were woven in the late 19th century in the Turkish Balkan provinces (specifically, in what is now Macedonia) and a few were made in Anatolia by returning Muslim villagers. This rug appears to be the oldest of the few known examples of this design type. Comparable pieces may be seen in Hali 83 p. 29 (Johannik, Vienna); Pasha Anatolia p. 80; and in the collection of Galerie Kelim, Wurzburg, Germany (online, 2000).

7 Bergamo Prayer Rug West Anatolia, ca. 1800 3 ft. 7 in. x 3 ft. 4 in. $8,000–12,000

Provenance: Phillips New York, 14 June 1980, Lot 103; Sotheby's New York, The Estate of Vance Jordan, 2 April 2004, Lot 50.

Literature: - Phillips New York. New York, 14 June 1980, Lot 103.

- Hali 3/2. "Auction Price Guide." Hali Publications Ltd: London, 1980, p. 160.

- Herrmann, Eberhart. Von Konya Bis Kokand: Seltene Orientteppiche III. Munich, 1988, pl. 4.

- Hali 135. "Auction Price Guide." Hali Publications Ltd: London, 2004, p. 104.

Exhibitions: Michael B. Grogan, Boston College, Boston, Massachusetts, Town and Tribal Carpets, February 1984, fig. VII.

Ralph’s Notes: The earlier Auction Price Guide wrote that this rug “was woven with wool dyed in outstand[ing]ly beautiful colors.” This is our favorite west Anatolian prayer rug. We were the underbidders when this rug sold at Phillips. It was bought by a ring and auctioned off to Herrmann. It is without doubt the best of type.

Many similar examples appeared since 1980 but none measured up. When this rug re-appeared at SNY, we were determined to acquire it. It is the smallest in the earlier sub-group of these rugs which feature a star-like central ornament; the larger, later group features a rhomboidal quatrefoil as a central ornament.

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8 Ladik Prayer Rug Central Anatolia, ca. 1800 6 ft. 3 in. x 3 ft. 10 in. $4,000–6,000 Provenance: Sotheby's New York, 1 October 2002, Lot 335.

Ralph’s Notes: Julia Bailey’s article in Hali 28 pp.

18-25 classifies the fields of Ladik prayer rugs into three basic designs: the “triple arch” as here, the more common stepped single arch, and the third type which combines two free-standing columns with either of the first two field types.

Our rug is quite similar to the example chosen

by Bailey to illustrate the triple arch type.

An even more similar example is illustrated in Anatolian Carpets: Masterpieces from the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts, Istanbul pl. 132, dated to late 18th/early 19th century.

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9 Yuruk Prayer Rug Eastern Anatolia, late 19th/early 20th century 6 ft. 1 in. x 3 ft. 9 in. $5,000–8,000 Provenance: Skinner, Bolton, Massachusetts, 18 September 1999, Lot 41.

Literature: Benardout, Raymond. Woven Stars. IPM Antiques: Newport Beach, 1996, p. 73, pl. 78.

Exhibitions: Santa Monica, California, American Conference on Oriental Rugs 3, January 1996.

Ralph’s Notes: In Woven Stars Raymond Benardout described this rug as “a fabulous example of ethnic weaving, and has the hallmark of brilliance, in the combination of pigmentation and design layout.”

This rug is one of a sparsely documented sub-group of Yuruk prayer rugs, the first of which was offered

by Christie's New York 7 June 1988 #45, followed by one example from the George Scott Collection, sold at Christie’s Lancaster PA on 10 June 1994 #46 and Rippon Boswell 16 November 2002 #105. In all four the mihrab is filled with an all-over pattern of latch hook devices and eight-pointed stars and a light blue main border of stylized rosettes and clusters of small quartered diamonds.

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10 Konya Prayer Rug Central Anatolia late 19th century 4 ft. 6 in. x 4 ft. $3,000–5,000 Provenance: Rippon Boswell.

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Ralph’s Notes: A good but fairly typical example of a group of central Anaolian prayer rugs, which are quite similar to each other in iconography and color palette. A related example from the Kreissl collection has a similar palette but a variant border of hooked cruciforms on yellow ground. The downward slanting branches are adorned with stars rather than arrowheads and the rug is probably a generation earlier than ours (Kreissl, Art as Tradition/Anatolia, pl. 78). An example with a field as ours and a border as Kreissl’s was offered CLO 10/14/99 #11, and an example most similar to ours was published in Hali 26, p. 87, as an “Editor’s Choice,” also published Ben... #6.

Both rugs have an identical design of arrowhead branches on a red prayer arch, green spandrels containing red rosettes, and a border of memling güls (one yellow ground in Hali’s and ivory ground in ours). The Hali editors refer to pl. 43 in Rugs of the Peasants and Nomads of Anatolia as an analogy, an example with similar but duller coloring and a hooked cruciform border. However, B&B refer to the motif in their rugs as a “Tree of Life,” a description of the motif that I’m not sure I agree with.

11 Konya Prayer Rug Central Anatolia early 19th century 4 ft. 7 in. x 3 ft. 9 in.

Ralph’s Notes: There are a number of Konya/Cappadocia prayer rugs with this border of stepped polygons or “Memling” güls. With few exceptions this border is on yellow ground, the mihrab is red against a green, and, less frequently, blue ground, which is usually decorated with rosettes. An ascending arrowhead motif on a diagonal bias is often seen in the prayer arch.

$3,000–5,000 Provenance: Clive Loveless, London, June 2003.

Exhibitions: Ralph & Linda Kaffel, Seattle, Washington, American Conference on Oriental Rugs 7: ‘Cedar Chest’ Session, March 2004.

This example is the only one known to me of this type with a yellow ground. The border is on white ground, and the mihrab is decorated with a hooked, ascending vertical motif.

The arch is topped with a bisected rectangle, possibly a representation of the Kaaba. This is a recent acquisition. If we had owned this rug prior to the publication of my Yellow Ground Konya article in Hali, I would have included it as one of the few prayer rug examples in the yellow-ground group.

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12 Melas Rug Western Anatolia, first half 19th century 5 ft. 1 in. x 3 ft. 8 in. $5,000–7,000 Provenance: John C. Edelmann Galleries, New York, 13 February 1980, Lot 107.

Literature: - Turkish Carpets from the 16th to the 19th Century. Lefevre & Partners: London, 11 February 1977, no. 15.

- Christie's New York. New York, 5 October 1977.

- Hali 1/1. Hali Publications Ltd: London, 1978, p. 75.

Ralph’s Notes: [Lefevre caption] The Melaz rug shown here and the one illustrated on the previous page have very similar sets of borders. A Melaz prayer rug attributed to the beginning of the nineteenth century and cataloged as no. 142 in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum (fig. 209 in Dimand’s book) has an almost identical set of borders and shares in the colour scheme of these two examples of Melaz weavings. In the rug shown here the pattern of the field is completely geometrical and is related to the Bergama or Çanakkale rugs... thereby rejoining the powerful Seljuk tradition from which the early group of large design ‘Holbein carpets’ were descended. This connection reinforces the relation of the rugs of Melaz to the district of Bergama. There are a few small repairs along the sides. The rug is otherwise free of repair and in excellent condition. It has its original selvedge.

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13 Melas Prayer Rug Southwest Anatolia, mid 19th century 6 ft. x 4 ft. $8,000–12,000 Provenance: Rippon Boswell, 20 May 2006, Lot 74.

Literature: Hali 149. "Auction Price Guide." Hali Publications Ltd: London, 2006, p. 106.

Ralph’s Notes: [Auction Price Guide] In ‘Melas Rugs from Asia Minor’ (Hali 5/2, pp.120-4) Pamela Bensoussan described the so-called ‘Baroque Group–Imaginative Style’ prayer rugs thus: “... borders are delineated by zig-zags instead of straight lines; two shades of the same colour appearing side by side; design motifs without outlining; the frequent appearance of realistically drawn bouquets and serrated or feathered leaves and botehs; and the use of more sombre and saturated colours.” Most of these features are found in the present rug, plus one anomaly – the ground colour in the lower third shifts from aubergine to red. At 6’ by 4’ it is one of the largest known examples. The Baroque or Europeanised style of Melas rugs became popular during the reign of Sultan Abdul Mejid (1839–41) and rugs of the type were known in the trade as ‘Mejideh’. Closely related rugs include Bensoussan, fig. 11; SLO, 12 October 1988, lot 452, £5,500; SNY, 19 September 2003, lot 17, $7,200; RB, 12 November 1994, lot 25, DM12,000; Bausback 1975, p. 71; SNY, 14 December 2001, lot 38, $7,000-10,000, unsold; and Hali 31, inside front cover, David Black. The best of type, comparable in size to the present rug, is a majestic white-ground example, twice sold at SNY: 30 April 1983, lot 137, and 2 April 2004, lot 3 (Hali 135, p. 104).

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14 Konya Fragment Central Anatolia, 18th century 7 ft. x 2 ft. 11 in.; backed $3,000–5,000 Provenance: Dr. Hans Kinzl, March 2015.

Literature: - Franses, Michael and Heinrich Kirchheim, et al. Orient Stars: A Carpet Collection. Hali Publications Ltd: London & Stuttgart, 1993, pl. 134, p. 209.

- Rippon Boswell: Orient Stars. Rippon Boswell & Co.: Wiesbaden, Germany, 2 October 1999, lot 58.

Ralph’s Notes: While Spuhler, in the [Rippon Boswell] catalogue caption, points to a very close relationship to lot #57, the preceding piece in the catalog, the palette of this piece is very different, as is the more elongated rendering of the two large “diamonds.”

15 Konya Rug Central Anatolia, 18th century 6 ft. 8 in. x 4 ft. 3 in.; backed $10,000–20,000 Provenance: Sotheby's New York, Sailer Collection, 1 October 1998, Lot 72.

Literature: - Weltkunst. Berlin, November 1987, p. 3426.

- Franses, Michael and Heinrich Kirchheim, et al. Orient Stars: A Carpet Collection. Hali Publications Ltd: London & Stuttgart, 1993, pl. 123.

- Hali 83. Hali Publications Ltd: London, 1995, p. 149.

- Hali 87. "Sailer Collection Ad." Hali Publications Ltd: London, 1996, p. 65.

- Hali 102. "Auction Price Guide." Hali Publications Ltd: London, 1999, p. 123.

- Hali 128. "Heart & Soul: The Yellow Ground Rugs of Konya." Hali Publications Ltd: London, 2003, p. 90, no. 1.

Exhibitions: Burlingame, California, American Conference on Oriental Rugs 5: 'Passages II: San Francisco Bay Area Collections', March/April 2000.

Ralph’s Notes: In Orient Stars Spuhler remarks on the unusually complete state of preservation of this rug, as most old examples are fragmentary and singles out its magical quality. The bottom left octagon contains an “evil eye” to ward off evil. This rug is the epitome of Konya village weaving of the 18th century, with its loose weaves, wonderful saturated colors, and powerful iconography.

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16 Konya Rug Central Anatolia, before 1800 7 ft. 9 in. x 4 ft. 5 in. $10,000–20,000 Provenance: Skinner, Bolton, Massachusetts, 6 December 1987, Lot 114.

Literature: - Oriental Rug Review. Philadelphia, 1987, vol. 8, no. 1 (October/November 1987), p. 51.

- Hali 38. “Auction Report.” Hali Publications Ltd: London, 1988, p. 87.

- Murray, Jr., Eiland L. and Eiland Murray III. Oriental Rugs: A Complete Guide. Laurence King: London, 1998, pl. 162.

- Hali 128. “Heart and Soul: The Yellow Ground Rugs of Konya.” Hali Publications Ltd: London, 2003, p. 93, no. 7.

Ralph’s Notes: Multiple columns of enclosed “Kaikalak” güls, as seen here, are very rare in carpets of this type, since in most examples these motifs are arranged in single vertical columns. To us this rug encapsulates the essence of the “yellow ground” group and of Turkish folk weaving: bright pure colors, simple geometric designs, good quality wool, and a distinctive weave with a low knot count. The weaver’s original intention was to create columns of red octagons enclosing hooked motifs but she quickly abandoned that in favor of columns of vari-colored lantern-shaped polygons.

Murray Eiland’s Oriental Rugs caption for this rug follows: “Although these are some of the most coarsely knotted pieces woven anywhere in the Near East, the yellow field Konya rugs compensate for fineness with exceptional color, which here includes a strong apricot, a solid natural purple, and a fantastically appealing yellow."

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17 Konya Rug Central Anatolia, before 1800 7 ft. 2 in. x 4 ft. $10,000–20,000 Provenance: RASA, Cambridge, Massachusetts, December 1991.

Literature: Hali 128. "Heart and Soul: The Yellow Ground Rugs of Konya." Hali Publications Ltd: London, 2003, p. 92, no. 4.

Ralph’s Notes: The diverse array of motifs and decorative devices used within the “yellow ground” group is attested to by this (so far) unique 18th century rug. The shield-like figures with humanoid characteristics – head, arms and legs and (possibly) epaulettes on the shoulders have a still-unidentified heraldic significance, and the scattered minor field motifs in the form of the Armenian letter “A” may indicate an Armenian connection. The archaic border contains diagonally-bisected polychrome hooked motifs. Similar borders may be seen on a 17th century Bergama rug (Yetkin, Historical Turkish Carpets, pl. 26); on a 15th century Beysehir rug (Balpinar & Hirsch, Vakiflar Carpets, pl. 64). These elements are also, though rarely, used as field motifs (Erdmann, 700 Years of Oriental Carpets, fig. 157). I have seen nothing even remotely similar to this rug, either in person or in literature, in some 37 years of collecting. While the pattern is repetitive, the juxtaposition of colors and the artful placement of various minor motifs achieve a sustainment of interest.

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18 Konya Rug Central Anatolia, before 1800 10 ft. 4 in. x 3 ft. 7 in. $10,000–20,000 Provenance: Arky Robbins' Bakhtiari Oriental Rugs, San Francisco, November 1989.

Literature: - Eiland, Murray. Oriental Rugs from Pacific Collections. San Francisco Bay Area Rug Society: San Francisco, 1990, pl. 23.

- Hali 50. "Arky Robbins Ad." Hali Publications Ltd: London, 1990, p. 23.

- Murray, Jr., Eiland L. and Eiland Murray III. Oriental Rugs: A Complete Guide. Laurence King: London, 1998, pl. 164.

- Hali 128. "Heart and Soul: The Yellow Ground Rugs of Konya." Hali Publications Ltd: London, 2003, p. 86, no. 13, and cover illustration.

Ralph’s Notes: [From Hali article] “One yellow ground sub group has the so-called “Kaikalak” gül, a hooked cruciform within a stepped polygon; the design can be traced back to Chinese/Central Asian and Seljuk origins. Most of the published examples are narrow long rugs with one vertical column of three polygons on red ground.”

This rug is similar to the two fragments of the same rug in the Orient Stars collection plates 126 & 127. The fragments and this rug share an identical uncommon border of geometric rosettes on white ground connected to each other by thin brown lines. In this rug this occurs throughout the border, but in one of the fragments the rosettes in the lower border are only connected by a single line. Other related examples include Hali 32 p. 77; Hali 41 Ad, p. 3; Gülgönen Konya Cappadocia Carpets pl. 24; Rippon Boswell 14 Nov. ‘87 #40 (= Hali 39 ad p. 60); Hali 70 p. 152. Murray Eiland published this rug twice – in Pacific Collections and in Oriental Rugs. His comment was the same on both occasions: “This extremely coarse weave is characteristic of parts of the Konya region, as is the bold, uncluttered design.”

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19 Bergamo Rug or Yatak Western Anatolia, ca. 1800 5 ft. 8 in. x 5 ft. $10,000–20,000 Provenance: Rippon Boswell, Herrmann Sale, catalogue dated 28 September 1996, sale occurred 26 June 1999, Lot 59.

Literature: - Herrmann, Eberhart. Seltene Orientteppiche X. Tiafit AG: Munich, 1988, pl. 12.

- Hali 40. "Exhibition Review." Hali Publications Ltd: London, 1988, p. 90.

- Hali 107. "Auction Price Guide." Hali Publications Ltd: London, 1999, p. 131.

Exhibitions: Burlingame, California, American Conference on Oriental Rugs 5: 'Passages II: San Francisco Bay Area Collections', March/April 2000.

Ralph’s Notes: Reviewing Herrmann’s 1998 exhibition, Hali published this rug in issue #40, p. 90, captioned as follows: “A superbly coloured and executed Anatolian village version of the “Memling” gül design. This rug stands in direct line of descent between the well-known 15th century fragment in the Budapest Museum of Applied Arts and the numerous 19th century Caucasian versions of this design. The red and blue striped kilim ends suggest a west Anatolian provenance while the green in several of the güls is also seen in Dazkiri kilims.”

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20 Konya Rug Central Anatolia, before 1800 6 ft. 4 in. x 4 ft. 4 in. $10,000–20,000 Provenance: Sotheby's London, Joseph Ritman Collection, 18 October 1995, Lot 82.

Literature: - Herrmann, Eberhart. Asiatische Teppich- und Textilkunst I. E. Herrmann: Munich, 1989, pl. 9.

- Hali 47. Hali Publications Ltd: London, 1989, p. 97.

- Hali 84. “Auction Price Guide.” Hali Publications Ltd: London, 1996, p. 134.

- Hali 128. "Heart and Soul: The Yellow Ground Rugs of Konya." Hali Publications Ltd: London, 2003, p. 94, no. 8.

Exhibitions: Burlingame, California, American Conference on Oriental Rugs 5: 'Passages II: San Francisco Bay Area Collections', March/April 2000.

Ralph’s Notes: In the caption to pl. 9 (A.T.T. 1) Herrmann wrote (in part): “... it occupies a key position in research and development, analogous to the discovery of a fossil or lost design forms and developments.”

Auction Price Guide wrote (in part): “Known yellow ground Konya carpets are rare and early. Of the 49 yellow ground Konyas in Orient Stars only three have central medallion motifs (pls. 130-133) and all are dated between 16th and 18th centuries. The medallions are diamonds or star shaped and do not suggest the stylized animal forms of this rug.”

If this medallion is viewed as a mirror image on a vertical axis, it is then clearly related to the main border of a 17th century double re-entrant Ushak carpet in Vegh & Layer, Turkish Rugs in Transylvania (pl. 10). For a scheme of the design see James Jajczay, The Symbology of the Oriental Carpet, p. 265 fig. 34.

Additional relevant excerpts from Herrmann’s caption: “The medallion consists of a red ground body of dissolved animal forms. Four adjoining sets of free standing red and yellow motifs are easily recognized as animal forms – probably dragon stylization… both protrusions of dark yellow shapes are reminiscent of dragons in Azerbaijan Sileh weavings.”

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21 Konya Rug Fragment Central Anatolia, ca. 1800 5 ft. 8 in. x 3 ft. 4 in. $3,000–5,000 Provenance: Sotheby's New York, 13 December 1996, Lot 36 (cover illustration).

Literature: - Hali 91. "Auction Price Guide." Hali Publications Ltd: London, 1997, p. 154.

- Hali 157. “Unusually Anatolian.” Hali Publications Ltd: London, 2008, p. 84, no. 11.

Ralph’s Notes: While yastiks with depictions of Saz leaves are common, rugs with these motifs are rare. Some examples include Orient Stars pl. 178, dated to the 16/17th century (Hali 63 p. 44); a yellow-ground rug sold twice at SNY (14 December 2001 #59 = Hali 121 APG p. 137 and 2 December 2003 #24) dated to mid 19th century; a white ground example with three pairs of Saz leaves in T.I.E.M. (Anatolian Carpets pl. 84 = Hali 105 p. 95); Eiland Oriental Rugs (1981) pl. 15, dated to mid-19th century.

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22 Konya Village Rug Central Anatolia, 17th/18th century 6 ft. x 3 ft. 10 in.; backed $5,000–10,000 Provenance: Rippon Boswell, Orient Stars Sale, 2 October 1999, Lot 56.

Literature: - Franses, Michael and Heinrich Kirchheim, et al. Orient Stars: A Carpet Collection. Hali Publications Ltd: London & Stuttgart, 1993, pl. 132, p. 207.

- Hali 128. "Heart and Soul: The Yellow Ground Rugs of Konya."

Hali Publications Ltd: London, 2003, p. 98, no. 17.

Exhibitions: Burlingame, California, American Conference on Oriental Rugs 5: 'Passages II: San Francisco Bay Area Collections', March/April 2000.

Ralph’s Notes: Comparing this rug to another Orient Stars piece (O.S. #131, p. 206) Spuhler commented (in part): “The carpets have a quite contrary appeal: elegant and exquisite in one piece (#131), powerfully expressive in the other [this piece]. The collector himself perceptively described the carpet as the feminine and the other as the masculine version. The possibility for these poles to co-exist provides the solution to the mysterious difference between village and workshop weavings. The village weaver creates the carpet with which she will live and which is not subject to workshop control. Finally, I must mention the almost incredible distortion in border drawing, which has nevertheless acquired such a degree of internal order…”.

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23 Konya Rug Central Anatolia, ca. 1800 5 ft. 10 in. x 3 ft. 1 in.; backed $3,000–5,000 Provenance: Rippon Boswell, 29 May 2010, Lot 91.

Literature: - Franses, Michael and Heinrich Kirchheim, et al. Orient Stars: A Carpet Collection. Hali Publications Ltd: London & Stuttgart, 1993, pl. 157, p. 227.

- Rippon Boswell. Wiesbaden, Germany, 2 October 1999, Lot 66.

- Hali 165. "Auction Price Guide." Hali Publications Ltd: London, 2010, p. 118.

Ralph’s Notes: This was a last minute addition to the Orient Stars exhibition and catalog. When it was offered in RB's Orient Stars sale, it was described as a yastik.

[Spuhler’s comment in RB's Orient Stars sale] “The design of this sadly incomplete rug could be described as naive. I might have been able to do it proper justice were it not at the end of fifty examples in what must surely be the most comprehensive collection of such rugs.”

[RB catalog comment] “This tile-like pattern of diamonds quartered into four color sections, and arranged point-to-point, produces interesting reciprocal effects: when concentrating on the central axis, one sees red cruciforms placed at an angle. The comparatively broad free space on the sides of the field have been decorated with tiny polygons and an amulet by the weaver.

The miniature format leads us to assume that the item is a ‘yastik’.”

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24 Konya Long Rug Central Anatolia, 18th century 8 ft. 6 in. x 3 ft. 8 in.; backed $4,000–6,000 Provenance: Rippon Boswell, Orient Stars Sale, 2 October 1999, Lot 60.

Literature: - Franses, Michael and Heinrich Kirchheim, et al. Orient Stars: A Carpet Collection. Hali Publications Ltd: London & Stuttgart, 1993, pl. 146, p. 219.

- Hali 128. "Heart and Soul: The Yellow Ground Rugs of Konya." Hali Publications Ltd: London, 2003, p. 97, no. 15.

Ralph’s Notes: Rippon Boswell catalog comment (in part): “... the piece has been preserved in almost complete form, with the exception of some missing pieces along the edges. On account of its four massive cruciforms, dual-stripe border design and choice of colours, it stands out among the “Yellow Group” as a unique piece and might be the work of a Kurdish weaver.”

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25 Karapinar Rug Central Anatolia, Konya region, 17th/18th century 6 ft. 10 in. x 4 ft. 8 in. $10,000–15,000 Provenance: Rippon Boswell, 20 May 2006, Lot 139.

Literature: - Hali 89. Hali Publications Ltd: London, 1996, p. 149.

- Hali 148. “Auction Price Guide.” Hali Publications Ltd: London, 2006, p. 109.

Ralph’s Notes: [Auction Price Guide] “Like many rugs attributed to Karapinar, a small town east of Konya, the design is an angular rendering of the ogival lattice found on classical Ottoman textiles. A possibly earlier type has ovoid orange medallions linked by a lobed rosette and a pomegranate on a dark brown field (HALI 63, p. 143; CLO, 17 October 1996, lot 419; Atlantic Collections, pl. 26). Here the scheme is reversed, with single dark brown medallions, like lobed diamonds with trefoil finials, on an orange field. It is one of three ‘orange’-ground Karapinars documented to date, although the color here tends more to a salmon/red. The others are both runners: the first, an ex-Sailer piece with three medallions on an undecorated field and a long publishing history sold for $34,535 at Sotheby’s Olympia on 16 October 2002 (lot 45, HALI 126, p. 132). The second, with four medallions, did rather better, fetching $57,360 at CLO on 1 May 2003 (lot 158, HALI 130, p. 124). The present rug, also once with Sailer (HALI 89, p. 149), is the only single-medallion example. It shares the squarish geometric box-flowers decorating the field ... star within a stylised white cruciform instead of the simpler polygons of the two runners. We have been unable to find a border precisely analogous to its unusual variant of linked rosettes separated by stylised stemmed leaves, quite unlike the reciprocal trefoil main border of both runners (known from a number of Karapinar rugs, as is their inner guard of purple and white diamonds, like geometric trefoils, more akin to Anatolian kilim design), but related forms may be seen on some Konyas (CLO, 15 October 1998, lot 254; Zipper & Fritzsche, no.22 – Lefevre, 16 May 1975, lot 23; Orient Stars, pls. 126 & 127; and Eiland 198, pl. 164 = HALI 50, p.23 = HALI 128, cover and p.96). While the runners are workshop products, the present rug has all the hallmarks of a pre-1800 village weaving.”

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26 Melas Rug Fragment Western Anatolia, 18th century 4 ft. 3 in. x 2 ft. 10 in.; backed $3,000–5,000 Provenance: Sotheby's New York, 15 December 1994, Lot 187.

Literature: - Ghereh: International Carpet & Textile Review. "Issue 23." CATO Editore: Torino, Italy, 2000, p. 36.

- Hali 109. Hali Publications Ltd: London, 2000, p. 36, no. 5.

Exhibitions: Burlingame, California, American Conference on Oriental Rugs 5: 'Passages II: San Francisco Bay Area Collections', March/April 2000.

Ralph’s Notes: Carpets with this distinctive “wave” pattern have been attributed to Kula (Cairo Islamic Museum Oriental Rug Review 10/3 p. 49; SNY); to Ghiordes (Weber, Zurich 1 November 2003 #201). An example from the Bernheimer Collection, ambitiously dated to the 17th century offered at CLO 14 February 1996 suggests a Melas origin in the caption. This fragment is most similar in terms of color, design, and border pattern to a fragmented carpet in the possession of Alberto Boralevi, published in Oriental Rug Review Vol. 10 #3 p. 31. In discussing his rug, Boralevi ventured the opinion that these rugs may be early Melas pieces, rather than Ushak. (The Bernherminer rug, when published in Aete Teppiche des 16-18c. was attributed to Ushak). I have always thought that this rug was Melas, based on absolutely typical Melas colors and border pattern. It is so similar to Boralevi’s fragment that the two fragments may have come from the same carpet.

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27 Çal Rug Southwestern Anatolia, first half 19th century 6 ft. 1 in. x 5 ft. 1 in. $8,000–12,000

Literature: - Hali 50. "Skinner Ad." Hali Publications Ltd: London, 1990, p. 44.

- Oriental Rug Review. Philadelphia, 1990, vol. 10, no. 6 (April/May 1990), p. 58.

- Hali 52. "Auction Price Guide." Hali Publications Ltd: London, 1990, p. 177.

Provenance: Skinner, Bolton, Massachusetts, 10 June 1990, Lot 137.

Exhibitions: Burlingame, California, American Conference on Oriental Rugs 5: 'Passages II: San Francisco Bay Area Collections', March/April 2000.

Ralph’s Notes: Until quite recently yellow-ground rugs from Çal were often mistaken for Konya yataks, due to their squarish dimension and palette, congruent with Konya pieces. Actually, Çal rugs with this all-over pattern of quartered rosettes are rather rare and only a few examples have been published. Clearly related examples include lot #107 at Rippon Boswell Frankfurt 15 November 1986 (Hali 33, Auction Price Guide, p. 80). While the Hali editors admired the rug, attribution confused them to the point when Manastir was suggested, while RB catalogued it as Bergama. As late as 1993 attribution was still elusive; Michael Craycraft of Galerie Arabesque described a beautiful example as a Konya yatak (published in the program of the 7th ICOC in Germany in 1993), while Swiss dealer Orientteppiche Boutique correctly ascribed his example to West Anatolia in Hali 39, p. 40 (= Nagel, Oct. 1990 #272).

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28 Konya Long Rug Fragment Central Anatolia, before 1800 9 ft. 8 in. x 3 ft. 6 in.; backed $5,000–10,000 Provenance: Mehmet Cetinkaya Gallery, Istanbul, July 1996.

Literature: Hali 128. "Heart and Soul: The Yellow Ground Rugs of Konya."

Hali Publications Ltd: London, 2003, p. 96, no. 12.

Ralph’s Notes: This is a “unique” rug in the lexicon of the known design types within the “yellow ground” group. Although it's missing at least half of an octagon, it retains enough of its original form to convey a clear implication of what it looked like complete. While a few late copies of similar designs have come to the market, this rug is the only one of the type that can be datable with reasonable confidence to before 1800. The border is an uncommon variant. The weaver of this rug had an exceptional eye for color and the wool which she used benefited from master dye makers. The juxtaposition of the various saturated colors in this rug is exceptional, with vivid purples, aubergines, yellows, greens, salmon, indigos, and other colors combined to create a harmonious masterwork.

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29 Central Anatolian Fragment ca. 1800 8 ft. x 3 ft. 8 in.; backed $3,000–5,000 Provenance: Sotheby's New York, 1 October 2002, Lot 315.

Ralph’s Notes: The fragmented state of this piece does not diminish its visual impact. Many examples of this type have been published. It is interesting to re-read part of the caption in an early publication of a similar carpet (Grote-Hasenbalg Masterpieces of Oriental Rugs (1922) pl. 6): “In this carpet all naturalistic forms have stiffened into geometric ones. This, together with the vivid colors, amongst which yellow is particularly to be emphasized, because it occurs to a greater extent only in older carpets from Asia Minor, gives to the carpet a peculiar, austere charm. The bottle shaped forms indicate tulips, the flowers at the side carnations, two Anatolian motifs belonging to these carpets which we frequently find in Ladiks.” In a publication of a similar piece in Rugs of the Peasants and Farmers of Anatolia (pl. 21), Bruggemann & Bohmer affirm the Ladik provenance and add that even today similar pieces are produced there.

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30 Central Anatolian Rug Fragment Konya region, before 1800 7 ft. 4 in. x 4 ft.; backed $5,000–8,000 Provenance: Rippon Boswell, 18 November 2000, Lot 111.

Literature: Hali 128. "Heart and Soul: The Yellow Ground Rugs of Konya." Hali Publications Ltd: London, 2003, p. 93, no. 6.

Ralph’s Notes: It is unusual within this sub-group to see borders with geometric rosettes formed by squares and triangles, and it is also rare for the triangular brackets on the corners of the octagons to have a dotted pattern instead of the more usual solid colors. Rugs with this pattern continued to be woven well into the 19th century. Designs changed little but the colors did change. The selection and unusual combination of colors in this fragment identify it as belonging to the earliest group.

Some Turkish dealers identify the totemic device within the octagons as an “earring”. Bruggemann and Bohmer see it as a shield-like figure of inner Asiatic origin; the author of Turkish Handwoven Carpets discerns dragons and birds as elements of the motif, the whole creating a “tree of life” while Czech collector Rainer Kreissl speculates that it represents opposing principles: above and below, yin and yang, day and night.

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31 Central Anatolian Fragment Konya area, ca. 1800 6 ft. 7 in. x 3 ft. 8 in.; backed $3,000–5,000 Provenance: Sotheby's London, 15 October 1997, Lot 53.

Literature: Hali 128. "Heart and Soul: The Yellow Ground Rugs of Konya." Hali Publications Ltd: London, 2003, p. 95, no. 10.

Ralph’s Notes: This rug has an unusual field design which does not fit comfortably into any other “yellow ground” sub groups, and shares its artistic expression with a red-ground Orient Stars rug (our #A41 [Lot 23]) with a field of quartered diamonds, but is more naive and primitive. Perhaps it was woven by an apprentice weaver who struggled with the design until she reached the top half of the rug, at which point the pattern can be read clearly either as quartered diamonds or eight-point stars. Another related example is a fragment with an unusual field of all-over linked diamonds, attributed to Cappadocia, published twice in HALI (102 p. 133; 103, p. 26 Ottomania ads). There are many published examples of rugs with all-over diamond patterns, but in all cases the diamonds are hooked or serrated and do not relate to the pieces discussed here.

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32 Aksaray Rug Central Anatolia, before 1800 4 ft. 1 in. x 3 ft. 6 in.; backed $10,000–20,000 Provenance: Omer Bozdag, Istanbul, April 2007.

Literature: Hali 157. “Unusually Anatolian.” Hali Publications Ltd: London, 2008, p. 83, no. 9.

Ralph’s Notes: [From the Hali 157 article] “The central Anatolian town of Aksaray lies between Karapinar to the south and Kirsehir to the north, with Nevsehir and Nigde to the east. According to Iten-Maritz, Aksaray was a center for pile carpet making during the Seljuk period, but carpet weavings there fell into a steep decline during the 18th and 19th centuries. The town is now best known for kilims, sometimes attributed to Obruk. The dotted white ground on this unusual rug is traditionally said to depict animal skin. The nine geometric motifs may represent splayed animal forms, perhaps modeled after an image of a single pelt such as the well-known 17th century Konya rug in the TIEM, from the Seyh Baba Yusuf Mosque in Sivirighian–Eskisehir (published pl. 146 in Ertug “Turkish Carpets from the 13–18th centuries”). A similar motif piled in green within an ivory medallion on an “early” red ground Konya fragment probably from the 18th century, advertised by Zia Bozeghe in Hali 153 p.

122. This rug’s relationship to Konya weaving is evident in its border design (see CNY 8 Feb 1992 #35; Hali 70 Ad p. 31 Moshe; SLO 19 Oct. 94 #91; SNY 13 Dec. 1996 #54).”

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33 Kurdish Long Rug Eastern Anatolia, 18th century 8 ft. 4 in. x 4 ft. $10,000–20,000 Provenance: Sotheby's New York, The Collection of William Price, Amarillo, Texas, 25 November 2008, Lot 99.

Literature: - Fiske, Patricia L. Caucasian Rugs from Private Collections. Textile Museum: Washington, D.C., 1976, pl. 15.

- Hali 159. "Auction Price Guide." Hali Publications Ltd: London, 2009, p. 120.

Ralph’s Notes: [Auction Price Guide caption] “Some of the best rugs defy precise classification, having tactile qualities that set them apart from any specific group. This early east Anatolian Kurdish rug is one such. Formerly in the Price Collection, it is decorated with an ascending pattern of offset vertical rows of blossom palmettes connected by poly-lobed rosettes of the type in the met hane borders of rugs from the Talish area. We see this design on a number of different eastern Anatolian/Kurdish weaves (Concaro & Levi, 1999, pl. 49; Bausback, 1978, pp. 80-81, Herrmann, SOT IV, no. 12); the latter motif may have persuaded the curators of the 1975 TM exhibition ‘Caucasian Rugs in Private Collections’ to label it “Early Caucasian” when they published it in black & white. This rug’s closest relative, especially in its treatment of the leaf and calyx border, is published (also in black & white) by C.G. Ellis in ‘The Rugs from the Great Mosque in Divrigi’ (HALI 1/3 1978, p.272, fig.17), captioned “Rug with Shirvan pattern.”

The blanket-like texture of this rare masterpiece speaks of great age, while the autumnal palette is a signature of its Kurdish soul. The design pool from which many Kurdish rugs are drawn derives from classical workshops, here the early Caucasian group. What distinguishes them is true innovation with respect to tradition. This rug exemplifies that quality at its best."

[Sotheby’s New York caption] "The lustrous wool, saturated color, and supple blanket-like handle of this rug are hallmarks of Kurdish weaving. The design of rows of multi-colored stylized palmettes alternating with rosettes is similar to that of an East Anatolian rug exhibited during the Milan ICOC and illustrated in Eduardo Concaro and Alberto Levi, Sovrani Tappeti, Milan, 1999, pl. 49, p. 70 and its very close cousin in Peter Bausback, Antike Orientteppiche, Braunschweig, 1978, pp. 80-81. The two sited rugs have a golden yellow ground while the deep brown field of the present rug serves as a stronger background that heightens the vivid coloring of the design.

The shape and drawing of the palmettes in this rug are shared with an Azerbaijan rug in the Kirchheim collection which, in acknowledgement of their derivation from earlier Persian carpets, he calls “palmettes in the Esfahan manner,” see Heinrich Kirchheim, et. al., Orient Stars, London and Stuttgart, 1993, pl. 75, p. 141. The deep brown field, yellow border and variety of color as well as the loose character of the drawing in the present rug are shared with an Azerbaijan rug illustrated in Georg Butterweck, et al. Antique Rugs from Austrian Collections, Vienna, 1986, pl. 18. There has been repiling to the brown in the ground of this rug where another Kurdish rug in the collection of James Burns, with “flaming” palmettes in colors similar to this carpet, remains on a now very corroded brown ground, see James D. Burns, Antique Rugs of Kurdistan, Seattle, 2002, pl. 74, pp. 156-7."

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34 Two Turkish Village Three Medallion Rugs 19th century, formerly one runner the larger: 5 ft. 6 in. x 3 ft. 3 in. the smaller: 5 ft. 7 in. x 3 ft. 1 in. $2,000–4,000

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35 Mujar Six Saph Prayer Rug Central Anatolia, ca. 1875 12 ft. 7 in. x 4 ft. 4 in. $2,000–4,000

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36 Prayer Kilim Northeastern Anatolia, ca. 1865 5 ft. 7 in. x 4 ft. 6 in. $1,500–3,000 Provenance: Sotheby's New York, November 1980, Lot 52.

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Ralph’s Notes: This prayer kilim was ascribed to Konya by the experts at Sotheby’s NY, but it is almost certainly related to our Erzerum kilim (see A12 [Lot 37]) albeit belonging to a different sub group. This kilim is more loosely woven than the pieces in the other group. While the color palette is generally comparable, the colors are more muted. The arrangements of the candelabra motifs are directly above the prayer arch rather than in the spandrels. The green prayer arch contains an ascending latch hook design rather than an all over pattern. The main border contains “Arab” motifs rather than hexagons or arrowheads (which appear in the inner guard border here). The sides of the prayer arch are straight rather than serrated.

37 Erzerum Prayer Kilim Eastern Anatolia, mid/third quarter 19th century 4 ft. 11 in. x 4 ft. 4 in. $1,500–2,500 Provenance: John C. Edelmann Galleries, New York, 27 September 1980, Lot 138.

Ralph’s Notes: Erzerum prayer kilims in this sub group are instantly recognizable by their unique characteristics of color and design. The tent-shaped prayer arch is emerald green and filled with rows of flowerheads or stars. The ivory spandrels contain motifs resembling candelabra or floral sprays. The sides of the prayer arch are invariably serrated. Main borders are copper–red with either hexagons or arrowhead motifs.

Comparable examples include: - CLO 1 May 2003 #116, dated circa 1800 - Frauenknecht, Franz Anatolische Gebertskilims pl. 31, mid-19th century - Ziemba, et. al. Turkish Flatweaves pl. 91 dated 1898 The candelabra motifs in early pieces are larger and the spandrels less crowded; in later pieces, like Ziemba’s the candelabra are considerably reduced in size and the spandrels much more crowded with various motifs.

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38 Konya Area Prayer Kilim Central Anatolia, third quarter 19th century 5 ft. 1 in. x 3 ft. 4 in. $1,500–3,000 Provenance: Lefevre and Partners, London, 25 April 1980, Lot 2.

Ralph’s Notes: Lefevre dated this little kilim as mid-19th century but I prefer to err on the side of caution.

Herrmann published a closely related example in S.O.T. X pl. 21 that he attributed to Karapinar and dated it to circa 1800. This kilim is now in the Vok Collection, published in Anatolia pl. 13, dated to the second half 19th century. It is described as being from a Yerli village of Cappadocia, found in Aksaray, Central Anatolia. The Vok caption concludes with: “Cheerful kilims as this one are quite exceptional among Anatolian weaves.” A closely related, arguably later example, was offered by Ronnie Newman on RugRabbit in September 2013.

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39 Reyhanli Kilim Northeastern Anatolia, second half 19th century 10 ft. 10 in. x 4 ft. 10 in. $2,000–4,000 Provenance: Lefevre and Partners, London, 25 April 1980, Lot 11.

Ralph’s Notes: While I have not accumulated data on kilims like I have on piled pieces that fall within our areas of interest, but I have nevertheless gone through many action catalogs and relevant literature and have not come across a secular Reyhanli kilim closely analogous to ours. I have however noted an unusual Reyhanli kilim with a multi-striped border identical to ours hanging over a balcony at Motel Capri, San Francisco (reports from San Francisco's ARTS 2012) published in Hali 174 p. 93. An example with a somewhat comparable field published in Hull and Wyhowska Kilim, The Complete Guide pl. 299. In the caption the authors write that “old Reyhanli kilims are among the finest woven in Anatolia and their designs are well drawn and precise.”

They add that “the weaving of Kilims, near Reyhanli, has long since ceased and few examples remain.” Rippon Boswell 3 May 2014 #190 offered a Reyhanli kilim with a comparable field but a different border system.

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40 East Central Anatolian Kilim dated twice 1878 in a piled cartouche 12 ft. 4 in. x 5 ft. 4 in. $3,000–5,000 Provenance: John C. Edelmann Galleries, New York, 11 December 1979, Lot 65.

Literature: Hali 2/4. "Auction Report." Hali Publications Ltd: London, 1980, p. 345.

Exhibitions: The Gage Family Art Gallery, Augsburg College, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Islamic Prayer Rugs: A Creed in Color, 8 September–19 October 2000.

Ralph’s Notes: The Auction Report stated: “A very colorful and well-woven kilim at Edelmann’s in December (#65) was… an interesting example. Cataloged as Karabagh, it was in our opinion a piece which had been made in east central Anatolia, where similar hexagonal repeat designs were used to decorate kilims. Among typically Anatolian features are the color palette, the hard weave, the ivory warps, and the border design. The piece, which has a Christian calendar date, 1878, was probably made by Armenian weavers.”

The report neglected to mention that the 1878 was inscribed twice into an ivory piled reserve, a most unusual feature. A kilim related by design, attributed to Shahsavan, mid 19th c., was sold at the Viola Dominguez single owner sale at Rippon Boswell on 28 March 1992, #133. Other related pieces, both attributed to Azerbaijan, were at Rippon Boswell 5 December 2005 #61 and 24 November 2012 #115.

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41 Yastik Central Anatolia, possibly Konya region, ca. 1870 2 ft. 1 in. x 1 ft. 7 in. $2,000–4,000 Provenance: Skinner. Boston, 7 December 1991, Lot 43A; Sotheby's New York, 15 December 1994, Lot 148.

Literature: - Skinner. Boston, 7 December 1991, Lot 43A. - Morehouse, Brian. Yastiks: Cushion Covers and Storage Bags of Anatolia. 8th ICOC: Philadelphia, 1996, no. 19.

Ralph’s Notes: Until this yastik sold at Sotheby’s, Skinner’s appeared to own a monopoly on this type. Only three such examples are known to be published. Ours was offered at Skinners 7 December 1991 #43A. Two virtually identical pieces were at Skinners on 7 July ‘95 #142/12 Dec. ‘97 #234 and 31 May ‘87 #143/23 April ‘94 #198. In Yastiks, Morehouse wrote, in part: “It is placed here with other yastiks from southwest Anatolia based on its palette – note especially the coppery red and soft yellow – and the similarity of its border design to that of some Melas rugs. However, while an attribution to Melas is possible here, other examples with variations of this design appear to be woven farther to the east.“ Sotheby’s attributed this yastik to Konya.

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42 Konya or Karapinar Yastik Central Anatolia third quarter 19th century 3 ft. 2 in. x 1 ft. 10 in. $2,000–4,000 Provenance: Christie's New York, 17 December 1997, Lot 29.

Ralph’s Notes: Brian Morehouse, in Yastiks, illustrated two very similar yastiks (#55 & 56) and attributed both to Karapinar “based on nuances of design and color”. Walter Denny, in Oriental Rugs (#34) attributes his example to Konya, but Saleh Simsck in Weaving Heritage of Anatolia I pl. 11 and Harold Myers, in Pacific Northwest Collections (ACOR 7) attribute both of their examples to Karapinar as well. Samy Kabinovic exhibited a very similar yastik during a Textile Museum’s Key to Weaving in January 2003.

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43 Anatolian Yastik second half 19th century 2 ft. 10 in. x 1 ft. 10 in. $1,000–2,000 Provenance: Skinner, Bolton, Massachusetts, 7 December 1996, Lot 86.

Ralph’s Notes: The strength of this example is in its colors; predominantly saturated shades of yellow and red with sparing use of green, blue, and white. The three diamond construct is typical in Anatolian yastiks from all regions, except that here the three diamonds assume the role of the “medallion and pendants” concept. This design is rather similar to that of a Konya yastik offered by Lefevre on 15 February 1980 #32, except that in that piece the pendants are more overtly rendered. The octagonal field is a feature of a group of Yuruk / East Anatolian yastiks (see Yastiks #142-144) except that the palettes are entirely different from this piece. The liberal use of yellow could qualify this piece for inclusion in the Konya groups. No close analogy for this piece has yet been identified.

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44 Anatolian Yastik West Anatolia, late 19th/early 20th century 3 ft. 1 in. x 2 ft. $2,000–3,000 Provenance: Grogan & Company, Dedham, Massachusetts, 22 April 2006, Lot 115.

Ralph's Notes: A relatively uncommon variant of the “memling” gül repeat pattern, but in this instance the güls are reduced to stepped rhombus-shaped polygons. Instead of being contained within a grid, the “güls” here are enveloped by large stemmed leaves. The border consists of a series of polychrome “hourglass” shapes and the elems each contain five shield-shaped hexagonal lappets.

As far as I know there are only two published analogies.

An older, white ground example with eight polygons was advertised by Ronnie Newman in Hali 88, ad. p. 117, also posted on TurkoTek in February 2012. Rodney McDonald of Rochester, NY had a yastik very similar to ours for sale in August of 2003 which wound up in the Simsek Collection, Istanbul; Published in The Weaving Heritage of Anatolia Vol. 1 pl. 34; exhibited during the 11th I.C.O.C. Istanbul in April 2007.

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45 Yastik probably Sivas area, Eastern Anatolia late 19th/early 20th century 3 ft. 4 in. x 1 ft. 9 in. $1,500–2,500 Provenance: Skinner, Bolton, Massachusetts, 10 July 1998, Lot 67.

Ralph’s Notes: My frequent references to Yastiks are because it is the only source of information for many of the types of these pillow covers, and prior to its publication, no systematic classification of such a range of these pieces has been attempted. In many instances, such as here, Yastiks is the sole source of published analogies. The example Morehouse published (#112) is similar to ours in most respects. Brian refers to the central medallion as “saudiklo” and adds that it retains the early versions’ characteristics by virtue of the mitered ends and the extending arms. The subsidiary medallions, octagons containing nested Memling güls are characteristic of eastern Anatolia.* Both pieces have a similar tonality, a “lighter and more varied color palette than in examples from further south or east”; the basis for Brian’s attribution to Sivas. Our example does have an interesting detail absent from the Yastiks piece – a border of very closely – spaced “V” shaped chevrons. Similar bands of chevrons appear in Yastiks plates 105 & 107: the first attributed to Sivas, the second tentatively to Mujar. *A later version of this type was offered at Skinner’s 6/10/90 #184.

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47

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48

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46 Anatolian Yastik ca. 1875 2 ft. 9 in. x 1 ft. 10 in. $1,000–2,000

47 Konya Yastik Central Anatolia, ca. 1850 2 ft. 2 in. x 2 ft. 1 in. $2,000–3,000 Provenance: Clive Loveless, London, and Arky Robbins, San Francisco, November 1989.

Literature: -Hali 128. "Heart and Soul: The Yellow Ground Rugs of Konya."

Hali Publications Ltd: London, 2003, p. 97, no. 14.

- Hali 152. "Unusually Anatolian." Hali Publications Ltd: London, 2008, p. 86, no. 10.

48 Anatolian Yastik ca. 1900 3 ft. x 2 ft. 2 in. $1,000–1,500 Literature: Morehouse, Brian. Yastiks: Cushion Covers and Storage Bags of Anatolia. 8th ICOC: Philadelphia, 1996, no. 50.

49 Anatolian Yastik ca. 1900 3 ft. 6 in. x 1 ft. 11 in. $1,000–2,000

50 Anatolian Yastik late 19th/early 20th century 2 ft. 8 in. x 1 ft. 9 in. $1,500–3,000 Provenance: Jeff Dworsky, May 1998.

Ralph’s Notes: An unusual design, with a large, dotted, hooked diamond beneath a series of random hooked horizontal lines, with a stylized, angular “s” border and a 4-cord selvage of the same formality as the plain, flatwoven ends.

Probably Konya region.

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51 Central Anatolian Yastik possibly Konya area, late 19th century 3 ft. x 1 ft. 8 in. $1,000–1,500 Provenance: Skinner, Bolton, Massachusetts, 29 November 1984, Lot 155G. Ralph’s Notes: There are few analogies to this piece, which features a predominantly red palette, a slate green medallion, and sparing use of yellow, blue and white. A closely comparable ivory ground yastik was offered by Adil Besim in Hali 83, p. 18, attributed to Konya and dated to early 19th century. Rather than employing a border, both pieces use a column of geometric, chevron-like floral motifs to frame the field.

I discovered an exact duplicate of our yastik during one of our trips to Turkey, partially hidden behind a stringed musical instrument case at The Ethnographic Museum in Konya (1994).

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52 Melas Bag Southwest Anatolia, 19th century 1 ft. 9 in. x 1 ft. 6 in. $1,500–3,000 Provenance: Northeast Auctions, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, 22 February 2008, Lot 1438.

Literature: - Mackie, Louise W. and Jerome A. Straka. The Oriental Rug Collection of Jerome and Mary Jane Straka. J.A. Straka: New York, 1978, pl. 77.

- Sotheby's New York. New York, 13 December 1986, Lot 52.

- Hali 34. "Auction Price Guide." Hali Publications Ltd: London, 1987, p. 79.

Ralph’s Notes: [The Straka catalog caption (in part)] “Bright colors are used including the distinctive purple which often appears on Melas rugs. The plain weave back is handsomely striped.

It is quite unusual to find an antique Melas bag.”

The Sotheby’s caption, in part: “This bag is a particularly charming example of the rare group of Melas bag faces and bags, with four blossoms on a reserve within a border of tulips and blossoms. The border of alternating motifs present here being unusual when compared to known and published examples…”

Purchased by Herrmann at Sotheby’s.

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53 Karabagh Rug South Caucasus, 18th century 5 ft. 3 in. x 4 ft. 7 in. $20,000–40,000 Provenance: Sotheby's London, Joseph Ritman Collection, 18 October 1995, Lot 77.

Literature: - Herrmann, Eberhart. Asiatische Teppich- und Textilkunst I. E. Herrmann: Munich, 1989, pl. 23.

- Hali 50. Hali Publications Ltd: London, 1990, p. 82.

- Hali 61. "Letters." Hali Publications Ltd: London, 1992, p. 83.

- Hali 149. “Auction Price Guide.” Hali Publications Ltd: London, 2006, p. 136.

Ralph’s Notes: [A.T.T. I caption] This fascinating white-ground carpet is very interesting from a design historical point of view. It shows a motif which appears to be a figure with outstretched hands. There is no known comparison among either pile-woven or flat-woven rugs. The motif is flanked on both sides by a smaller abstract animal shape. The other main element of the design repeat is an archaic blue-ground animal-tree shape reminiscent of a cypress. The connection between both alternating motifs could indicate a symbolic link. There are in fact ancient motifs, obviously related to the antimal-tree design, in which the central tree is replaced by a royal figure or deity, which dominates the animals (see Pinner/Franses 1980, pp. 212-13, figs. 444-449). It would not be wrong, therefore, to interpret this motif as a female deity.

The cypress-like shapes, which are a further development of abstract animal designs, are also found in some 19th century Caucasian floral workshop carpets (see Yetkin 1978, figs. 24, 40; pp. 172-174). One of these examples is dated (1156 A.H. = 1734/35 A.D.; op. cit. fig. 24). One example in the Art & Industry Museum in Copenhagen, probably produced outside the workshop tradition, is similar to this rug in overall design and arrangement of the ‘cypress’ repeat, if not in the other motifs (see op. cit. fig. 175). The Copenhagen rug is also a design link between this rug and the Caucasian shield group (see M. Franses / R. Pinner, ‘Caucasian Shield Carpets’, Hali, vol. I/I 1978, pp. 4-22 and fig. 68). The border on this rug is known from two 18th century Eagle Kazak rugs from the Karabagh region (1. Victoria & Albert Museum, London, inv. No/ T264-1927, illustrated Hali vol. 3/2 1980, p. 99, catalog IX no. 25). This example is a product of the same region but at a somewhat earlier date, perhaps during the first half of the 18th century. Provenance: Armen Tokatlian Collection, Paris.

[Ralph's Commentary] While Herrmann’s note remarks that “there is no known comparison…” to the humanoid figure, an identical motif appears on a Turkish rug fragment (published Hali 56, p. 165 in John Sommer’s collection, published in Passages/Celebrating Rites of Passage in Inscribed Armenian Rugs pl. 85, attributed to Ladik, 16th century).

FLASH! CLO’s April 2015 sale offered a carpet of identical design but different dimensions (7’7 x 4’5) attributed to South Caucasus, 18th century, consigned by an Italian collector. The catalog caption states “the unusual design appears to be an abstracted form of an 18th century Caucasian pictorial carpet”, two fragments of which are published in Yetkin Early Caucasian Carpets in Turkey pl. 103 and Weaving Heritage of Anatolia 2 pl. 118.

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54 Karabagh Rug possibly from Shemakha, South Caucasus early 19th century 6 ft. 4 in. x 5 ft. 5 in. $20,000–40,000 Provenance: David Black Oriental Carpets, London, stock no. 4428, 2 June 1980.

Literature: - Hali 1/3. "Rugs on the Market." Hali Publications Ltd: London, 1978, p. 309.

- Hali 53. "Review of Fort Mason San Francisco, 6th ICOC." Hali Publications Ltd: London, 1990, p. 245.

- Eiland, Murray. Oriental Rugs from Pacific Collections. San Francisco Bay Area Rug Society: San Francisco, 1990, pl. 182.

- Oriental Rug Review. Philadelphia, 1990, vol. 10, no. 4 (April/May 1990), illus. cover.

- Murray, Jr., Eiland L. and Eiland Murray III. Oriental Rugs: A Complete Guide. Laurence King: London, 1998, pl. 281 and cover.

Ralph's Notes: This is part of David Black’s description: “A South Caucasian rug made circa 1800. This, we must admit, is a real mystery piece, and will be a real talking point amongst collectors and scholars for years to come. We feel that it could have been made in the Karabagh region and is closely related to the so-called Kasim / Usaq rugs of this region. At the same time, it is also in the tradition of the great early Caucasian silk embroideries of the 17th and 18th centuries.”

There is a lengthy description of this rug published in Hali 1/3 “Rugs on the Market” p. 309 and a technical analysis published in ORR p. 11, where it was attributed to Kuba.

The case for South Caucasian provenance is strengthened by the appearance of an identical border on a marvelous, large Azerbaijan embroidery, dated to the 17th c. at SLO 18 Oct. 1998.

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55 Azerbaijan Rug late 18th century 5 ft. 10 in. x 4 ft. 9 in. $30,000–50,000 Provenance: Sotheby's London, Joseph Ritman Collection, 18 October 1995, Lot 85.

Literature: - Hali 61. "Bausback Ad." Hali Publications Ltd: London, 1992, p. 60.

- Hali 84. “Auction Price Guide.” Hali Publications Ltd: London, 1996, p. 135.

- Hali 84. “One Man's Meat.” Hali Publications Ltd: London, 1996, p. 140.

- Boralevi, Alberto, Moya Carey, Murray L. Eiland III, Michael Franses, Irina Koshoridze, Sumru Belger Krody, Brian Morehouse, Penny Oakley, Asli Samadova and Jennifer Wearden.

Stars of the Caucasus: Silk Embroideries From Azerbaijan. Hali Publications Ltd: London, 2018, p. 203, no. 10.6.

Ralph’s Notes: [Auction Price Guide caption] This beautiful and quite important Ritman Collection rug belongs to a group of carpets from eastern Anatolia, western Caucasia and northern Persia, with a dominant medallion and pendant palmettes. The latter show its connection to Persian medallion carpets, while the layout of the octagonal medallion provides a link with Turkmen design. Two rugs from the same group, neither as beautiful, are in the Türk ve Islam Eserleri Museum, Istanbul (Yetkin, Caucasian Carpets in Turkey, col. I, pls. 101 & 102). Discussing pls. 82 and 83 in Orient Stars (note 283, p. 369), Michael Franses cites 14 known examples, of which this is no. 7. It was advertised by Bausback in Hali 61 (p. 60) and exhibited at Maastricht in 1992. As SLO’s catalogue points out, it provides an important stylistic link between the Azerbaijan silk embroideries of the 17th century and later Transcaucasian pile rugs. It is the design antecedent to the Lori Pambak group, early examples of which are discussed by Raoul Tschebull in Hali 1/3 (pp. 257-261).

[Sotheby’s London catalog caption] The lot offered here provides an intriguing stylistic link between 17th century Azerbaijan embroideries and later Caucasian weavings. Early Caucasian rugs with a centralized medallion are rare: overall, multi-medallion or directional designs derived from Safavid carpet prototypes (see Ellis, Caucasian) are much more common. The impetus for the production of these earlier, large format carpets almost certainly came from the Safavid rulers of the region at the time and they must have been intended for export. Perhaps, with the destabilization of Persia and consequently, Azerbaijan, through the mid 18th century, the demand for large pieces fell off and the weavers turned to the small format of their embroideries as design inspiration for rugs. Certainly, late 18th and 19th century Caucasian production is principally smaller pieces. The design of the present lot is very close to that of some embroideries, see Sotheby’s London, The Toms Collection, 7th June 1995, Lot 16 and Wearden, Hali 59, pls. 2, 3 & 6. It is also possible to see in the present piece the antecedents of later Caucasian designs, for example, the Perepedil rug illustrated as pl. 9, Klose, Hali 55 and Kazak Sewan and Karatchop rugs.

For further discussion of the relationship between Azerbaijan embroideries and rugs, see Wearden, op. cit.; Klose, op. cit. Tschebull, Hali 62 and Sotheby’s London, 28th April 1993, Lot 60.

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56 Karabagh Silk Embroidery South Caucasus, 18th century 1 ft. 10 in. x 1 ft. 9 in.; backed $10,000-20,000 Provenance: Sotheby's New York, 19 December 1992, Lot 7.

Literature: - Hali 67. "Auction Price Guide." Hali Publications Ltd: London, 1993, p. 131.

- Boralevi, Alberto, Moya Carey, Murray L. Eiland III, Michael Franses, Irina Koshoridze, Sumru Belger Krody, Brian Morehouse, Penny Oakley, Asli Samadova and Jennifer Wearden.

Stars of the Caucasus: Silk Embroideries From Azerbaijan. Hali Publications Ltd: London, 2018, p. 81, no. 4.28.

Ralph’s Notes: This embroidery and others in its small group comprise a group of textiles with designs derived from Safavid Persian models. They feature a central roundel which contains a male and female figure flanking a cypress tree with a fish poled at its base. The figures could conceivably represent the legend of Layla and Majnoon. Michael Franses pictured an example in Textile Art of the Caucasus, pl. 2.¹ and dates it and similar pieces to circa 1650 to 1720. (¹ Lefevre 4/27/29 #12 = Wher Collection = Rippon Boswell 5/24/97 #103.). Another well published related example is illustrated Schurmann, Caucasian Rugs, pl. 138 (= Herrmann, S.O.T. X, Cover = Orient Stars #42 = Hali 42, p. 6, E.J. Katz, Hamburg). Our piece is more naively drawn than the two cited examples and I believe is somewhat later, probably dating to the 2nd half of the 18th century. Other related examples with similar themes include an embroidery in the Textile Museum (Gherch 21, p. 70) and a piece in the Kuwait National Museum from the Al-Sabah Collection (Marilyn Jenkins, Islamic Art in the Kuwait National Museum, p. 154).

[Sotheby’s New York catalog caption] 7. A Silk Karabagh Embroidery, South Caucasus, 18th century. Minor losses to outer guard borders. Approximately 1 ft. 9 in. by 1 ft. 10 in.

(0.53 m by 0.56 m). For related examples, please refer to Herrmann, Eberhart, Seltene Orientteppiche X, Munich, 1988, cover illustration, and Schurmann, Ulrich, Caucasian Rugs, London, 1964, pl. 138, and Jenkins, Marilyn, Islamic Art in the Kuwait National Museum, 1983, p. 154.

[Auction Price Guice caption] The colours of this embroidery were much darker than they appeared in the catalogue: the red is deeper and more sombre and the yellow is gold., not ochre-orange as in the illustration. It is attached to a backing, making it difficult to tell how complete it is, or to get another perspective on how much black, for instance, might have been replaced. It seems less sophisticated than the two examples with which it can immediately be compared, the embroidery on the front cover of Herrmann’s SOT X and the round piece in the al-Sabah Collection (Marilyn Jenkins, Islamic Art in the Kuwait National Museum, p. 154). The Kuwait piece, however, is closely related in color, and all of the embroideries seem based on earlier Safavid models (16th century) such as the great Esterhazy applique in the Museum of Applied Arts, Budapest (Hali 33, p. 19).

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57 'Star' Kazak South Central Caucasus dated AH 1303/04 (1886) 7 ft. 3 in. x 5 ft. 8 in. $50,000–100,000 Provenance: Frank Michaelian; Vojech Blau; John C. Edelmann Galleries, New York, 30 May 1981, Lot 217.

Literature: - Eiland, Murray. Oriental Rugs from Pacific Collections. San Francisco Bay Area Rug Society: San Francisco, 1990, pl. 210.

- The International Conference on Oriental Carpets 6. "Poster." ICOC 6: San Francisco, November 1990.

- Eiland, Jr., Murray L. and Eiland Murray III. Oriental Rugs: A Complete Guide. Laurence King: London, 1998, pl. 258.

Ralph’s Notes: Star Kazaks of the “A” type have outperformed all other star types at auction. Please see Hali 116, Auction Price Guide p. 157, a review of the Halevim Star Kazak sold at Christie's London on 14 February 2001, where all Type A “Star” Kazaks sold at auction are listed. The Halevim rug, dated 1302 (1884/5) is quite similar to this rug, but at 7’3 x 4’10 is considerably narrower.

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58 South Caucasian Rug first half 19th century 7 ft. 9 in. x 4 ft. 5 in. $5,000–10,000 Provenance: Phillips London, 2 May 2001, Lot 96.

Literature: Hali 117. "Auction Price Guide." Hali Publications Ltd: London, 2013, p. 114.

Ralph’s Notes: [Phillips London caption] A rare South Caucasian Rug, 1st half of 19th century, the dark sea-green field of charcoal tracery centered by a large stepped madder medallion flanked by stylized indigo leaves and stellar motifs and interspersed by numerous geometric devices, framed by a narrow ivory angular vine border.

This unusual rug pre-dates the body of well-documented late 19th century designs from the Caucasus region, displaying elements in common with much rarer 18th century rugs and, in particular, 17th century Azerbaijan embroideries. The influence of this textile tradition on later rug production has long been recognised (see Jennifer Wearden, Hali magazine issue 59, October 1991) and this rug provides a strong proof of this link. Specifically, the central floral medallion flanked by four stylized, hooked leaves, the corner stellar motifs and the narrow, yellow ground border are all features in common with many Azerbaijan embroideries, such as that illustrated

by Wearden on page 1032 of the above issue. However, the character of this rug is to some extent similar to later 19th century rug groups – especially those normally referred to as 'Chelaberd’ and ‘Kasim Ushag’ rugs, placing this rug at a fascinating point in the evolution of textile design in the Caucasus from the 17th to the late 19th centuries.

[Cloudband review (by Aaron Nejad) June 2001] Phillips offered an interesting early 19th century transitional South Caucasian rug which clearly had elements in common with the earlier 18th century rugs and 17th century embroideries. However the crowded field composition and the juxtaposition of dark colors did not get the blood racing, nor did the back of the rug hint at a hidden brilliance waiting to be exposed after cleaning.

[Ralph’s commentary] Rugs with this design have been variously attributed to Kuba (Burns The Caucasus/Traditions in Weaving pl. 33); Kasim Ushag (Hali 66, p. 49); Zeikmur (Caucasian Rugs from Private Collections pl. 1); Shusha (Orendi pl. 737) and South Shirvan (Eiland & Eiland Oriental Rugs A Complete Guide p. 281). In addition to the embroideries cited above (Hali 59 p. 102) four others can be mentioned: Schurmann Caucasian Rugs pl. 139; Oriental Rugs from Pacific Collections pl. 202; Lefevre Caucasian Carpets pl. 52 and Rippon Boswell 21 November 1998 #189. The concentric stepped central medallion on our rug probably evolved from a carpet such as pictured in Ellis Early Caucasian Rugs pl. 31 attributed to Shirvan or Karabagh 18th century and described as having a “Portuguese” design. Very similar recently emerged examples include Dennis Dodds on RugRabbit (14 June 2012) and Wannenes Auction (Italy) 30 November 2011 #599.

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59 Kuba Rug Northeast Caucasus, late 19th century 4 ft. 11 in. x 3 ft. 11 in. $5,000–8,000 Provenance: Tom Weisbuch, Berkeley, California.

Literature: Hali 1/3. "Ad for 'The Old Rug'." Hali Publications Ltd: London, 1978, p. 38.

Exhibitions: Ralph & Linda Kaffel, Seattle, Washington, American Conference on Oriental Rugs 7: ‘Cedar Chest’ Session, March 2004.

Ralph’s Notes: The few published analogies include: - Rippon Boswell, November 26, 1983, #142, similar but more crowded and without a row of animals at the bottom or top.

- Oriental Rug Review, April/May 1990 (ad for Shaver Ramsey, p. 59).

- Sotheby’s London, October 16, 1996; Rippon-Boswell May 24, 1997, #115, attributed to Zakatala.

- Azerbaijan: Mountain Jews, Urban Muslims, p. 127, $247, attributed to Kuba/Gyryz.

- Sotheby’s New York, January 20, 1990, #79 ( a 2-medallion long rug) attributed to Konya, 18th century. Purchased by Krikor Markarian, who attributed it to Karabagh and advertised it in Hali 97, p. 37.

- Sotheby’s New York, December 2, 1983, #1 (collection of James Lane); Nagel, May 11, 1983, #47 (no central medallion, just stylized tree forms).

The late Tom Weisbuch, who owned ”The Old Rug” was more of a collector than a dealer, and parted with his pieces with great reluctance. This rug was one of the pieces that he always had prominently displayed and never wanted to sell. He finally relented, long after the ”The Old Rug” closed, and we were pleased to acquire it.

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60 Akstafa Rug East Caucasus, ca. 1875 9 ft. 4 in. x 4 ft. $5,000–8,000 Provenance: Sotheby's New York, 13 April 1995, Lot 29.

Literature: - Hali 81. "Auction Price Guide." Hali Publications Ltd: London, 1995, p. 117.

- Eiland, Jr., Murray L. and Eiland Murray III. Oriental Rugs: A Complete Guide. Laurence King: London, 1998, p. 280, pl. 279.

Ralph’s Notes: [Auction Price Guide] Describing a very similar example in ‘Unidentified Caucasian Rugs’ (Hali 2/3, pp. 216-17) the inimitable Jean Lefevre wrote: “The superb rug…displays a characteristic Turkoman pattern of major and minor güls executed in the splendid polychromatic style of Caucasian weaving. We have not seen a comparable example.” That rug, assigned to Shirvan, early 19th century, was sold in November 1979 for £4,600. This rug, from the Sofer Collection, has a typical Akstafa border which better complements the field than the more crowded ‘bird’ border of the Lefevre rug. A very similar example with an Akstafa variant kochak border was offered, unsold, at SNY in November 1983 against an estimate of $15-20,000.

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61 Shirvan Carpet Northeast Caucasus, early 19th century 9 ft. 1 in. x 4 ft. 7 in. $8,000–12,000 Provenance: Rippon Boswell, 20 May 1995, Lot 101.

Literature: Hali 82. "Auction Price Guide." Hali Publications Ltd: London, 1995, p. 140.

Ralph’s Notes: [Auction Price Guide] Occasionally a rug comes along that allows design evolution to be traced over time. So it was with this handsome early to mid 19th century Shirvan, apparently unique for its type, but an important transitional link. The eightpointed star with its interior elements descends directly from the star-medallions of 17th/18th century west Anatolian carpets, specifically an example in Carpets in the Vakiflar Museum, p. 201. Other analogues include Orient Stars, pl. 194, and Turkish Handwoven Carpets 3, no. 0265. This Shirvan is an ancestor of a group of later Kazaks, such as the example in the Rudnick Collection (Through the Collector’s Eye, pl. 20). Although the Shirvan and the Kazak are of similar size, major evolutionary changes alter the Kazak’s look and proportions. Its central medallion has lost the lateral points and is no longer a star taking up the majority proportion of the field, which reduces the number of güls from 16 to 12. Towards the 20th century these Kazaks get smaller, the number of güls decreasing from 12 to 8. For a further discussion of the type see Hali 69, pp. 147-8.

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62 Moghan Long Rug South Caucasus, mid 19th century 10 ft. 5 in. x 3 ft. 8 in. $2,000–4,000 Provenance: Rippon Boswell, 18 November 2000, Lot 172.

Ralph’s Notes: While this rug has large areas of wear in the field, enough remains so that the design can be clearly read. It depicts tall Memling güls in a variety of colors, including aubergine, teal, and an unusual maroon. It lacks a major border as it is framed by two minor borders; one ubiquitous medallion pattern, the other a border of sectioned squares characteristic of Talish. According to Peter Stone, Memling güls containing hooked “Kaikalaks” as here, are more common in Moghan rugs than in other Caucasians of similar designs. The closest analogy to this rug was offered at Sotheby’s London on 3 April 1980, lot #136, with a narrow star-octagon border and medahil guards (9’10 x 3’8).

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63 Karagashli Long Rug Northeast Caucasus, third quarter 19th century 9 ft. 4 in. x 3 ft. $10,000–20,000 Provenance: Krikor Markarian, New York.

Exhibitions: Burlingame, California, American Conference on Oriental Rugs 5: 'Passages II: San Francisco Bay Area Collections', March/April 2000.

Ralph’s Notes: A slightly larger, but virtually identical long rug was illustrated on the cover of Spuhler, Konig, Valkmann Old Eastern Carpets, pl. 67, having been sold at Lefevre on 21 May 1976 #40. It eventually entered the Orient Stars collection pl. 18, with Michael Franses commenting: “This lovely long rug demonstrates that certain Caucasian carpets can be beautiful even if not of great age.”

The main difference between the two long rugs is the addition of a row of flowering shrubs at the top of this rug and the small cross-hatch motifs near the top corner of this border. A depiction of an almost identical rug appears in a 19th century painting by Roman artist Mariano de Franceschi, published Hali 80 p. 73.

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64 Tree Kazak Central Caucasus, ca. 1860 4 ft. 2 in. x 3 ft. 4 in. $5,000–8,000 Provenance: John C. Edelmann Galleries, New York, 23 April 1983, Lot A25.

Literature: - Eiland, Murray. Oriental Rugs from Pacific Collections. San Francisco Bay Area Rug Society: San Francisco, 1990, pl. 201.

- Oriental Rug Review. Philadelphia, 1990, vol. 10, no. 4 (April/May 1990), p. 6.

Exhibitions: Ralph & Linda Kaffel, Seattle, Washington, American Conference on Oriental Rugs 7: ‘Cedar Chest’ Session, March 2004.

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Ralph’s Notes: Small tree Kazaks with a single column of 1, 2 or 3 trees are rarer than their larger counterparts with…columns of trees and (usually) a central column of octagons.

Most have red grounds; green grounds are extremely rare. A red ground example with a single tree and “chafer” palmettes as an inner border was published in Orient Stars, pl. 22; Nagel, 3 November 1979, #136a; Lefevre, 1 December 1978, #52. In his catalog caption, Lefevre commented on the “unusually small” size of his rug (5’1 x 4’2). Herrmann published a single tree, red ground example in S.O.T. II, pl. 21, and a 3-tree red ground piece in S.O.T. III, pl. 22. A 2-tree, red ground rug is published in Eskenazi’s L’Arte del Tappeto Orientale, p. 168. Other small examples include Sotheby’s London, April 16, 1986, #490; Museo Montagna pl. 7; Sotheby's London, November 22, 1988, #31; May 12, 1987, #81; Rippon-Boswell, November 22, 1997, #130; November 16, 2022, #32; March 19, 1988; Nagel, September 3, 1989, #3969; Hali 45, p. 86; Austrian Collections II, pl. 47 (with 3 barber-pole, diagonally striped borders, dated to c. 1900); and, the only other greenground example that I know of, a 3-tree rug with a barber pole inner border, dated to c.

1870 (but probably closer to c.1900) at Christie’s London, April 25, 1992, #8.

65 Lori Pambak Small Rug South Central Caucasus, ca. 1875 4 ft. 5 in. x 2 ft. 8 in. $3,000–5,000 Provenance: Richard Newman, New York, June 1988.

Exhibitions: Burlingame, California, American Conference on Oriental Rugs 5: 'Passages II: San Francisco Bay Area Collections', March/April 2000.

Ralph’s Notes: Small Lori Pambak rugs were woven in villages for personal use or trade from the mid 19th century into the early 20th century. Some were prayer rugs, others small (circa 4’6 x 3’6) mats. One such rug was clearly dated 1913, nevertheless fetched a high price at auction (Rippon Boswell 11 May ‘91 #47). This rug is quite different from its analogues.

Instead of the typical leaf & calyx border it has a narrow reciprocal “wave” border. While there are other examples of small rugs in which the Lori Pambak motif is enclosed by an ivory octagon, in this rug the octagon takes up almost the entire field. The addition of whimsical animals and atypical rosettes certify this small rug a true village product from the last quarter of the 19th century.

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66 Bordjalou Prayer Rug South Central Caucasus second half 19th century 4 ft. 4 in. x 3 ft. 10 in. $2,000–4,000 Provenance: Yuruk Gallery, Istanbul, October 1994.

Literature: Kaffel, Ralph. Caucasian Prayer Rugs. Laurence King in association with Hali: London, 1998, pl. 7.

Exhibitions: Denver Art Museum, Colorado, 14 May–26 July 1998.

Ralph’s Notes: [Caucasian Prayer Rugs caption] The condition of this rug is intriguing. Although it has holes and is tattered around the sides, the pile itself is lustrous and velvety, without signs of erosive wear. It is possible that the rug sustained rodent or water damage as one of a layer of unattended pieces piled in a mosque or warehouse. This is fairly common among rugs acquired (like this example) in Turkey. This particular Borchalo design of all-over hexagons and octagons is rare and much sought after.

A number of analogous examples exist, but none has the unusual border displayed here. The parallel pieces feature variations on the trefoil border considered standard for this type, while this example features a narrow chequerboard main border that I have not seen on any Caucasian rug. (The main border is flanked by a more typical ‘running dog’ motif.) It is also the only one in the group with a re-entrant motif, here containing confronting dragons. The quality of red, green and blue dyes is superb, and there is also an unusual light avocado green in the octagons in the spandrels. While the inscribed date of AH 1315 translates to 1897, the rug appears to be considerably older.

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ANALOGIES Prayer Rugs 1 Bausback 1971, p. 49.

2 Hali 48, p. 42, ad for Rascid Rahaim.

3 SNY 5 Oct. 1973, lot 69.

4 Eiland, Oriental Rugs, 1981, pl. 41 (a hybrid piece containing hexagons, octagons, diamonds and flowerheads).

Secular Rugs 5 Schürmann, Caucasian Rugs, pl. 10, dated c. 1800.

6 Eskenazi, L’arte del Tappeto Orientale, pl. 82.

7 Benardout, Woven Stars: Rugs and Textiles from Southern Californian Collections, pl. 1.

67 Fachralo Prayer Rug South Central Caucasus ca. 1875 5 ft. 8 in. x 4 ft. $3,000–5,000 Provenance: R. Franklin Horst, Minneapolis, July 2000.

Ralph’s Notes: The earliest example of this type of Fachralo that I know of is the rug from the Jim Dixon collection that I published in Caucasian Prayer Rugs pl. 11. Superficially, the two are quite similar but differ in important details.

Both rugs belong to a design sub group distinguished by blue mihrab with a peaked apex and lacking a re-entrant arch. The red field is sparingly adorned with waterbug palmettes or chafers. The red central medallion has lateral points suggesting an eight pointed star, a feature of the earliest pieces while the sides in ours are straight. The hooked cruciform in Dixon’s is without adornment while ours features a central square. While the borders are similar, the various colors are utilized in a more interesting manner in Dixon’s. I estimate a generation difference in age between the two. Another example quite similar to Dixon’s was published online by the New England Rug Society in a 2002 exhibition titled Prayer Rugs and Related Textiles pl. 13. The three rugs belong to the rarest sub-group within this type.

The more common examples have re-entrant niches, and in later examples the waterbug palmettes are replaced by closely spaced rosettes or octagons containing hooked motifs. A virtually identical example with a blue/green mihrab published in Pathways Through Paradise: Oriental Rugs from Australian Collections, p. 36, dated circa 1860.

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68 Bordjalou Prayer Rug South Central Caucasus ca. 1875 3 ft. 10 in. x 3 ft. 4 in. $3,000–5,000

Provenance: Grogan & Company, Boston, Massachusetts, 4 December 1990, Lot 80C. Literature: - Kaffel, Ralph. Caucasian Prayer Rugs. Laurence King in association with Hali: London, 1998, pl. 5.

- Hali 97. Hali Publications Ltd: London, 1998, p. 93.

Exhibitions: Denver Art Museum, Colorado, 14 May–26 July 1998.

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Ralph’s Notes: [Caucasian Prayer Rugs caption] The two examples presented here are paired for good reason (reference to CPR pl. 4 [Lot 69]). Color wise they are reverse images of each other, and they also represent two examples of a very rare design variant of Borchalo rugs: the single central diamond.

This motif appears only on about three percent of the known prayer rugs from the district. At first glance, the rug with the blue niche appears to be a good deal older than the red niche example – it is better drawn, with every element confidently and precisely draughted. There are also some signs of age in the other rug, however. Although it is not drawn with the sureness of the former, the intricate reciprocal trefoil border with heavily corroded browns, and then octagons containing ‘c’ motifs flanking the prayer arch, suggest a date of around 1875.

69 Bordjalou Prayer Rug South Central Caucasus third quarter 19th century 3 ft. 10 in. x 3 ft. 5 in. $3,000–5,000

Provenance: Sotheby's New York, 30 April 1983, Lot 67.

Literature: - Kaffel, Ralph. Caucasian Prayer Rugs. Laurence King in association with Hali: London, 1998, pl. 4.

- Oriental Rug Review. Philadelphia, vol. 11, no. 3, p. 53.

Exhibitions: Denver Art Museum, Colorado, 14 May–26 July 1998.

Ralph’s Notes: [Caucasian Prayer Rugs caption] Prayer rugs from the mountainous regions of southwestern Caucasia (especially from the Borchalo and Fachralo districts) are profoundly influenced by older Anatolian examples in which the mihrab, often with a re-entrant motif, takes up most of the field. This is in contrast to eastern Caucasian pieces where the prayer arch is generally free-floating. While rugs from the eastern Caucasus take their cue from the floral designs of Persia, the layout of rugs from southwestern Caucasus (such as those shown here) is architectural in its inspiration.

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70 Bordjalou Prayer Rug South Central Caucasus, late 19th century 4 ft. 8 in. x 3 ft. 10 in. $3,000–5,000 Provenance: Alexander Juran & Co., London, May 1980.

Literature: - Fokker, Nicolas. Caucasian Rugs of Yesterday: An Illustrated, Authoritative Guide. George Allen & Unwin: London, 1979, p. 52.

- Kaffel, Ralph. Caucasian Prayer Rugs. Laurence King in association with Hali: London, 1998, pl. 6.

Ralph’s Notes: [Commentary from Alexander Juran & Co.] AJ 4989 ANTIQUE 19th CENTURY BORCHALOU KAZAK, CAUCASIAN RUG. This piece has been woven and knotted in the Caucasian Highlands, in the mountains of the District of BORCHALOU (Bordjalou) and although designed in the manner of a Muslim Prayer Rug, this rug too has been made by Armenian weavers. The piece contains the symbolic crosses which are one of the hallmarks of the Christian Armenians who live in this Area.

A most distinctive feature of the Borchalou rugs is in one of their technical points; it is their soft, pliable texture and fine, silky wool which is quite exceptionally high in the lanolin content.

The high lanolin content is a feature which can be seen and found only in the wool of high grazing mountain sheep.

This rug with its fine fresh colours and silky wool is one of the classics of the Caucasian rug producing areas and pieces of such or similar calibre cannot be found on the markets of today.

This piece can claim one of the top places in any serious collection.

This rug has been sold by ourselves to Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Kaffel of California.

The above description concerning the two rugs has been written in order to justify and to clarify the Origin and the Age of the said pieces and once more to declare that to the best of our knowledge and in our opinion, each of the two rugs are as described, are over One Hundred Years old and thereby fully qualify the description of Antique.

Yours faithfully, Alexander Juran

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71 Kazak Prayer Rug South Central Caucasus, ca. 1880 5 ft. 10 in. x 3 ft. 8 in. $5,000–8,000 Provenance: Julian Homer, Cheltenham, United Kingdom, February 1989.

Literature: Kaffel, Ralph. Caucasian Prayer Rugs. Laurence King in association with Hali: London, 1998, pl. 22.

Exhibitions: Denver Art Museum, Colorado, 14 May–26 July 1998.

Ralph’s Notes: [Caucasian Prayer Rugs caption] Designs travel. The borders, arch and floral field of this rug are influenced by east Caucasian designs, but it is without doubt a Kazak, with the red weft, full pile and hefty feel typical of that area. The red and white minor guard stripe is also an indication of southwest Caucasian origin. The field design is somewhat unusual in that it lacks a latticed grid, and the almost mushroom-like depiction of the flowers is uncommon as well. This could be a case of a weaver attempting to emulate a Shirvan pattern without a clear understanding of the design, or it could simply be an original design without specific antecedents. The rug has the clear colours typical of Kazak’s weavings, including white, red, two blues, two greens, yellow and light blue.

[Ralph’s commentary] A very similar example, with an identical field and border system but with a notched prayer arch and hand prints in the spandrels, was sold to a leading German dealer at Skinner’s in 1986. Another, virtually identical, piece was offered at auction by Rippon in 1996. Other white-ground examples, similar in design but with naturalistically drawn flowers, have been assigned to the eastern Caucasus.

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72 Karabagh Prayer Rug South Caucasus, dated AH 1293 (1877) 4 ft. 4 in. x 3 ft. $4,000–8,000 Provenance: Rippon Boswell, 15 May 2004, Lot 7.

Literature: - Hali 34. "Thornborough Galleries Ad." Hali Publications Ltd: London, 1987, p. 32.

- Herrmann, Eberhart. Seltene Orientteppiche X. Tiafit AG: Munich, 1988, pl. 32.

- Middleton, Andrew. Rugs & Carpets: Techniques, Traditions & Designs. Mitchell Beazley: London, 1996, p. 63.

Ralph’s Notes: This rug was included in Thornborough Galleries (Richard Purdon, Alana Du Monceau) Spring exhibition, May 1987, where Herrmann purchased it. The botehs in the rug’s vertical stripes are what Herrmann calls “vogel boteh” (bird botehs) presumably due to their resemblance to stylized bird’s heads. A closely related rug with “X” motifs instead of botehs in the stripes was attributed to Akstafa at Rippon Boswell 15 November 1986, Lot #49.

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73 Karabagh Prayer Rug South Caucasus, dated AH 1312 (1894) 3 ft. 10 in. x 2 ft. 11 in. $5,000–10,000 Provenance: Sotheby's New York, 14 December 1995, Lot 104.

Literature: Kaffel, Ralph. Caucasian Prayer Rugs. Laurence King in association with Hali: London, 1998, pl. 28 and back cover.

Ralph’s Notes: [Caucasian Prayer Rugs caption] This is one of those atypical rugs which occasionally emerge from Caucasia or Turkey. While no precise analogy to this rug has been identified, either in literature or by anyone with whom I have discussed it*, Danny Anavian, a New York antique rugs dealer, has examined the piece and proposed that it is Kurdish work from the environs of Shusha in Karabagh. The offset depiction of the flowers in conjunction with the vertical stripes, the use of a particular shade of yellow, and the overtly Islamic character of the rug (with its stylized mosque), as well as some technical characteristics, have led him to this conclusion. Shusha was a major stop on a trade route between Persia and Caucasia that was used by Kurdish travelers, and the presence of large Kurdish communities in the area is indicated by a number of ethnographic maps.

The configuration of vertical stripes is typical of south Caucasian Karabagh rugs, while the polychrome zigzag border is consistent with Kurdish work. The inclusion of a mosque is quite rare, now ever, and the horizontally drawn lacy filigree is another unusual feature. Whilst Caucasian prayer rugs with depictions of mosques are uncommon, there is a group of late Shirvan rugs that feature very realistic depictions of famous mosques. * A very close analogy did appear on the TurkoTek website in April 2003. A very similar rug, differing primarily in the placement of the date cartouche, now owned by Sharon Larkins-Pederson, which at one time belonged to actress Janis Carter, who was, by her own description, “Queen of B Movies.”

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74 Daghestan Prayer Rug Northeast Caucasus, second half 19th century 5 ft. 3 in. x 2 ft. 8 in. $5,000–7,000 Provenance: Haliden, ACOR 2002.

Literature: Rippon Boswell: Wiesbaden, Germany, 17 November 2001, Lot 74.

Exhibitions: Ralph & Linda Kaffel, Seattle, Washington, American Conference on Oriental Rugs 7: ‘Cedar Chest’ Session, March 2004.

Ralph’s Notes: The pattern of rising palmettes often appears in east Caucasian prayer rugs; in Shirvans, Daghestans, Akstafas, and more rarely, Kubas. A good example, ascribed to Daghestan, is published in Schurmann, Caucasian Rugs, pl. 125; another, attributed to Shirvan, in Caucasian Prayer Rugs, pl. 81 (coll. Wells Klein). In our example, the palmettes, which are sometimes likened to floral shields or giant insects, are combined with a variety of motifs which include hexagons, octagons, botehs, cruciforms, and rayed motifs resembling pineapples.

Only one other similar example is known to me, a Daghestan offered

by Nagel on 5/25/1979, lot #189 (color plate 107). Both rugs share many characteristics, including the linked arrowhead borders, large arrow-like motifs beneath the prayer arch, as well as field decorations.

Nagel’s is more structured, ours more free-form. Nagel ended their catalog caption with – “... a piece of baffling charisma and beauty.”

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75 Perpedil Prayer Rug Northeast Caucasus, ca. 1870-80 8 ft. 6 in. x 4 ft. 2 in. $5,000–10,000 Provenance: Sotheby's New York, 31 October 1980, Lot 143.

Literature: - Eiland, Murray. Oriental Rugs from Pacific Collections. San Francisco Bay Area Rug Society: San Francisco, 1990, pl. 180.

- Kaffel, Ralph. Caucasian Prayer Rugs. Laurence King in association with Hali: London, 1998, pl. 48.

Ralph’s Notes: [Pacific Collections caption] 180. RUG FROM THE EASTERN CAUCASUS, “Perpedil” design, 19th century, 3’11” x 8’5”. The graceful rendition of geometric forms that are often cramped together in these rugs gives this example an unusual appeal. It provides an excellent example of how successful a rug can be, even with a small amount of synthetic mauve, which does not in the least upset the composition or color scheme. The owners purchased the rug and the decision was made to display it with full awareness of this color. As… rejecting a rug on the basis of such a feature would seem unnecessarily academic.

Perpedil design is often associated with the Kuba district, but this example, with no depression of alternate warps, seems typically Shirvan in weave.

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76 Daghestan Prayer Rug Northeast Caucasus first quarter 19th century 4 ft. 6 in. x 3 ft. 5 in. $5,000–8,000

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Provenance: C. Meyer Muller; Christie's New York, 11 September 1990, Lot 121.

Literature: - Meyer-Punter, Carl. Der Orient-Teppich in Geschichte Kunstgewerbe und Handel. Zurich, 1917, p. 30, no. 5601.

- Kaffel, Ralph. Caucasian Prayer Rugs. Laurence King in association with Hali: London, 1998, pl. 55.

Ralph’s Notes: [Caucasian Prayer Rugs caption] This rug was listed as a Kabistan in the inventory of the collection of C. Meyer-Muller, Der OrientTeppich in 1917. It still has two of Meyer-Muller’s identifying brass discs attached to its corners [discs no longer attached to rug]. A number of factors indicate an early date for this rug. The serrated latticed field is generously spaced and the drawing of the flowers exhibits great imagination and variety. The dragon border is more complex than later versions of this design. Perhaps the most important sign of age, however, is the intense saturated tone of the madder red. With a bluish tinge, it is almost a deep magenta – a depth of color associated with early pieces. The design features shield-like ornamentation beneath the prayer arch, and ‘H’ forms in the spandrels (related to the abstract animal forms found in early Anatolian animal rugs). These motifs are found on a few analogous Daghestans, but all appear to be later examples, with the notable exception of a similar rug in the Jim Dixon collection (CPR pl. 56) which might be contemporary to ours or even a bit earlier.

77 Shirvan Prayer Rug Northeast Caucasus dated, ca. 1865 5 ft. 4 in. x 3 ft. 6 in. $8,000–12,000

Provenance: Skinner, Bolton, Massachusetts, 29 November 1984, Lot 76.

Literature: - Eiland, Murray. Oriental Rugs from Pacific Collections. San Francisco Bay Area Rug Society: San Francisco, 1990, pl. 179.

- Kaffel, Ralph. Caucasian Prayer Rugs. Laurence King in association with Hali: London, 1998, pl. 77.

Ralph’s Notes: The two “best of type” rugs are Herrmann’s SOT V pl. 23 purchased SNY 30 October 1982 #27, reviewed Hali 5/4 p. 506, 508, fig.

3 and an example exhibited at the Iparmuvészeti Museum, Budapest, reviewed in Hali 1/4 pp. 368-70 fig. 7. This rug could join them as the third “best of type” example. The design of the red and yellow border of our rug is replicated on an ivory and blue border offered by Mischioff in Hali 41, p. 22.

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78 Shirvan Prayer Rug Northeast Caucasus second half 19th century 4 ft. 4 in. x 3 ft. 9 in. $10,000–15,000 Provenance: Rippon Boswell, 20 May 2000, Lot 65.

Literature: Hali 112. "Auction Price Guide."

Hali Publications Ltd: London, 2000, p. 149.

Exhibitions: Ralph & Linda Kaffel, Seattle, Washington, American Conference on Oriental Rugs 7: ‘Cedar Chest’ Session, March 2004.

Ralph’s Notes: [Auction Price Guide caption] There are a number of prayer rugs from the northeastern Caucasus with patterns of narrow dotted stripes, but the stripes are usually either diagonal or vertical in orientation. Until this previously unpublished rug appeared at RB there was only one known example with this chevron pattern (perhaps it demands a greater degree of weaving skill), a prayer rug in the Rudnick collection, Boston, attributed to Kuba (Through the Collector’s Eye, pl. 23 and Kaffel, Caucasian Prayer Rugs, pl. 40). The present example shares many design features with the Rudnick rug, including identical motifs in the arch and borders, but the visual impact is quite different. From its conservative ‘base’ of red, white, and blue stripes, the Rudnick rug…into a riot of polychrome chevrons in no apparent sequence. The RB rug is predominantly composed of yellow, red and blue chevrons, only occasionally interrupted by stripes of a different color near the middle of the rug, and then by a sequence of eleven multicolored chevrons near the bottom of the arch (including a single white chevron, a color repeated three times in smaller chevrons inside the arch). It is squarer than the Rudnick rug, and that too contributes to its different look. In sum it is a truly unusual, rare and important Caucasian prayer rug. The more common diagonally striped examples include Daniele Sevi, Tappeti Caucasici, pl. XIV; Ulrich Schürmann, Caucasian Rugs, pl. 74; Dennis Dodds et al., Atlantic Collections, pl. 67; SLO, 26 April 1995, lot 55; SNY Arcade, 17 October 1998, lot 1142; SNY, 17 December 1999, lot 12; Skinner, 24 April 1993, lot 102; Herrmann, SOT VI, pl. 38; Károly Gombos, Old Prayer Rugs, pl. 6; and Ralph Kaffel, CPR, pl. 72 = RB, 14 May 1994, lot 101. The rarer vertically striped examples include Roy Macey, Prayer Rugs, pl. 29 and Skinner, 12 April 1997, lot 139.

[Ralph’s commentary] I have long admired a related prayer rug from the Rudnick collection which I was happy to publish in Caucasian Prayer Rugs, plate 40 (previously published in Through the Collector’s Eye (1991, plate 23)). Until this unpublished rug appeared at auction, I knew of no other Caucasian prayer rug with a chevron-striped pattern (most striped prayer rugs have either vertical or diagonal orientations). Both rugs have the same border of small crosses separated by “x” motifs. A third such rug appeared soon after the Rippon sale, with a palette as in ours, but with hands in the spandrels and a “dragon” main border (Hali 114, January 2001, p. 36, ad for Michail di David Sorgato, dated to mid-19th century).

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79 Daghestan Prayer Rug Northeast Caucasus, third quarter 19th century 4 ft. 5 in. x 3 ft. 8 in. $5,000–10,000 Provenance: Grogan & Company, Boston, Massachusetts, 26 October 1996, Lot 254.

Literature: - Sotheby's New York. New York, 11 February 1984, Lot 74.

- Kaffel, Ralph. Caucasian Prayer Rugs. Laurence King in association with Hali: London, 1998, pl. 57.

Exhibited: Denver Art Museum, Colorado, 14 May–26 July 1998.

Ralph’s Notes: [Caucasian Prayer Rugs caption] Striped designs were employed on prayer rugs throughout the Caucasus region, with the possible exception of the Kazak weaving area.

Various configurations are used, including vertical stripes, diagonal stripes and chevron bands. Other examples of striped rugs can be seen in plates 27, 28, 34, 40, 72, 73, and 87. This rug is of a somewhat unusual design, with its riot of colours (a total of 15 are used) and the alternating pattern of boteh and quartered diamonds within the bands. The field is filled with 25 polychrome vertical bands, while in the spandrels narrower bands, on a diagonal bias, are employed.

[Ralph’s commentary] A slightly smaller but otherwise virtually identical rug is illustrated as plate 110 in Bennett, Oriental Rugs, Vol. 1: Caucasian. The two pieces are so similar that they may well have been woven as a pair; they are almost certainly the work of the same weaver. Although Bennett’s piece was placed in the Karabagh section of his book, he wrote that "I cannot help feeling that a more northeasterly attribution is likely." (Bennett’s book was essentially an English commentary to an earlier German book by Doris Eder, and Bennett was committed to the prior attributions.) The main borders of both rugs, as well as the blue-black medachyl inner border, are typical of Daghestan, as are the technical features of this example.

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80 Marasali Prayer Rug Northeast Caucasus, ca. 1870 4 ft. 6 in. x 3 ft. 2 in. $3,000–5,000 Provenance: David Sorgato, Milan.

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Ralph’s Notes: Yellow ground Marasali prayer rugs with the boteh pattern are much rarer than their “black” ground counterparts. This rug, while showing obvious signs of age and wear, is in original condition, devoid of restoration.

It is very similar to a rug published by Herrmann in A.T.T. I pl. 18 which he purchased at Sotheby’s New York on 3 December 1988. The two rugs share identical border systems, similarly patterned botehs including rows of small blue botehs at the bottom of the field. Another comparable example was sold at Skinner’s 7 December 1991 #131 to Battilossi, published in Hali 59 p. 98 (Skinner ad) and Hali 61, Auction Price Guide p .163.

81 Marasali Prayer Rug Northeast Caucasus third quarter 19th century 5 ft. 1 in. x 3 ft. 11 in. $10,000–15,000

Provenance: Sotheby's London, 15 June 1983, Lot 76.

Literature: - Eiland, Murray. Oriental Rugs from Pacific Collections.

San Francisco Bay Area Rug Society: San Francisco, 1990, pl. 181.

- Kaffel, Ralph. Caucasian Prayer Rugs. Laurence King in association with Hali: London, 1998, pl. 92.

- Hali 103. "Ivory, Black, and Gold / Marasali Prayer Rugs." Hali Publications Ltd: London, 1999, p. 89, no. 10.

Ralph’s Notes: Excerpt from Caucasian Prayer Rugs “Early black Marasalis with curved prayer arches, although very special, are by no means the only Marasalis of merit. Some later examples, such as the rug shown here, have been wonderfully crafted, with large, bold, alternately facing botehs in a panoply of designs. In this example the botehs are so large that only five horizontal rows are needed to fill the field (in most later examples, which are more crowded and with less variation in boteh designs, the botehs face in the same direction).

In this example 11 colors are used and the botehs display six different designs, including crosshatch, honeycomb, diagonal stripes, a central axis, diamonds and double diamonds. The typical Marasali “bird” border is flanked by characteristic blue ground guard borders, then framed by a supplementary guard border of angular floral design, on a yellow ground.”

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82 Shirvan Prayer Rug Northeast Caucasus, dated AH 1310 (1892) 4 ft. 2 in. x 4 ft. $4,000–8,000 Provenance: Skinner, Bolton, Massachusetts, 20 November 1985, Lot 109.

Literature: Kaffel, Ralph. Caucasian Prayer Rugs.

Laurence King in association with Hali: London, 1998, pl. 83.

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Ralph’s Notes: [Caucasian Prayer Rugs caption] This rug features a rare simplified version of the classic Konaghend design, an intricate mosaic of interwoven elements based on conjoined hexagons. The Konaghend pattern is arguably the most intricate and complex of all Caucasian field designs. It is almost certainly rooted in the ‘Lotto’ designs of sixteenth-century Ushak rugs from Anatolia (an intricate lattice tracery pattern featuring conjoined hexagons; so called because of its depiction in paintings by the sixteenth-century artist Lorenzo Lotto). Various bird and animal forms may be identified in Konaghend patterns; whether these were intentional trompe l’oeil or accidental imagery on the part of the weaver is as yet an unresolved issue.

[Ralph’s commentary] It is surprising that this rug was produced in the Shirvan area. No similar Shirvan rug is known. It is dated AH 1310 (1892), a date fully consistent with the rug’s appearance and feel. It has some unusual features, such as the almost-square format and the field design of confronting chicken or rooster forms. It seems unlikely that such an unconventional rug would have been made for export; it could possibly have been made by a weaver who had moved to Shirvan from neighboring Konaghend and was thus familiar with the designs from that area.

83 Zeikhur Prayer Rug Kuba District, Northeast Caucasus, dated AH 1303 (1885) 3 ft. 5 in. x 2 ft. 8 in. $3,000–5,000 Provenance: Skinner, Boston, 6 December 1997, Lot 1.

Literature: Hali 97. “Auction Price Guide.” Hali Publications Ltd: London, 1988, p. 135.

Exhibitions: Ralph & Linda Kaffel, Seattle, Washington, American Conference on Oriental Rugs 7: ‘Cedar Chest’ Session, March 2004.

Ralph’s Notes: Zeikhur prayer rugs are rare (about 15 published) and all different from one another. This example has the same floral border as our mat. The rose flowerheads appear on secular Zeikhurs (see Skinner, April 8, 1995, #58) and on a bagface with this identical border advertised in Hali 109 by Hazara in Oakland. The pagoda-like arch is unique on a Caucasian prayer rug, but there is a rug with related exotic arch with dots on a white ground in plate 58 in Oriental Rugs from New England Collections.

[Auction Price Guide] Zeikhur prayer rugs are rare birds, with fewer than fifteen published examples, of which no two are alike. While the blue field with its rows of characteristic dark red and rose flowerheads is familiar (for a typical non-prayer example, see Skinner, 8 April 1995, lot 58), the free-flowing, pagoda-like prayer arch has no parallel among published Caucasian prayer rugs. Another exotic arch with dots on a white ground, appeared on a Kuba district rug, possibly also Zeikhur, published as pl. 58 in the 1975/76 catalogue of the Oriental Rug Society of New England. The main border of this rug has appeared on other Zeikhurs (Hali 62, p. 127, Krikor Markarian). Given its rarity and appeal, both the estimate the price paid were derisory.

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84 Shirvan Prayer Rug Northeast Caucasus, late 19th century 5 ft. 5 in. x 3 ft. 4 in. $3,000–5,000 Provenance: Julian Homer, Cheltenham, United Kingdom, ca. 1980-81.

Literature: - Hali 2/1. "J.R.J. Homer Ad." Hali Publications Ltd: London, 1979, p. 26.

- Kaffel, Ralph. Caucasian Prayer Rugs. Laurence King in association with Hali: London, 1998, pl. 79.

Ralph’s Notes: Thousands of Shirvan and Daghestan prayer rugs were made in the last decade of the nineteenth century. Most of them adhered fairly strictly to the most popular formula of flower-filled lattice field with dragon border. There were, of course, exceptions – such as this example, which appears to have started out as a conventional floral lattice piece but then changed to a rudimentary pattern of multi-coloured ‘x’ forms. The simplicity of the design suggests that this rug might have been made for personal use rather than for export, as rugs made for overseas markets generally employed the more popular patterns. Although the design appears rather crowded, the green prayer arch and the border of animal-filled ‘birds’ give it a certain character and charm.

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85 Shirvan Prayer Rug Northeast Caucasus dated AH 1282 (1865) or 1252 (1837) 5 ft. 3 in. x 3 ft. 10 in. $4,000–6,000 Provenance: Peter Bausback, Mannheim, February 1980.

Literature: Kaffel, Ralph. Caucasian Prayer Rugs. Laurence King in association with Hali: London, 1998, pl. 78.

Ralph’s Notes: [Caucasian Prayer Rugs caption] This piece belongs to a small group of Shirvan rugs with similar design, colouring and detail. All feature ‘Kufic’-type borders, usually on blue grounds; a polychrome inner border of boxed swastikas; unusual flowers in the lattice field; and inscribed dates, usually to the right of the prayer arch. This example is dated AH 1252, which translates to 1837, probably 40 years earlier than when the rug was actually made. (Most of the analogous examples bear dates between 1875 and 1900, and there is no reason to suppose that this rug is any older.) Although essentially a typical Shirvan prayer rug, the dark ‘Kufic’ border and the swastikas of this piece give it a very different overall appearance. The ‘Kufic’ border is more a feature of rugs from the Kuba area (such as Perepedil, Konaghend and Chi Chi) and is very rarely seen on Shirvan rugs other than those in this group. A very similar example, though with a more crowded design, was sold at Bonhams, London in 1993.

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95

Provenance: R. Franklin Horst, Minnesota, ca. October 2000.

Ralph’s Notes: This prayer rug was exhibited at Augsburg College as a Chi Chi on 9/8-10/19/00, but I don’t think that it is, and would prefer a Daghestan attribution. The golden yellow field is of typical Khirdagyd Chi Chi design. The stylized Kufic script border is congruent with the Chi Chi aesthetic as well, as are the linked diamond guard borders.

But the obliquely striped guard borders are a foreign design element in Chi Chi rugs* though typical of Daghestan, and, most important, the back of the rug lacks the characteristically distinctive rippled weft of the Chi Chi pieces. The rug bears a date of 1251, equal to circa 1835. I do not think that is credible, and consider late 19th century (18751890) a more realistic assessment of the rug’s age. My rationale for this is the proportion of field to borders. In later rugs the borders tend to become more numerous and dominant, consequently the size of the field shrinks. Having said that, the rug nevertheless possesses uniqueness and undeniable visual appeal. The coloring is superb, and iconography of the prayer arch, with its diamond-topped apex is uncommon.

Exhibitions: The Gage Family Art Gallery, Augsburg College, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Islamic Prayer Rugs: A Creed in Color, 8 September–19 October 2000.

* The two examples that I know of with a Chi Chi field design and obliquely striped guard borders are Lefevre 11/26/76 #12, with a “crab” main border, attributed to Kuba and a rug published in Allen Memorial Art Museum’s “Bulletin”, p. 46, attributed to Daghestan.

86 Daghestan Prayer Rug Northeast Caucasus, late 19th century unreliably dated 1251 AD (1835 AD) 4 ft. 5 in. x 3 ft. 7 in. $2,000–4,000

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87 Avar Prayer Rug Northeast Caucasus, late 19th century 4 ft. 4 in. x 2 ft. 11 in. $2,000–4,000 Provenance: Alberto Levi, ca. 2014

Ralph’s Notes: This [is] the one and only Avar prayer rug that I know of. Salmanov and Chenciner, in OCTS III, Part I flatly state that they (the Avars) did not have their own prayer rug design.

Donald Wilber and David Millery made no mention of Avar prayer rugs in their Hali article (issue 29, pps.

40-43) “Avar, A Small Family.” They cite Chirkov’s contention that the Avars did not take up pile weaving until about 1860 and the practice declined at the end of the 19th c., which accounts for the general rarity of Avar pile pieces in the marketplace. In some ways the design features of this rug are consistent with the description in the Hali article – cobalt blue field, light red, white outlining of the “rukzal” motif. Other aspects are not in line with Avar characteristics, such as filler motifs and double guard borders.

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88 Shirvan Rug Northeast Caucasus, late 19th century 6 ft. x 4 ft. $5,000–8,000 Provenance: Bausback, Mannheim, February 1980.

Ralph’s Notes: This rug was an early purchase from a distinguished European dealer. It was sold to us as a “Moghan Shirvan” which is a geographical impossibility. It was estimated at mid-19th century – a highly improbable date in as much as the system of four borders is typical of later pieces. The major border, a variant of the “eagle’s beak” design, is rendered in too angular a fashion to be early. Late 19th century is a reasonable date for this rug. Its strongest and most unusual feature is its abrashed, striated, sky blue field with (ten) narrow ivory projections, ending in wrench like crescents, penetrating the field from either side. There are many Caucasian rugs which feature plain fields, most notable from Talish and Moghan, but I am not aware of another comparable rug with the particular field pattern of this example.

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89 Kuba District Rug Northeast Caucasus, ca. 1850-75 5 ft. 5 in. x 3 ft. 3 in. $5,000–7,000 Provenance: Peter Scholten, Boalsburg, Pennsylvania, June 1991.

Literature: Hali 66. "Connoisseur's Choice." Hali Publications Ltd: London, 1992, p. 82-3.

Exhibitions: Ralph & Linda Kaffel, Seattle, Washington, American Conference on Oriental Rugs 7: ‘Cedar Chest’ Session, March 2004.

Ralph’s Notes: There is little unanimity when it comes to attribution of similar pieces. An example with an identical “S” border was attributed to Derbend in Battilossi’s catalog #4, plate 8. Rippon-Boswell’s (#168, 6 November, 1976) was attributed to Kazak, and what is arguably the most interesting of these examples (Christie’s London, 14 June, 1863, #41) was attributed to south Caucasus. We bought this rug from a dealer’s car trunk in the parking lot at Skinner’s (Bolton, Massachusetts) in what used to be a sale during an auction. I dated this rug as mid 19th c. in Hali; I now tend to see it as a somewhat later product.

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90 Perpedil Rug East Caucasus, late 19th century 4 ft. x 2 ft. 11 in. $3,000–5,000 Provenance: Sotheby Parke-Benet, 31 October 1980, Lot 114; Rippon Boswell, 19 November 2005, Lot 191.

Literature: Hali 3/2. "Sotheby Parke-Bernet Ad." Hali Publications Ltd: London, 1980, p. 22.

Ralph's Notes: The catalog cites as comparable Spuhler, Konig, Volkmann Old Eastern Carpets (1978) pl. 65 (= Lefevre 30 November 1979 #35, attributed to Shirvan). There are a large number of similar examples with the Heati pattern and very similar palettes, variously attributed to Perpedil, Shirvan, Malayer, Sauj Bulagh, and even Baluch (Skinner 28 September 2014 #317, Hali 182, Auction Price Guide).

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91 Karagashli Rug Kuba District, Northeast Caucasus, mid 19th century 4 ft. 8 in. x 3 ft. 1 in. $4,000–8,000 Provenance: Cannes, France.

Ralph’s Notes: Karagashli weavers created many versions of the “medallion and pendant” design. Some of the earliest, rarest and classic variants of the pattern depict a single stepped central hexagon with two red flaming pendants. Early Karagashli rugs are prized for their unique shade of sky blue, which in later pieces turn to a darker shade of indigo. One of the best Karagashli rugs, albeit of a different design, sold at Sotheby’s New York on 2 April 2004 (Hali 135 Auction Price Guide p. 106). There are but a few examples in literature of the single medallion type.

The most similar to our rug in virtually all design respects was published in Hali 54 pps. 20/21 in a Clive Loveless ad, attributed to Kuba, mid 19th century, but with apparently a much darker blue field than in ours. Other comparable pieces include Herrmann SOT III pl. 42, with a leaf & calyx border. Lot #98 in Sotheby New York 19 May 1984 also has a leaf & calyx border, with our border pattern of linked diamonds used as an outer guard border. Bausback’s 1980 catalog illustrates a piece on p. 58 with a main border of “Eagle’s beak” design, in which the outer guard border also reprises the diamond pattern of our main borders.

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92 Kazak Rug South Central Caucasus third quarter 19th century 6 ft. 10 in. x 4 ft. 7 in. $3,000–5,000 Provenance: Tom Cole, San Rafael, California.

Literature: Eiland, Murray. Oriental Rugs: A New Comprehensive Guide. New York Graphic Society: New York, 1982, pl. 37, p. 263.

Ralph’s Notes: Excerpt from Pacific Collections caption: “The piece is unusual in having both a red field and border while there are no minor borders. The design is also atypic enough to have acquired no trade name, although probably one would be found if several of this type were to appear in the international market at the same time. The highly saturated red and boldness of the design give this example a rather easy feel.”

A number of examples have appeared since Eiland wrote this, and there is still no trade name, nor is there a consensus as to attribution.

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93 Bordjalou Kazak Rug South Caucasus, mid 19th century or earlier 5 ft. 8 in. x 4 ft. $8,000–12,000 Provenance: John C. Edelmann Galleries, New York, 14 June 1980, Lot 381.

Literature: - Eiland, Murray. Oriental Rugs from Pacific Collections. San Francisco Bay Area Rug Society: San Francisco, 1990, pl. 174.

- Eiland, Jr., Murray L. and Eiland Murray III. Oriental Rugs: A Complete Guide. Laurence King: London, 1998, pl. 261.

Ralph’s Notes: Murray Eiland felt that this rug was among the very earliest of its type. In A Complete Guide, he commented on its undyed wefts and its pre-commercial origin. The narrow, reciprocal borders are a further indicator of age.

[Pacific Collections caption] 174. KAZAK RUG; mid-19th century or earlier, 4’ x 5’7”. Like no. 173, this is one of the Bordjalous with undyed wefts, and again the apparent random scattering of minor design elements and prominent abrash suggest a pre-commercial origin. The bolder border is characteristic of the Bordjalou area, which has long been inhabited by both Armenians and Georgians.

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94 Kazak Rug South Caucasus, ca. 1875 7 ft. 1 in. x 4 ft. $2,000–3,000

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95 Shirvan Kilim Northeast Caucasus second or third quarter 19th century 11 ft. 7 in. x 5 ft. 4 in. $2,000–4,000 Provenance: Dolan Textiles / John Phillips, San Francisco, ca. 1980.

Ralph’s Notes: A large and beautiful early kilim that has some of its hexagons piled in camel hair. I don’t track kilims, but from the little research that I did, I found no close analogy for this design of pseudo-stars in hexagons. This kilim belongs to a group without borders. Related examples have been published in Black & Loveless The Undiscovered Kilim pl. 378 42, both attributed to South Caucasus; Petsopoulos Kilims pl. 309, attributed to Shirvan and another Shirvan advertised by Dolma (SF) in Hali 3/1 p. 59.

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96 Alpan Kuba Rug Northeast Caucasus, ca. 1880 6 ft. 1 in. x 3 ft. 9 in. $4,000–6,000 Provenance: Oriental Rug Gallery, Louis Georgi, Berkeley, California, ca. 1981.

Ralph’s Notes: Comparing this rug to our other Alpan Kuba (C-15) demonstrated the evolutionary changes that occur in a traditional design over a time span of two or three generations. While the field’s iconography has remained relatively faithful to tradition, the palette has undergone a radical makeover. The area’s characteristic salmon-pink, a main color in earlier pieces, is used here only for outlining and small details. The greens and yellows, so vital to C-15, are mainly absent here, replaced by shades of reds and blues. The unique border of this rug, consisting of a pattern of highly stylized curvilinear botehs piled in the same colors as the field motifs, greatly adds to the visual appeal of this rug. The floral, ivory ground minor border is in a traditional Zeikhur pattern, as is the red ground “running dog” outer guard border.

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97 Zeikhur Small Rug Kuba District, Northeast Caucasus, last quarter 19th century 2 ft. 8 in. x 2 ft. 5 in. $2,000–4,000 Provenance: Sotheby's New York, 15 December 2000, Lot 2.

Exhibitions: Ralph & Linda Kaffel, Seattle, Washington, American Conference on Oriental Rugs 7: ‘Cedar Chest’ Session, March 2004.

Ralph’s Notes: [Cedar Chest caption] An uncommon example of a north Caucasian mat (described as a bagface in the Sotheby's catalog), with an intricate pattern which is actually a complex lattice. The linked floral border is typical of Zeikhur, and is used as both major and guard borders. There is an extremely closely related small rug with this identical field pattern and border in the Al Mazzie collection in San Francisco (this rug was exhibited at the ACOR session for comparison purposes), while another rug with an identical field but multiple borders was offered at Sotheby’s London on 4/21/99, #116.

[Ralph’s commentary] An older fragment with this design but with more intense colors was exhibited during a “Show & Tell” session by Harold Keshishian at a Textile Museum “Rug Morning” in April 2009.

This design is presumed by some collectors to have been created for the European market, but I have a different theory. I see this pattern as a Zeikhur variant of the more familiar Bidjar “rising pattern”.

Analogies include SNY 30 October 1981 #115 (attributed to Bidjar); PLO 16 October 2001 #78 and SLO 21 April 99 #116.

98 Zeikhur Boteh Rug Northeast Caucasus, ca. 1875 3 ft. 2 in. x 2 ft. 5 in. $1,000–2,000

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99 Shahsavan Soumac Bag Face Southeast Caucasus, late 19th century 1 ft. 7 in. x 1 ft. 6 in. $5,000–10,000 Provenance: Sotheby's New York, 11 June 2008, Lot 2.

Literature: Price, Collection of Dr. William. 'Bags' 1991 Calendar. "November."

Exhibitions: Mary Jo Otsea, Textile Museum, Washington, D.C., Collectible Rugs, September 2008.

Ralph's Notes: A finely woven unusual bag face, featuring a stylized central octagon and an uncommon red ground border with three fabulous birds in the upper and lower panels.

A border of similar design appears on a central-medallion bag face in the Rudnick Collection, previously published in Herrmann's S.O.T. VIII #53A, also Hali 32 and Wertime's Sumak Bags pl. 75. It is interesting to compare this bag face with one sold at Grogan's on 10 December 2007 #14 for a record price (Hali 155 APG p. 143) and while Grogan's is much larger, both octagons feature stylized zoomorphs. Both bag faces also have their horizontal red ground borders decorated with fabulous birds.

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100 Shahsavan Soumac Bag Face Azerbaijan, second half 19th century 2 ft. 1 in. x 1 ft. 11 in. $4,000–6,000 Provenance: Skinner, Bolton, Massachusetts, 31 May 1989, Lot 140.

Literature: - Oriental Rug Review. Philadelphia, 1987, vol. 7, no. 21 (May 1987), pl. 27.

- Hali 37. "Marketplace." Hali Publications Ltd: London, 1988, p. 95.

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Ralph’s Notes: This finely woven and lustrous bagface belongs to a group of sumakhs with a particular type of cross-animal medallion flanked by large geometric trees and animals on a dark blue field.

This type is best known from the publication of an almost identical example in From the Bosphorus to Samarkand: Flat Woven Rugs pl. 60, unfortunately depicted only in black & white. This type is relatively rare; there are less than ten comparable examples in literature, other than the aforementioned. They include a wonderful example from the Bach Collection, published in Taschen pl. 17 and in Taschen der Nomaden West-Persiens, pl. 3; Rippon Boswell 11/12/94, #12; Skinner 6/3/86 #120 = Herrmann S.O.T. VIII plate 56B and complete bags published in Hali 5/4 p. 555 (Robert Muller) and Hali 48, p. 16 (Mohammed Tehrani).

Our bagface is notable for a particular shade of salmon, rarely seen in sumakh bags. Another comparable example was offered Edelmann Galleries NY 10 November 1979 #25.

101 Shahsavan Soumac Bag Face South Caucasus, mid 19th century 1 ft. 7 in. x 1 ft. 6 in. $2,000–4,000 Provenance: Rippon Boswell, 16 November 1996, Lot 114.

Literature: Hali 91. "Auction Price Guide." Hali Publications Ltd: London, 1997, p. 157.

Exhibitions: Ralph & Linda Kaffel, Seattle, Washington, American Conference on Oriental Rugs 7: ‘Cedar Chest’ Session, March 2004.

Ralph’s Notes: The APG review wrote that “no similar Shahsavan saddle bag is known to us…”. The apparent mate to this piece surfaced on RugRabbit on 5 June 2007, offered by Amir Bager for $13,000. This cruciform motif, derived from Turkic origins, appears on a variety of woven objects, including cargo bags (mafrash) and reverse-sumakh pieces. It appears on bedding bags, attributed to the Khamseh-Bijar area (Tanavoli, Shahsavan pl. 70 & 71) and on a mafrash panel from the Joseph McMullan Collection, attributed to Caucasus, published in From the Bosphorus to Samarkand pl. 65. The itinerancy of designs is demonstrated by pl. 36 in A Skein Through Time a white ground Qashqa'i Sumakh bagface with these same cruciform motifs, which were it lacking the characteristic south Persian elem, would surely have been attributed to Shahsavan. Our bagface is notable for its clear color and fine weave.

The border pattern is more typically Caucasian than Persian.

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102 Shahsavan Soumac Bag Face possibly Moghan, South Caucasus late 19th century 1 ft. 11 in. x 1 ft. 10 in. $4,000–8,000 Provenance: George O'Bannon, June 1991.

Ralph’s Notes: The central reserve is white cotton and the handle is heavy so that this piece has to be rolled rather than folded, and the border, while typical, is of the rarer type. An identical border appears on a similar bagface from the Futorian collection published in Mideast Meets Midwest pl. 42. A possible “mate” to this piece was sold at Rippon Boswell on 24 May 1997 #162 for almost $10,000, reviewed in Hali 94 Auction Price Guide p. 134. Other examples with this border include Taschen der Nomaden West-Persiens aus der Sammlung Bach pl. 12; Orient Stars pl. 36 and Hali 119 p. 45 from Hans-Jurgen Krausse. Another virtually identical bagface, dated circa 1830 sold for almost $8,000 at Austria Auction Company 15 March 2014 #189.

103 Shahsavan Soumac Bag Face Northwest Persia, 19th century 1 ft. 9 in. x 1 ft. 8 in. $4,000–6,000 Provenance: Rippon Boswell, 28 May 2010, Lot 276.

Literature: Hali 165. "Auction Price Guide." Hali Publications Ltd: London, 2010, p. 125.

Ralph’s Notes: This is an example of a relatively rare sub-group of Sumaks, the best-oftype is dated to the 1st half 19th century, published in Sumak Bags of Northwest Persia and Transcaucasia, formerly in Danny Shaffer’s collection.

There are approximately 15 known published examples in this small group, about half of which feature this identical border of “Z” motifs. The “pair” to this piece was sold at Rippon Boswell on 16 November 2002 #122, reviewed in Hali 127, Auction Price Guide p. 146.

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104 Shahsavan Soumac Bag Face South Caucasus, late 19th century 1 ft. 10 in. x 1 ft. 10 in. $3,000–5,000 Provenance: Skinner, Bolton, Massachusetts, 1 June 1991, Lot 45.

Ralph’s Notes: Precise attribution for bags with this distinct central medallion is problematic. Many similar examples have been attributed to Moghan, including attributions by Herrmann (S.O.T. VIII, pl. 54B) and Frauenknecht (Best of Bach pl. 15).

Kirchheim attributes his bag simply to N.W. Persia (Orient Stars, p. 36), Cassin chooses not to attribute his example to any area (Kilim, Soumak, Carpet, and Cloth pl. 15), while Peter Saunders leans towards Kuba in attributing plate 34C in “Tribal Visions”. Murray Eiland, in describing a very similar bag illustrated as pl. 204 in Pacific Collections writes – “Here we see the classic 2-1-2 format in an unusual setting, a bagface. Ordinarily we expect to see it on larger carpets, often from the Kazak area. Indeed, the Shahsavan label for this piece may be inaccurate and it may have been woven in western Caucasus.” I disagree with that attribution. I feel that Moghan, in Southern Caucasus or NW Persia is the most probable origin. The border on our piece is typical, identical borders appear on most of the pieces referred to above. The other type of popular border for these pieces may be seen in the following bagface (see S-4 [Lot 102]).

105 Shahsavan Soumac Bag Face Southeast Caucasus late 19th century 2 ft. 6 in. x 1 ft. 9 in. $3,000–5,000 Provenance: Sotheby's New York, 11 June 2008, Lot 2.

Literature: Hali 2/1. Hali Publications Ltd: London, 1979, inside front cover.

Exhibitions: Mary Jo Otsea, Textile Museum, Washington, D.C., Collectible Rugs, September 2008.

Ralph’s Notes: What makes this particular bagface desirable are its unusual elongated dimensions, giving it a rectangular, almost yastik-like shape.

Compare with S-4 [Lot 102] and S-29 [Lot 104].

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106 Shahsavan Soumac Bag Face South Caucasus, ca. 1875 2 ft. x 1 ft. 11 in. $3,000–5,000 Provenance: Christie's New York, 7 April 1990, Lot 51.

Literature: Ware, Joyce C. The Official Price Guide to Oriental Rugs. House of Collectibles: New York, New York, 1992, p. 75.

Ralph’s Notes: The weaver of this piece chose an unusually heavy outlining of the “Memling” motif for greater emphasis. While the top and bottom borders feature conventional “syrga” motifs, the side borders present a rarer variant. Similar heavier outlining of the Memling gul may be seen in pl. 27 of Frauenknecht’s Taschen. The “mate” to this piece was sold at Rippon Boswell 24 May 2008 #15.

107 Shahsavan Soumac Bag Face South Caucasus or Northwest Persia, late 19th century 1 ft. 10 in. x 1 ft. 9 in. $3,000–5,000 Provenance: Skinner, Bolton, Massachusetts, 20 November 1985, Lot 73.

Ralph’s Notes: Bags with this central octagon motif almost invariably have this border that Wertime describes as “the stylized asymmetrical cloud collar motif” (see Sumak Bags pl. 131 & 132). In the older examples, such as pl. 132 (ibid) and in the bagface exhibited at the Baganz Cedar Chest Session at ACOR 7, the border motifs are more generously spaced, while in later pieces, such as pl. 131 (ibid), and in our bag they are placed closer together. Wertime, in captioning his plates, proposes a Kazak origin for these pieces, based on the similarity of the central octagon to a field motif in Karachov carpets of the Kazak region. The Kazak attribution, however, is not shared by most other experts. Tony Hazdedine attributes his example more generally as we do (Hali 71, p. 150). Herrmann, too, opts for a more general attribution of South Caucasus (A.T.T.A., pl. 533) . Tanavoli assigns his example to Moghan (Shahsavan pl. 134) as does Muller for Volkerkunde, Basel (Hali 30, p. 52). Yet the caption for a khorjin published in Leuchtende Farben-Magische Muster pl. 10, does agree with Wertime by assigning it to Karachov. As the above indicates, attribution for these pieces is an inexact science, which in no way detracts from one’s enjoyment of them.

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108 Pair of Shahsavan Soumac Bags South Caucasus, ca. 1875 the larger: 2 ft. 2 in. x 2 ft. 1 1/2 in. the smaller: 2 ft. x 2 ft. $5,000–10,000 Provenance: John C. Edelmann Galleries, New York, 25 October 1980, Lot 125.

Literature: Eiland, Murray. Oriental Rugs from Pacific Collections. San Francisco Bay Area Rug Society: San Francisco, 1990, pl. 195.

Ralph’s Notes: [Pacific Collections caption] 195. FLATWOVEN BAGFACE, probably southern Caucasus, 19th century, 23 1/2 x 24”. The border stripes are typical of Shahsavan work, although the medallion is slightly unusual.

[Ralph’s commentary] These two bags are extremely finely woven and possess glowing saturated colors. Murray Eiland remarked in his Pacific Collections caption for one of these bags that “the medallion is slightly unusual”. He was probably referring to the elongated proportions of the octagon. The gul is contained in an ivory octagon which is itself contained in a red octagon on a star-spangled indigo field. The combination of green and aubergine within the medallion is unusual as well. Both borders are typical of Shahsavan work. The closest comparison that I have found to the design in the field is a pair of bags published in Bausback’s Kelim, plate 122 and 123, which Peter Bausback dates to the 1st half of the 19th c., but the guls do not have the elongated proportion of our pieces.

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109 Shahsavan Soumac Khorjin Moghan District, South Caucasus, late 19th century 3 ft. 6 in. x 1 ft. 8 in. $5,000–10,000 Provenance: Private purchase, 1987.

Ralph’s Notes: In S.O.T. VIII pl. 53B Herrmann illustrated a comparable bag with a border employing identical hooked motifs, except that in his bag the motifs are enclosed by polychrome octagons.* This border, while simple, is relatively uncommon for this type. We know of only seven examples of the type to employ this border. The former owner acquired this khorjin in the late 1950’s at a country auction for less than $50. *The Herrmann bag was offered by Northeast Auctions on 22 February 2008 #1443, estimated $25-3500 and sold for $11,700 including premium.

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110 Soumac Bag Face South Caucasus, 19th century 1 ft. 7 in. x 1 ft. 6 in. $2,000–4,000 Provenance: Skinner, Bolton, Massachusetts, 3 June 1986, Lot 123.

Literature: Eiland, Murray. Oriental Rugs from Pacific Collections. San Francisco Bay Area Rug Society: San Francisco, 1990, pl. 196.

Ralph’s Notes: [Pacific Collections caption] 196. FLATWOVEN BAGFACE, probably southern Caucasus, 19th century, 18” x 19”. While the origin of many of these small bags cannot be determined with any certainty, the inner and outer guard stripes here are in the design often associated with the Karadagh area, around the Araxes River. Whether it was made by Talysh, Shahsevan, or other peoples is a matter only for speculation.

111 Shahsavan Soumac Bag Moghan, South Caucasus second half 19th century 1 ft. 10 in. x 1 ft. 8 in. $2,000–3,000 Provenance: Rippon Boswell, 20 May 2006, Lot 216.

Ralph’s Notes: While there are scores of sumakh bagfaces and khorjins featuring the pattern of diagonal stripes this is the only example to date with a chevron configuration of diagonal stripes. A similar design on a bedding bag panel was offered by Aaron Nejad at the Hali Fair 2000, subsequently at Sotheby London 27 June 2005, #37.

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112 Pair of Shahsavan Soumac Bag Faces South Caucasus, ca. 1865 the larger: 1 ft. 7 in. x 1 ft. 3 in. the smaller: 1 ft. 6 in. x 1 ft. 3 in. $5,000–10,000 Provenance: Skinner, Bolton, Massachusetts, 21 May 1987, Lot 142.

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Ralph’s Notes: As far as I know, and I have tracked sumakhs for many years, this pair is the only one of the type with the central octagon to feature a border of polychrome octagons containing latchhooks. This pair is somewhat small than is usual and have gem-like colors with lots of green and a variety of reds.

113 Pair of Shahsavan Soumac Bag Faces South Caucasus or Northwest Persia second half 19th century the larger: 1 ft. 10 in. x 1 ft. 9 in. the smaller: 1 ft. 9 in. x 1 ft. 7 in. $3,000–5,000 Provenance: Skinner, Bolton, Massachusetts, 6 December 1987, Lot 94.

Ralph’s Notes: The so-called Lesghi star is a ubiquitous ornament on flat woven bags throughout the weaving areas of Persia and the Caucasus. The more common configuration is a single Lesghi star as a central medallion. The all-over pattern of stars, while less common, can not be considered rare. The most famous and best known example of the latter type is a bagface from the Joseph McMullan collection, published as plate 57 in Islamic Carpets. Other closely comparable examples include a pair of bagfaces at Nagel, 11/13/93 #138; Skinner 5/31/87 #69, also published in Herrmann’s Kaukasische Teppiche plate 34B; Lefevre 6/22/79 #2; Rippon Boswell 5/16/89 #65 = Grogan 6/3/91 #159 = SNY 12/15/94 #165; Atlantic Collections, pl. 117; Arizona Collects pl. 30 and Hali 39 p. 103, Galerie Ostler. Most like our pair, however, is a bagface from the Bruce Baganz Collection, published in Wertime’s Sumak Bags pl. 26 and in A World of Carpets and Textiles p. 161, fig. 57. The Baganz bag, while sharing many details with our pair, is much more precisely draughted and features smaller stars. It is attributed to Khamseh, NW Persia.

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114 Pair of Shahsavan Soumac Bag Faces Northwest Persia, late 19th century the larger: 2 ft. 6 in. x 1 ft. 11 in. the smaller: 2 ft. 2 in. x 2 ft. $3,000–5,000 Provenance: Skinner, Bolton, Massachusetts, 29 November 1984, Lot 79.

Ralph’s Notes: Plate 29 in Heinz Hegenbart’s Rare Woven Bags illustrates an ivory ground bedding bag panel with offset rows of flowering bushes identical to those in our bagfaces. The panel is described as Khamseh-Afshar, Bijar area, circa 1900. This family of weavings presents a departure from the geometric aesthetic of the majority of sumakh pieces; the realistic flowering bushes almost create the effect of fine needle point.

The two best known bags with this floral pattern are a piece from the Wm. Price Collection published as pl. 41 in Textile Museum’s Caucasian Rugs from Private Collections and a much published piece from Dr. Sommer’s collection, illustrated in Wertime’s Sumak Bags pl. 18, (also in A Skein Through Time pl. 31; Anatolian Carpets, A Family Collection pl. 26 and ORR XII #4). The apparent mate to Sommer’s piece was published in Shahsavan Mafrash & Khorjin, Il Mercante d'Oriente, pl. 48. The syrga border is referenced to as having an “abdal-burun” design by Wertime and “the Mercante”. Wertime adds that similar flowering plants also appear in kilims from Senneh and Garrus and in pile rugs from regions in NW Persia.

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115 Reverse Soumac Bag Face Northwest Persia, South Caucasus, late 19th century 1 ft. 4 in. x 1 ft. 4 in. $2,000–4,000 Provenance: Lefevre and Partners, London, 25 November 1983, Lot 162.

Literature: Eiland, Murray. Oriental Rugs from Pacific Collections. San Francisco Bay Area Rug Society: San Francisco, 1990, pl. 194.

Ralph’s Notes: The field of this bagface is divided into three horizontal rectangles; the top and bottom ones each contain 3 ashik guls within octagon[s] while the central rectangle contains a magnified version of the “syrga” pattern. All of the reverse sumakh analogies that I know of have very similar versions of this design. The rarer, all over pattern of ashik guls appears on the brocaded sumakh types. Examples of the latter include pl.

32 in Treasures of Near Eastern Looms (= From Bosphorus to Samarkand, pl. 50) and a very similar bag (at the time with Arky Robbins) in Hali 61, p. 180. The best of these that we’ve seen was exhibited by the L.A. Mayer Institute in Jerusalem in 1984-85 (published in Caucasian Rugs by Rachel Hasson, pl. 58), a khorjin from the collection of Mr. and Mrs. Yanai of Tel Aviv. Analogies of the former include Rippon Boswell 11/13/93 #20; R.B. 11/15/03 #77; Nagel 11/11/95 #1097 and a khorjin published in Shahsavan pl. 222, assigned by Tanavoli to the Mianeh Hashtrud area. In the caption to our bagface in Pacific Collections, Murray Eiland Jr. preferred Southern Caucasus as place of origin.

116 Shahsavan Soumac Bag Face South Caucasus or Northwest Persia, late 19th century 1 ft. 11 in. x 1 ft. 9 in.; backed $2,000–4,000 Provenance: Skinner, Bolton, Massachusetts, 6 December 1987, Lot 62.

Ralph’s Notes: In Germany sumakh bags of this design are known as “eagle,” an appellation based on the avian imagery of the upper and lower panels. That appellation is not in general used outside of Germany. When we visited the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston during the 1992 inaugural ACOR, they had a virtually identical bag on display. In his caption to pl. 25 in Taschen Reinisch wrote that opinions on the origin of these bags range from northern Caucasus via Akstafa and Ardebil down to Qasim. Thomas Baker, in ORR Vol. XII #3 p. 9 proposes that these bags were possibly produced by an Oghuz tribal group. Another variant in which latch hooked panels replace “birds” was published in Opie Tribal Rugs pl. 14:10.

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117 Reverse Soumac Trapping or Animal Band Moghan, South Caucasus, 19th century 2 ft. 6 in. x 8 in. $2,000–3,000 Provenance: Rippon Boswell, 18 November 2000, Lot 26.

Ralph’s Notes: This piece is very much like the longer example in Shahsavan (pl. 283) described as a horse or camel chest band and attributed to Moghan. This simple design of a diamond lattice appears on a great variety of utilitarian objects woven by the Shahsavan nomads. The catalog of objects includes khorjins, scissor bags, spoon bags, salt bags, horse and camel bands and straps, chanteks and other objects of everyday use. Two other comparable examples were published in Rippon Boswell 15 May 2004 #73 and Hali 81 pp. 62/3. A similar spoon bag face was offered by Lefevre 25 November 1983 #65. A related scissor bag face was published in Leuchtende Farben–Magische Muster pl. 21, attributed to the Shahsavan of Azerbaijan.

The exact function or purpose of this piece is unclear. It appears to never have had a back, it is much shorter than the animal bands cited and too long for a spoon bag. The weavers of the best of these pieces employ a wide range of brilliant colors to enliven what could otherwise be a bland design.

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118 Shahsavan Soumac Bag Face Northwest Persia, dated AH 1281 (1864) 1 ft. 9 in. x 1 ft. 7 in. $3,000–5,000 Provenance: Skinner, Bolton, Massachusetts, 28 April 2001, Lot 75.

Ralph’s Notes: This is a rare instance of a sumakh bagface bearing what could be considered a credible date (1281) 1864. The “best of type” of these bags & bagfaces featuring the “infinite repeat” of latch hooked diamonds was sold at Skinner 20 November 1988, #78, quickly re-sold and appeared in Herrmann’s S.O.T. VIII, plate 56A, attributed to Moghan, Southern Caucasus. Other examples worth noting: a bagface now in the Baganz Collection sold at Rippon Boswell 16 November 2002, #33; a Khorjin published in Hali 3/1 p. 75 (Rugs in the Market, Bolour, London) with borders identical to ours; Benardout’s Woven Stars pl. 33 and an example from the Bach Collection (Taschen der Nomaden West-Persiens) #80 which sold at Rippon Boswell 30 May 1992 #97 and was published in Frauenknecht’s Taschen pl. 25.

119 Pair of Reverse Soumac Bags South Caucasus/Northwest Persia, late 19th century the larger: 1 ft. 9 in. x 1 ft. 8 in. the smaller: 1 ft. 7 in. x 1 ft. 10 in. $3,000–5,000 Provenance: Rippon Boswell, 18 November 2000, Lots 55 and 169.

Ralph’s Notes: This pair of pillows sold as separate lots at the RB sale. #55 was illustrated; #169 was not illustrated. Detlef Malyzahn attributed them to the Hashtrud region in Northwest Persia and cited the following as analogies: Jon Thompson Carpet Magic p. 78 (Thornborough Galleries) attributed to Shahsavan; Il Mercante d’Oriente Verona 1986 p. 45.

Other analogies include Hali Vol. 1 #2, p. 34, an ad for Stephen Porter and Tanavoli Shahsavan pl. 184, a complete khorjin attributed to the Mianeh-Hashtrud area.

Examples with variant borders include Wertime Sumak Bags pl. 52 (= From Bosphorus to Samarkand pl. 62). This design also appears on pieces woven in the Zili technique from Anatolia, such as Reinisch Sattel Taschen pl. 13.

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120 Shahsavan Soumac Khorjin probably Kurdish, Northern Persia, late 19th century 3 ft. 10 in. x 1 ft. 9 in. $2,000–3,000 Provenance: John C. Edelmann Galleries, New York, 10 November 1979, Lot 157.

Ralph’s Notes: John Edelmann assigned these bags to the Caucasus, and Jean Lefevre, cataloging as analogous Khorjin (2/7/99, #53) opted for a Northern Caucasian attribution as well. But the colors and, most especially, the floral meander borders of our bags are typically Kurdish. Raymond Benardout in Tribal and Nomadic Rugs (pl. 5E) described a similar khorjin as Kurdish, but added that “the intricate design and color” reveals “a Caucasian nature.” Our bags employ an unusually broad range of colors in various tones and shades. Transcaspia (Nicky Eltz) advertised a related bag Hali 4/3 (p. 76), Bausback in Alte und Antike Orientalische Flachgewebe (1982) p. 58 assigned bags with a similar pattern to Veramin, N. Central Persia, and Hali 106, p. 86 showed a related Khorjin assigned to Lori or Fars, Vermain. Finally, two colorful bagfaces with this pattern were published in the Bach Collection Taschen der Nomaden West-Persiens #63 and #64. A single bag of this identical design was offered by James Cohen on RugRabbit 23 February 2015. Eberhart Herrmann was the underbidder.

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121 Shahsavan Soumac Panel Azerbaijan, late 19th/early 20th century 2 ft. 3 in. x 1 ft. 10 in. $2,000–4,000 Provenance: Skinner, Bolton, Massachusetts, 16 December 1986, Lot 148.

Ralph’s Notes: A very similar panel is very specifically attributed by Paul Ramsey in an Oriental Rug Review ad (ORR 14/3 I.F.C) to Abşeron Peninsula, Azerbaijan, probably Tat woven. The Tats were “Mountain Jews” of Daghestan, famed for dye making. The “Arshan” pattern of our bag appears on both end and side panels of these distinctive cargo bags. Most have the blue ground.

Until recently, ours was the only example to have animals in the field, but latterly two very red ground examples emerged both with animals (Rippon Boswell 5/11/96 #23 = Hali 88, p. 140 and Hali 117, p. 13 from Shimon Amir of Montreal). Other quite similar examples of end panels include Hali 6/3 p. 312; Hali 4/2 p. 29; Skinner 12/9/95 #170 and a variant with geometric star-like central polygon medallion in Mythos and Mystik #2 pl. 3, attributed to Eastern Caucasus.

122 Shahsavan Soumac Bag Face or Cargo End Panel South Caucasus, late 19th century 1 ft. 10 in. x 1 ft. 7 in. $2,000–4,000 Provenance: Sotheby's New York, 13 December 1986, Lot 101.

Literature: Eiland, Murray. Oriental Rugs from Pacific Collections. San Francisco Bay Area Rug Society: San Francisco, 1990, pl. 193.

Ralph’s Notes: [Pacific Collections caption] 193. FLATWOVEN BAGFACE, probably southern Caucasus, 19th century, 19” x 22”. The wide range of colors and the natural purple suggest unusual age. The four horizontal white-field stripes are a type that are often found on Karabagh rugs. The figures in the broad stripes can be interpreted as two-headed birds, horses and riders, or a variety of combinations. From its dimensions, we might suspect this to be an end piece of a bedding bag.

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123 Shahsavan 'Reverse Soumac' Bag Northwest Persia, ca. 1875 1 ft. 11 in. x 1 ft. 9 in. $2,000–3,000 Provenance: Skinner, Bolton, Massachusetts, 10 December 1994, Lot 14.

Literature: Bausback, Peter. Kelim: Antike Orientalische Flachgewebe.

Klinkhardt & Biermann: Munich, 1983, pl. 114.

Ralph’s Notes: There are a number of brocaded sumakh bags with this allover pattern of hooked stylized cruciforms but this bag is the only example of the design type that we know of woven in a reverse sumakh technique.

When Bausback published it in 1983 he dated it to mid-19th century.

Even though the bag’s design is iconographically identical to its brocaded counterparts, the reverse sumakh gives it an entirely different look.

124 Shahsavan Soumac Bag Northwest Persia, ca. 1880 1 ft. 3 in. x 11 in. $1,000–1,500 Provenance: Bernheimer, London, January 1989.

Literature: - Oriental Rugs and Textiles. Bernheimer Fine Arts Ltd.: London, 1987, pl. 45.

- Hali 36. "Review of Bernheimer Exhibition." Hali Publications Ltd: London, 1987, p. 96.

Ralph’s Notes: A jewel–like small bag which has as its central motif an elaborate and colorful variant of the latchhooked diamond (“Kirkbudak”) flanked by smaller half–diamonds of related design. An example with two such diamonds at Lefevre 8 March 1985 #78, dated mid-19th century is described as being “clearly of Turkic origins.” This bag is complete with its flatwoven back.

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125 Shahsavan Bag South Caucasus or Northwest Persia late 19th century 1 ft. 7 in. x 11 in. $1,500–2,500 Provenance: Skinner, Bolton, Massachusetts, 6 December 1987, Lot 175.

Ralph’s Notes: While bags of this type are quite different iconographically from their celebrated “beatle” bag cousins, they share the characteristic palette of blue, green and red as well as the typical “beatle” border of eight pointed stars and hooked cruciform motifs. One of the most finely woven bags of this type was last in the Bach collection (Best of Bach, pl. 28). Other comparable examples of note include Herrmann SOT IX, pl: 44; Hali 94, p 118, J. H. Terry ad; a wonderfully colored, much published example in Wertime’s Sumak Bags pl. 70 (also published Atlantic Collections, pl. 114; A World of Carpets & Textiles, p. 147, fig 37; Price Bags, “May”; Gewerbemuseum Basel, pg. 75; Skinner 6/5/88 #98).

126 Soumac Bag Caucasus, ca. 1900 1 ft. 8 in. x 1 ft.

127 Soumac Bag Face Caucasus, mid 19th century 1 ft. 10 in. x 1 ft. 9 in.

$1,000–1,500

$2,000–4,000

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128 Shahsavan Bedding Bag Panel Hashtrud or Khamseh, Northwest Persia second half 19th century 3 ft. 7 in. x 1 ft. 6 in. $2,000–4,000 Provenance: Lefevre and Partners, London, 25 November 1983, Lot 51.

Ralph’s Notes: Of the some twenty examples of panels with this design of three Memling guls in a row, almost all have the characteristic borders of pinwheel rosettes. Our piece is virtually identical in all details to a slightly smaller piece published in Jenny Housego’s Tribal Rugs, which she attributes as above. According to the editors of Patterns of Persia in a caption to a similar piece (pl. 48) the colors used (also present in our panel) the salmon pink, green, the pale purple… indicate origin in northern Azerbaijan. I particularly like the slightly taller but very similar examples published in Gewerbemuseum Basel, page 76 and Hali 4/2 p. 26, an ad for Bertram Fraunknecht. The four examples published in Azadi/Andrews Mafrash are assigned to Western Persia and given early (mid 19th c.) dates, while Tanavoli dates his example l[ate] 19/ e[arly] 20th century and ascribes them to Bijar area Khamseh (Shahsavan plate 89 & 90).

129 Shahsavan Soumac Mafrash Panel Northwest Persia, late 19th century 3 ft. 4 in. x 1 ft. 8 in. $1,000–2,000 Provenance: Skinner, Bolton, Massachusetts, 11 September 1993, Lot 160.

Literature: Skinner. Bolton, 11 December 1990, Lot 186.

Ralph’s Notes: Parvis Tanavoli in Shahsavan attributed a virtually identical panel (pl. 65) to Khamseh, early 20th century. John Wertime, in Sumak Bags of Northwest Persia (pl. 36) published a panel so like ours that it could have come from the same cargo bag. He attributed it to Khamseh, 2nd half 19th century and pointed out that “the aesthetic focus of a Khamseh bedding bag is often a single side panel with a complete border.” He goes on to state that “the field design has multicoloured arms projecting from large diamonds, creating an almost phantasmagoric effect.”

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130 Shahsavan Soumac Bag Face Moghan, Northwest Persia 19th century (ca. 1875) 2 ft. 2 in. x 2 ft. $2,000–4,000 Provenance: Bertram Frauenknecht.

Literature: Frauenknecht, Bertram. Best of Bach: A German Collection. Galerie Frauenknecht: Munich, 2000, pl. 23.

Exhibitions: Ralph & Linda Kaffel, Seattle, Washington, American Conference on Oriental Rugs 7: ‘Cedar Chest’ Session, March 2004.

Ralph’s Notes: While there are many soumak bags with a pattern of all-over octagons on an ivory field, what particularly attracted us to this piece is the odd relationship of field to border – the small field almost functions as a central medallion against a disproportionately bold border. This particular “anchor” border is known on many bags with a single octagonal central medallion, but it is unique for the type with an all-over octagon design. Note that the negative white space can be read as perfectly formed six pointed stars.

Some analogies having all over octagons on an ivory field: 1. Sotheby’s NY 4/7/99 #108 2. Skinner 12/5/98 #15 3. Benardout catalog 1978 #1 Usage of the word “unique” usually comes back to bite the author. Since the above was written, the following emerged: 1. Herat (Art Koch) Florida homepage–possible mate to above. July 2004.

2. James Cohen on RugRabbit May 2013. Exhibited at Safran et Cie. Vienna September 2014.

3. Schuler Auction June 2014 = James Cohen RugRabbit Sept. 2014.

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131 Shahsavan Soumac Bag Northwest Persia, late 19th century 1 ft. 2 in. x 1 ft. 2 in. $1,000–2,000 Provenance: Skinner, Bolton, Massachusetts, 5 June 1988, Lot 141.

Ralph’s Notes: Parviz Tanavoli was quite specific geographically in assigning a Khorjin with a very similar field pattern to the Mianeh, Angouran areas (Shahsavan pl. 207). He refers to the design as a variant of the opposed flower and bud pattern. In most variants of this all-over field, the flowers are depicted much more geometrically than here or in the Shahsavan example. Tanavoli’s description of his piece is equally appropriate for ours: “This particular interpretation of the flower and bud design, and the border of this piece, are exceptional. The golden yellow used around the red flowers of the pile and the border lends an additional lustre to the designs patterned on a dark blue field. This small Khorjin stand out like a sparkling jewel.”

In Tanavoli’s Khorjin the flowers are uniformly in one shade of red, while in our piece, the colors vary from maroon to rose-red in alternate rows. Tanavoli’s border designs of linked rectangles is in the same shade of red as his flowers, which diminishes contrast, while our bag has a green-grounded border with a continuous meander pattern. Were Tanavoli’s example a detached bag, it would be equal in size to ours. A comparable example with a blue field, not red flowers and a bold “syrga” border was offered at Rippon Boswell on 5/20/2000 #66 of much larger size, attributed to the Khamseh region.

132 Shahsavan Soumac Panel South Caucasus or Northwest Persia, ca. 1875 3 ft. 1 in. x 1 ft. 6 in. $1,000–2,000 Provenance: Lefevre and Partners, London, 6 April 1984, Lot 45.

Ralph’s Notes: Lefevre’s description of this panel: “Isolated in remote areas, the tribal weavers of Shahsavan continued to use ancestral designs, such as those decorating this beautiful sumak panel, long after they had disappeared from the weavings of people who lived closer to market places. In very good condition.” Lefevre dated this piece as “First half 19th century” and while we feel this is somewhat optimistic, it is certainly an old piece, perhaps a generation later.

Examples in literature include: From Bosphorus to Samarkand pl. 32; Housego Tribal Rugs p. 57; Hali Vol. 4 #2 p. 118 “Some Flatweaves of Azerbaijan.” Wertime describes this design as a “stylized asymmetrical cloud collar motif” while I always called this motif “anchors.”

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133 Shahsavan Soumac Panel possibly Khamseh, Northwest Persia early/mid 19th century 2 ft. 10 in. x 1 ft. 4 in. $1,000–2,000 Provenance: Lefevre and Partners, London, 8 March 1985, Lot 76.

Literature: Lefevre. London, 26 February 1982, Lot 40.

Ralph’s Notes: This archaic motif is known as “toshbaga” (tortoise) according to Azadi and Andrews writing about a similar mafrash panel pictured on page 171 in Mafrash. This motif appears in combinations of two (as here) or three (as in Azadi’s). A very closely related 3-motif panel is published in Lefevre 27 November 1981 #19; another triple-tortoise example was offered at Rippon Boswell on 20 May 1995 #41, attributed to the Moghan region of the South Caucasus and dated to mid-19th century. Examples with two motifs, as here, appear to be rarer and arguably earlier. A two motif example in which the “toshbagas” are flattened and elongated is published in plate 75 in Tanavoli’s Shahsavan, attributed to Khamseh.

Based on available comparisons it would appear that our panel is the oldest in the group. Lefevre dated it to early 19th century. The “toshbaga” motif has been adapted by Tori/Baktiari and Kurdish Weavers in their larger, later mixed technique bags (see Shahsavan pl. 76; Mafrash p. 254; Rippon Boswell 18 November 2000 #55 and 29 March 1980 #102; Housego Tribal Rugs pl. 40).

134 Shahsavan Soumac Bag Northwest Persia, Azerbaijan, mid 19th century 1 ft. 11 in. x 1 ft. 9 in. $1,500–3,000 Provenance: Rippon Boswell, 27 May 2005, Lot 152.

Ralph's Notes: This is a very rare design and this piece is arguably one of the oldest of the known examples, at least as old as the most closely similar one published in Wertime's Sumak Bags pl. 27. Wertime dates his to the first half 19th century and assigns it to Khamseh. Both pieces share an archaic border that could be perceived as highly stylized turtles. The two pieces are the only ones in this small group to share this border. The other known examples are: - Lefevre 14 July 1978 #34.

- Adil Besim - Rare Woven Bags pl. 4.

- Taschen pl. 14 = Hali 40 p. 94.

- Ronnie Newman on Cloudband 2 April 2002.

- Skinner 12 June 1985 #63.

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135 Pair of Shahsavan Soumac Bag Faces South Caucasus, late 19th century sewn together, back to back; each: 1 ft. 9 in. x 1 ft. 6 in. $3,000–5,000 Provenance: Leslie Hindman Auctioneers, Chicago, Illinois, 27 February 1994, Lot 40.

Ralph’s Notes: In these bagfaces the birds are arranged in an all-over pattern on an indigo field. The birds are larger than usual, so only two rows suffice to fill the area.

Most bags of the all-over type feature smaller birds in three, four, and even five rows.

Examples of the three-row types include Taschen pl. 37, and Herrmann, SOT VIII, pl.

54B, both with syrga borders as in ours; of the four row type, Opie Tribal Rugs pl. 14.5, Bausback 87/88, pl. 112; Skinner 12/4/99 #35 (all with syrga borders) and the five row type – Oriental Rug Review May 1984, p. 5, fig. 4.

Among the rarer Shahsavan examples with only two rows, as here, is a bag published

by Tanavoli in Shahsavan, plate 226, attributed to Khamseh, another Khamseh bag at Skinner 4/23/94, lot #15 and a Bijar area bag published in Hali 45, p. 54 in an ad for Herbert Bieler. These bags have been made into a two faced pillow with multicolored tassels added later.

136 Shahsavan Soumac Bag Face possibly South Caucasus, late 19th century 11 in. x 11 in. $1,000–2,000 Provenance: Bernheimer, London, January 1989.

Literature: Oriental Rugs and Textiles. Bernheimer Fine Arts Ltd.: London, 1987, pl. 40.

Ralph’s Notes: A diminutive bag, less than one foot square, with a dominant central octagon with bird-like motifs in blue green. Larger bags of this type have at times been attributed to the “Akstafa group”. A very similar piece, sourced in New York, was exhibited

by Bruce Baganz at his “Cedar Chest” session at ACOR7 in Seattle, March 2004.

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137 Kazak Area Bag Face South Caucasus, late 19th century 1 ft. 10 in. x 1 ft. 7 in. $1,500–3,000 Provenance: Skinner, Bolton, Massachusetts, 16 December 1986, Lot 26.

Literature: Eiland, Murray. Oriental Rugs from Pacific Collections. San Francisco Bay Area Rug Society: San Francisco, 1990, pl. 192.

Ralph’s Notes: [Pacific Collections caption] 192. CAUCASIAN BAGFACE, Kazak area, 19th century, 18 ½” x 19”. Relatively few pile bagfaces from the Caucasus have survived. This example shows the same bold juxtaposition of colors as the larger rugs.

138 Shirvan Bag Face Northeast Caucasus, late 19th century 1 ft. 5 in. x 1 ft. 5 in. $1,000–2,000 Provenance: Skinner, Boston, 23 September 2000, Lot 102.

Ralph’s Notes: There are many instances of 17/18 century Caucasian embroideries serving as design inspirations for later (18/19 c.) Caucasian pile rugs. In this specific case it is difficult to determine whether a closely similar sumakh bag served as a model for our piled piece, or vice versa. Two very similar sumakh bag faces were published in Frauenknecht’s Taschen plates 62 and 63. Both featured radiating octagonal medallions on a blue field, with “Memling” gul borders (pl. 62 also published in Best of Bach pl. 27). Our example is very similar to the two sumakhs, except that the central medallion is hexagonal projecting white (instead of red in the sumakhs) rays. No other analogous piled example is known to me, except for a much later piece with a radiating center offered by Skinner on 25 April 1998 #208. While Skinner attributed this piece to Kuba, I prefer Shirvan as a more likely place of origin.

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136

P ERS IA N 137

139 Afshar Prayer Rug South Persia, dated AH 1236 (1823) 4 ft. 5 in. x 2 ft. 9 in. $5,000–7,000 Provenance: Lefevre and Partners, 15 February 1980, Lot 1.

Literature: Hali 2/4. "Auction Reports." Hali Publications Ltd: London, 1980, p. 344.

Exhibitions: Ralph & Linda Kaffel, Seattle, Washington, American Conference on Oriental Rugs 7: ‘Cedar Chest’ Session, March 2004.

Ralph’s Notes: A rare, interesting, and to date unique prayer rug with a camel-ground mihrab, and whose attribution was the subject of much debate. Jean Lefevre attributed it to Central Asia and proposed that “it might be an early example of a particular type of Beluch”. Hali, in “Auction Reports” suggested that it might have been woven by Arab nomads in southeastern Persia, who, according to the map in James Opie’s Tribal Rugs of Southern Persia, are located just to the west of the Afshar territory. Michael Craycraft positively identified this rug as Ashfar, and that was confirmed by Parviz Tanavoli.

Afshar prayer rugs are extremely rare, and since this rug’s publication in 1980, no comparable example has emerged to my knowledge. A very different Afshar prayer rug is published in Tanavoli’s Afshar/Kirman in Hali 57, p. 104 #14. The caption reads: “The only indisputably Afshar prayer rug known.” This was written in 1991, before Tanavoli had seen our rug.

138

P ER S IA N

P ER SIA N

139

140 Sauj Bulagh Rug South Azerbaijan late 19th century 7 ft. 2 in. x 4 ft. 4 in. $5,000–8,000 Provenance: Lou Georgi, Oriental Rug Gallery, Berkeley, California, ca. 1981.

140

P ER S IA N

Ralph’s Notes: Alberto Levi, in his Hali article on Kurdish carpet design “Renewal and Innovation” Hali 70 p. 93 #15, identifies a closely similar rug from his collection as “proto-Kurdish” ca. 1800, and describes the design as early garden carpet iconography. James Burns describes a wonderfully colorful related example with an extra-wide unique border as Sanjbulagh, Eastern Kurdistan, early 19th c. Other closely comparable rugs are one in Jim Dixon’s collection; Hali 91 p. 44, Alberto Boralevi ad and Christies South Kensington 10 November 2004 #391. In the trade, some dealers used to refer to these pieces as “Kurdish Kazaks”.

141 Sauj Bulagh Rug Northwest Persia/Azerbaijan early 19th century 6 ft. 4 in. x 4 ft. 5 in.

Provenance: Rippon Boswell, 18 November 2000, Lot 76.

Literature: Hali 115. "Auction Price Guide."

Hali Publications Ltd: London, 201, p. 148.

Ralph’s Notes: The Auction Price Guide discussed the various comparable examples; the best type was sold at CNY 22 January 1991 #60, from the Meyer-Muller collection. This rug narrowly missed being included in James Burns’s Antique Rugs of Kurdistan: A Historical Legacy of Woven Art since he was the underbidder when we acquired this piece at auction.

$5,000–7,000

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141

142 Afshar Vase Rug South Persia, ca. 1875 5 ft. 8 in. x 4 ft. $4,000–8,000 Provenance: Christie's New York, 1 2 September 1989, Lot 77.

Literature: - Hali 48. “Auction Price Guide.” Hali Publications Ltd: London, 1989, p. 93.

- Oriental Rug Review. Philadelphia, 1990, vol. 10, no. 4 (April/May 1990), p. 33.

- Hali 125. “Letters.” Hali Publications Ltd: London, 2002, p. 19.

Exhibitions: Burlingame, California, American Conference on Oriental Rugs 5: 'Passages II: San Francisco Bay Area Collections', March/April 2000.

Ralph’s Notes: The Auction Price Guide review of this rug said, in part: “Arguably an older version of the more conventionally designed example illustrated in Herrmann’s “Seltene Orientteppiche IV” pl. 69. This design shows clear European influence and should not be considered indigenous, but still retains a wonderfully archaic, tribal feel lost from the more sophisticated Herrmann piece.”

A very close relative of this rug surfaced at the 2002 Hali Fair, offered by Peter Pap, almost identical to this piece, except that the vase and related motifs were centrally placed.

The two rugs were pictured side by side in Hali 125, p 19.

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143 Afshar (or Khamseh) Rug South Persia, mid 19th century 6 ft. 10 in. x 3 ft. 9 in. $10,000–15,000 Provenance: Lefevre and Partners, London, 25 April 1980, Lot 36.

Ralph’s Notes: This is a brilliant example of the ubiquitous “mother and child” motif. We are fairly certain that this is an Afshar rug (although Khamseh is a distinct possibility) rather than Qashqai as described in the catalog. The narrow border in a design found on Afshar pieces is a possible sign of the early date attributed to the rug. A design related Khamseh rug, with four rows of alternately facing botehs, was offered by Rippon Boswell on 26 November 2011 #110 and the late Roger Cavanna (Carpets of the Inner Circle) who was a big fan of “mother & child” botehs, offered a closely related Khamseh rug on 23 June 1997. Michael Rothberg exhibited a related Khamseh rug with 6 rows of alternately facing botehs on a dotted white field at “Passages II” exhibition at ACOR 2002 at Burlingame, which was published in Oriental Rugs from Pacific Collections pl. 78.

[Lefevre catalog caption] The design adorning the white field of this splendid rug is called ‘Mother and Child Boteh’, because of the smaller forms which seem to huddle within the main ornament. The large and well designed botehs are depicted alternately in flame red and dark blue; the narrow border has a dark blue ground. The rug is in sound condition and has only minor repairs. The pile is fairly low in places.

P ER SIA N

143

144 Khamseh Carpet possibly Baharlu, South Persia second half 19th century 7 ft. 10 in. x 4 ft. 9 in. $8,000–12,000 Provenance: Lefevre and Partners, London, 15 February 1980, Lot 10.

Ralph’s Notes: While Lefevre attributed this rug to the Qashqai and wrote that “this superb nomadic carpet is woven in the characteristic Qashqai style and coloring,” it is almost indisputably a product of Khamseh weavers. The style of the botehs, the “chickens” in the medallions, the border design and the checkered ends are all typical of Khamsehs. A very similar small rug with an identical border is published in Woven Gardens pl. 16. Black and Loveless attributed it to Khamseh or a Kerman tribe and stated that “an accurate attribution is impossible.” Writing about similar botehs on a Khamseh rug published in Tribal Rugs of Southern Persia, James Opie remarks that the botehs “were modelled after the more refined botehs of the Kerman shawls” but notes that “a degree of geometric flavor has begun to enter the design.” Ian Bennett attributed a rug with very similar botehs to the Baharlu tribe (Woolley and Wallis 9 October 2001).

144

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145 Shekarlu Qashgai Carpet South Persia late 19th century 8 ft. 4 in. x 5 ft. 6 in. $5,000–10,000 Provenance: John C. Edelmann Galleries, New York, 11 December 1979, Lot 19.

Ralph’s Notes: According to James Opie (Tribal Rugs) it is the distinctive border of linked diamonds that helps identify Shekarlu rugs of the Qashqai. The blue ground, as here, is the most common, the ivory ground most prized (Tribal Rugs pl. 10:7 & 10:8) and the red ground the rarest (Woven Gardens pl. 4). The seemingly random placement of motifs which include small animals, various stars and geometric motifs separated by diagonal pronged tree forms is unique to Shekarlu carpets.

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146 Veramin Rug South Persia, mid 19th century 7 ft. 10 in. x 3 ft. 7 in. $3,000–5,000 Provenance: Tom Weisbuch, Oakland, California, ca. 1982-1983.

Literature: - Oriental Rug Review. Philadelphia, 1990, vol. 9, no. 5 (June/July 1990), inside front cover.

- Eiland, Murray. Oriental Rugs from Pacific Collections. San Francisco Bay Area Rug Society: San Francisco, 1990, pl. 39.

- Tanavoli, Parviz. Hali 106. "The Veramin Mosaic." Hali Publications Ltd: London, 1999, p. 92, no. 23.

Exhibitions: Adraskand Gallery, Ross, California, Tribal Weavings from the Veramin Plain, 3 June–26 August, 1989.

Ralph’s Notes: In his Hali article, Parvis Tanavoli attributed this rug as “Osanu pile rug, Garmsar (?) north Persia, second half 19th century.”

A closely related example with similar large guls and ½ guls, but with a rhomboid center was published in Hali 98 p. 102 at Dennis Woodman at Kew. [Pacific Collections caption] 39. VERAMIN (?) RUG, 19th century, 3’5” x 7’9”. Rugs of this type, showing what appear to be large, simplified renditions of Turkoman guls, have long posed a labeling challenge.

Recently they have come to be associated with the Veramin region, where a variety of nomadic groups winter. These include Kurds, Shahsevans, Lurs, and even small Afshar, Baluchi, and Bakhtiari elements. This is a region requiring more study.

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147 Qashgai Kilim South Persia, mid 19th century 10 ft. 4 in. x 5 ft. 2 in. $2,000–3,000 Provenance: Lefevre and Partners, London, 25 April 1980, Lot 15.

Ralph’s Notes: Lefevre dated this Kilim 1st half–19th century.

[Lefevre catalogue caption] This outstanding kilim, boldly patterned in characteristic colours, is typical weaving in the slit-tapestry technique of the Kashgai pastoral nomads of Southern Persia.

The characteristic reciprocal trefoil border is crisply drawn, and the broad end panels are decorated with brocaded ornaments. The piece has been restored and is in very good condition.

[Ralph's commentary] A closely related but later kilim published

by Tanavoli in Persian Flatweaves (pl. 140) is attributed to Kashguli.

Other similar examples include Bausback Kelim pl. 148; Eskenazi Kilim pl. 19 and Hull and Wyhowska Kilim: The Complete Guide pl.

354 with the authors’ comment that “the colorful nomadic lifestyle of the Qashgai is reflected in this kilim.” The characteristic reciprocal trefoil border of our kilim, typical of Fars, is known as “laleh abrassi” and is crisply executed here.

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148 Lori or Veramin Ru-Korsi South Persia, early 20th century 6 ft. 1 in. x 6 ft. $2,000–4,000 Provenance: John C. Edelmann Galleries, New York, 14 June 1980, Lot 279.

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Ralph’s Notes: Flatwoven tan field, embossed with a piled cruciform medallion in gold, red, blue, green and brown, with boteh-filled stepped spandrels and a dark brown border containing piled polychrome latchhook diamonds.

Ru-Korsis are hearth or table covers woven in flatweave or mixed technique. The sizes range from 3’ x 3’ to 6’ x 6’, as here. They are always square. A number of related examples have been published, including p. 83 in Alte Teppiche aus dem Orient/Gewerbemuseum Basel; Hali 4/4 p. 383 #12; Hali 47 p. 15 Merx ad; Rippon Boswell 15 May 2004 #69 and 25 September 2010 #200; All have similar central cruciforms and color palettes but differ from our rug in that ours has piled spandrels which the others lack. Reviewing a Veramin Ru-Korsi sold at Nagel’s, Hali had the following comment: “These flatwoven or mixed technique covers are produced by many Persian tribal groups (Afshar, Shahsavan, Qashqa’i, Baktiari, Lurs and Kurds). The best examples come from the plains of Veramin, where the close co-existence of a myriad of tribes has produced some interesting cross-influences, have become increasingly valued on the collector market for their simple but powerful graphic statements.” (Hali 79 Auction Price Guide p. 146).

149 Afshar Sofreh South Persia, Kirman Province, first half 19th century 3 ft. 5 in. x 3 ft. 4 in. $2,000–4,000 Provenance: Danny Shaffer, London.

Literature: - Hali 1/1. Hali Publications Ltd: London, 1978, p. 15.

- Hali 34. Hali Publications Ltd: London, 1987, p. 17.

- Hali 135. Hali Publications Ltd: London, 2004, p. 91.

- Harris, Nathaniel. Rugs and Carpets of the Orient. Hamlyn: London, 1977, p. 55, pl. 32.

Ralph’s Notes: An outstanding example of Afshar work from the Kirman area. This small rug has a number of typical features – a soft palette dominated by a mellow rose red, a square format, a series of narrow guard borders with no obvious main border and a particularly idiosyncratic version of the boteh motif. The latter is drawn in a distinctly Afshar manner; it contains a shield-like cartouche surrounded by ragged leaves and, at its base, a motif resembling a ragged butterfly. Many Afshar weavings – both rugs and bags – are known with the boteh drawn in almost identical fashion. Sometimes it was used as an all-over repeat design on rugs, the most beautiful of which once belonged to Major Hartley Clark. The example illustrated here, with its charming row of stylized animals between the two rows of large boteh, not only has the boteh drawn in an identical manner to the Hartley Clark rug, but also has the same tree-like motifs between them.

Exhibitions: Ralph & Linda Kaffel, Seattle, Washington, American Conference on Oriental Rugs 7: ‘Cedar Chest’ Session, March 2004.

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150 Afshar Rug South Persia third quarter 19th century 4 ft. x 3 ft. 3 in. $1,500–3,000 Provenance: Jeff Dworsky, Stonington, Maine.

Exhibitions: Ralph & Linda Kaffel, Seattle, Washington, American Conference on Oriental Rugs 7: ‘Cedar Chest’ Session, March 2004.

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Ralph’s Notes: While many bags with this complex boteh motif are known, rugs with this all-over pattern are few in number. This is the smallest of the group, with four rows of alternately-facing botehs, divided by tree-like motifs, on blue ground. This rug is the most similar of the known examples to the oft-referenced Hartley-Clark rug*, considered the grandfather of the group. (The H-C rug is also on blue ground, with six rows of alternately-facing botehs, measuring 6’1 x 4’8). One other blue ground rug with 9 rows of botehs (no dividing tree motifs) was offered at Christie’s NY 12/6/8 #8 (7’11 x 4’0). Jack Corwin’s well-known rug is on red ground, with 5 rows of botehs (no “trees”) 5’1 x 4’1 (published Hali 2/3, p. 266 and Hali 53, p. 246). The largest by far of this group was sold at Christie’s London on 4/25/95, lot #534, with botehs arranged diagonally by color, measured a monumental 13’7 x 7’10 (10 rows; Hali 81, p. 120).

Another of the group with 5 rows of botehs, (5’1 x 6’10) from the James Burns Collection, was exhibited at ACOR 7, The Weavings of the Afshars, and published in the exhibition catalog, Pacific Northwest Collections, plate A-10. * The Hartley-Clark rug: Published: Major Hartley-Clark, Bokhara, Turkoman & Afghan Rugs, (1922), dated to the 17th C, p. 124; The Qashqa’i of Iran, plate 7 (H-18); exhibited World of Islam Festival 1976; Whitworth Art Gallery, University of Manchester; Sotheby’s London 6/15/83 #189, bought but not paid for, and re-offered Christie’s London 4/16/84 #18.

151 Afshar Rug South Persia, ca. 1870 4 ft. 2 in. x 3 ft. 3 in.

Provenance: Peter Pap, May 1998.

Literature: Hali 109. Hali Publications Ltd: London, 2000, p. 37, no. 9.

$2,000–4,000 Exhibitions: Burlingame, California, American Conference on Oriental Rugs 5: 'Passages II: San Francisco Bay Area Collections', March/April 2000.

Ralph’s Notes: An all-over pattern of shield-like luminous palmettes is randomly arranged on an indigo field, with elaborately brocaded flat-woven ends. Finely woven with glossy wool of excellent quality.

This particular pattern is relatively uncommon among the many repeat designs in the Afshar repertoire. A clearly related red-ground rug, but with a more orderly arrangement of palmettes in diagonal rows was reviewed in Hali 96, Auction Price Guide p. 141 (SLO 15 October 1997 #33) now in a prominent San Francisco collection. The review lists some of the known analogies. The palmettes pattern also appears on piled and flatwoven bags. This rug embodies the elusive gem-like quality present in the best of the Afshar weavings.

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152 Bidjar Saddle Cover Northwest Persia, ca. 1875 3 ft. 2 in. x 3 ft. $2,000–4,000 Provenance: Rippon Boswell, 16 November 2002, Lot 90.

Literature: - Herrmann, Eberhart. Seltene Orientteppiche II. Munich, 1979, pl. 71.

- Hali 124. Hali Publications Ltd: London, 2002, p. 53.

- Hali 127. "Auction Price Guide." Hali Publications Ltd: London, 2003, p. 141.

Exhibitions: Ralph & Linda Kaffel, Seattle, Washington, American Conference on Oriental Rugs 7: ‘Cedar Chest’ Session, March 2004.

Ralph’s Notes [Auction Price Guide] Superficially this Bijar saddle cover much resembles those of Sehna, its neighbor to the west, but there are subtle differences. Here the ground colour of the spandrels changes from yellow gold to indigo in the corners, a variation that, to the best of our knowledge, occurs only in the present piece. The pattern of three narrow border stripes is also different from those of Sehna pieces, and the structure, while predictable stiffer than Sehna, is not quite as firm as the Bijar vagireh in the same sale (lot 48).

This saddle cover has been used as can be seen from the scalloped leather trim along the sides, but is still basically in full pile. Bijar saddle covers are relatively rare and come in a variety of shapes, sizes and designs. The “Pictures” section of the Hali Index reveals only six entries for Bijar saddle covers, each quite different from one another. In Hali 3/2 (1980, p. 87), we showed an arch-shaped piece with five lions (also Herrmann, SOT III, 1980, cover). The only Bijar among the 42 saddle covers in Youssef Bolour’s article in Hali 3/4 (1981, p. 270, fig. 16) is a rectangular rug with botehs and a camel bell from the A.J. Prior Collection. In Hali 58 (1991, p. 152) we discussed a red ground cover with indigo spandrels sold for $17,433 at RB on 11 May 1991 (lot 94). A rectangular cover with dense all-over floral patterning appeared in Hali 74 (1994, p. 103; also Mideast Meets Midwest, pl. 16). In Hali 88 (1996, p. 144) we reviewed the cruciform-shaped cover sold at RB on 11 May 1996 (lot 11) for $4,590. Finally in Hali 89 (1996, p. 116) we showed an arch-shaped cover with lions in the corners (also, Mideast Meets Midwest, pl. 17 and Opie, Tribal Rugs, pl. 9.13). The present cover was published in Hermann’s Von Uschak bis Yarkand (SOT II, pl. 71, retail price DM14,000).

[Ralph’s commentary] Note ground color change in spandrels from yellow-gold to indigo. Only five other Bijar saddle covers published in Hali, each very different from one another.

1. Hali 58, p. 152 (Rippon Boswell 5/11/91, #94) 2. Hali 74, p. 103 (Mideast Meets Midwest, Pl. 16; a rectangular cover with dense floral patterning) 3. Hali 88, p. 144 (Rippon Boswell 5/11/96, #1; a cruciform-shaped cover) 4. Hali 3/2, p. 87 (Herrmann S.O.T. III, (cover, arch shaped with lions) 5. Hali 89, p. 116 (Mideast Meets Midwest, plate 17, Opie, Tribal Rugs, plate 9:13; arch shaped with lions in the corners)

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153 Senna Saddle Cover Northwest Persia, 19th century 3 ft. 5 in. x 3 ft. 2 in. $3,000–5,000 Provenance: Rippon Boswell, 20 May 2006, Lot 80.

Literature: Hali 148. "Auction Price Guide." Hali Publications Ltd: London, 2006, p. 115.

Ralph’s Notes: [Auction Price Guide] While the boteh is an integral design element of Sehna rugs, the all-over repeat of tiny botehs seen here is surprisingly rare. Many Sehna saddle covers feature repeat patterns of larger, more detailed botehs, but to the best of our knowledge only four others with tiny botehs deployed in this manner have been published: G.G. Lewis, The Practical Book of Oriental Rugs, 1922, p. 324, virtually identical to the present lot; Bausback 1975, p. 221; Nagel, 14 October 1991, lot 1161; and Hali 3/4, p. 268, fig. 1, A.J. Prior Collection. Similar arrangements of tiny botehs in all-over patterns also appear on saddle covers of the Khamseh (RB, 21 January, 1981, lot 78 = Hali 4/3, p. 306 = Opie, TRSP, pp. 98-9, Baharlu or the Ainalu), Qashqa’i (SLO, 12 October 1982, Lot 83 = Asiatic Saddle Covers from the Collection of Nicolas Salgo, no. 32), South Persian (HALI 3/4, p. 271, Prior Collection) and Farahan (Herrmann, SOT IV, no. 59).

154 Senna Saddle Cover Northwest Persia, late 19th century 3 ft. 1 in. x 3 ft. 2 in. $3,000–5,000 Provenance: Rippon Boswell, 19 November 2005, Lot 179.

Literature: - Rippon Boswell. Wiesbaden, Germany, 7 May 1988, Lot 67.

- Hali 145. "Auction Price Guide." Hali Publications Ltd: London, 2006, p. 119.

Ralph’s Notes: This saddle cover was bought by Horst and Eva Engelhardt at RB in 1988, and is in immaculate condition – never used and its saddle slit still uncut. Some of the finest 19th century saddle covers come from Sehna (Sanandaj). Analogies include Besin Mythos and Mystik 3 #43 (saddle slit uncut); Lefevre 22 June 1979 #102; Volkman Old Eastern Carpets II pl. 72 (= ICOCX, A World of Carpets and Textiles p. 242 = Hali 127, p. 5); SLO 6 October 1979 #29 and 29 April 1981 #70; SNY 10 February 1977 #248 and 9 June 1978 #1; Edelmann Galleries 12 June 1981 #38.

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155 Malayer Saddle Cover West Persia late 19th century 3 ft. x 2 ft. 5 in. $1,000–2,000

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Provenance: Rippon Boswell, 19 November 2005, Lot 2.

Literature: - Sotheby's New York. New York, 14 October 1978, Lot 107.

- Engelhardt, Teppich. Orientteppiche der Sonderklasse. Carl Winter Universitätsverlag: Heidelberg, 1982, p. 72-3.

Ralph’s Notes: The comparable example cited in the catalog, Raymond Benardout exhibition catalog 1979, #29, is a bag face or mat of similar colors and design (1’5 x 2’5) attributed to Malayer and described as a “stylish weaving of fine texture”. Relatively few saddle covers of this shape have been published. Examples include pl. 22a in Tribal Visions, attributed to Malayer, circa 1880, where the caption comments on its odd shape; Benardout 1978 #29, Kirman (= HALI 2/4, p. 40, New Street Carpet co.) and Opie Tribal Rugs pl. 9:13 (= Mideast Meets Midwest pl.

17= HALI 89 p. 116, W.G. Moore; Bijar).

156 Afshar Saddle Cover Kerman Area late 19th century 3 ft. 6 in. x 2 ft. 9 in. $1,500–3,000

Provenance: Grogan & Company, Dedham, Massachusetts, 14 September 2009, Lot 46.

Literature: Dodds, Dennis R. and Murray L. Eiland. Oriental Rugs from Atlantic Collections. "The Collection of Myrna Bloom." 8th ICOC: Philadelphia, 1996, pl. 276.

Ralph's Notes: One of only three published Afshar saddle covers with the stepped central medallion; the other two are Herrmann A.T.T. 2 pl. 48 and Sothebys London 28 April 1982 #74. All three have virtually identical ivory ground guard borders. Opie & Herrmann published Afshar carpets with similar stepped motifs, both describe the design as “Kerman influenced”.

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157 Afshar Bag Face Kerman Region, South Persia late 19th/early 20th century 3 ft. x 2 ft. 1 in. $1,000–2,000 Provenance: Skinner Boston, 5 December 2009, Lot 20.

Ralph’s Notes: This is the Afshar version of the “Dragon and Phoenix” design. Some examples feature a single dragon and phoenix; in other larger examples, as here, there are multiple motifs. This type is discussed in detail in John Collins’s “Dragon and Phoenix” article in the Oriental Rug Review, Vol XIII #6 (August/September 1993) pages 10-15. There are also rugs with this design (see Hali 32, Gallery p. 11, Mohammed Tehrani and Hali 109, p. 48 – Carpets of the Inner Circle). None of the rugs and bags are especially old, most dating as here to late 19th/early 20th century.

What appears to be the oldest bagface, perhaps 3rd quarter 19th century, was published in Hali 57, p. 100 #7, with Gallery Neiriz, Berlin. Other comparable bagfaces worth noting were Hali 108, p. 131, Werner Weber; Best of Bach #41; Rippon Boswell 30 November 2013 #221; Herrmann S.O.T. IX #64; Opie Tribal Rugs of Southern Persia p. 180/181.

158 Bijar Wagireh Northwest Persia, late 19th century 2 ft. 11 in. x 2 ft. 10 in. $2,000–3,000 Provenance: Rippon Boswell, 16 November 2002, Lot 48.

Literature: - Hali 128. "Auction Price Guide." Hali Publications Ltd: London, 2003, p. 141.

- Turkotek Salon. "The Wagireh." 29 August 2006, p. 7.

Exhibitions: Ferdod/Turabi Gallery, Seattle, Washington, American Conference on Oriental Rugs 7, March 2004.

Ralph’s Notes: Bijar weavers produced wagirehs in a variety of configurations, including quartered, diamonds, vertical and horizontal patterns. Strangely, the simplest and most logical of configurations, a series of horizontal panels, as here, appears to be the least common. (For a related, horizontally oriented wagireh, see SNY 24 September 1991, #73).

Bijars are known as the “iron rugs”, impossible to fold. In the caption to a wagireh published in the Markarian Album pl.93, Daniel Walker explained “that the use of a weighted comb hammer, sometimes itself pounded with a wooden mallet to pack down the wefts, is responsible for the legendary stiffness of Bijar carpets.” Our piece is an example of the technique, as it is barely rollable, let alone foldable.

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159 Khamseh Wagireh South Persia, late 19th century 4 ft. 1 in. x 1 ft. 6 in. $3,000–5,000 Provenance: Sotheby's New York, 2 June 2005, Lot 44.

Literature: Hali 142. "Auction Price Guide." Hali Publications Ltd: London, 2005, p. 111.

Ralph’s Notes: [Auction Price Guide] We have not seen anything quite like this. Sotheby’s catalogued it as Afshar, but we prefer Khamseh. The various design elements in the three sections can be attributed to either tribe, except for one tell-tale detail: the large boteh in the lower panel and the main border sample in the middle panel are identical to those on a small rug published in Black and Loveless, Woven Gardens (pl. 16), attributed to “Khamseh or even a Kerman tribe”. Both have red wefts, dark brown warps and symmetric knots pulled right. No Khamseh Afshar vagireh has been published in Hali nor in Taher Sabahi’s Vagireh, so we asked James Opie, (Tribal Rugs and Tribal Rugs of Southern Persia), who thought it “extremely unusual” and affirmed the Khamseh attribution. He suggested the Baharlu tribe and thought it odd that the stylised roses were included in “such an abstracted form” (see Eskenazi, L’Arte del Tappeto Orientale, pl. 224 for more realistically rendered roses on a Khamseh) and added that “the mixture of ‘tribal’ and ‘urban’ influences is surprising”. He suggested that Cyrus Parham “can ascribe Khamseh pieces to precise tribes with the most consistency”. So we looked up Parhams’s ‘An Introduction to the Khamseh Confederacy of Fars’ (Paper/Presentations at the 7th ICOC, 1993, pp. 161-3). The only rug shown was “one of the earliest known carpets of the Baharlu tribe…showing typical Baharlu duck-like birds”. These same ‘ducklike birds’ appear in the ivory spandels in the SNY top panel (a number of similar birds appear in the field of a related Khamseh carpet in John Collin’s Flowers of the Desert, pl.29). Echoing A. Cecil Edwards’ view, who described the Baharlu as “...formerly among the best weavers of Fars.” (The Persian Carpet, 1953, p. 288), Parham continues: “Until the second quarter of the 20th century, Baharlu women were among the best and most dextrous of Khamseh pile carpet weavers; their finest work being comparable to the best Qashqa’is”. He adds “... all Baharlus and Ainalus use symmetric knots and two weft shoots (mainly reddish) on all-wool foundations”, features seen in the vagireh. The light blue ground minor border in the lower panel is identical to the minor border on a yellow ground boteh rug attributed to the Baharlu in Hali 50 (p. 150). A Qashqa’i vagireh (SLO on 29 April 1981, lot 76) also had this vertical panel composition.

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160 Qashgai Torba South Persia, second half 19th century 4 ft. 1 in. x 1 ft. 11 in. $2,000–3,000 Provenance: David Black Oriental Carpets, London, 1979.

Literature: Black, David and Clive Loveless. Woven Gardens: Nomad and Village Rugs of the Fars Province of Southern Persia. David Black Oriental Carpets, London: 1979, pl. 46.

Exhibitions: Ralph & Linda Kaffel, Seattle, Washington, American Conference on Oriental Rugs 7: ‘Cedar Chest’ Session, March 2004.

Ralph’s Notes: Published: David Black and Clive Loveless, Woven Gardens, plate 46.

4’10 x 1’11, 19th century. Colors (11): purple-brown, red-brown, red, pink, yellow, navy, light blue, pale blue, dark green, light brown, ivory.

[Woven Gardens caption] The origin of this design lies in the single plane lattice designs enclosing flowering plants of 17th and 18th century Kerman. By the 19th century, the plants had become botehs (see caption to plate 9) and a similar formula to that used here was popular in the shawls for which Kerman at that time, was famous. On the basis of colour and design it would be tempting to ascribe this piece to one of the tribes in the Kerman area, many of which adopted urban Kerman patterns, tough in feel and structure as well as the design of the main guard stripe of the border (see also plate 6) it appears to be more closely related to pieces further west, and may well be Qashqa’i. It is one of many examples that are hard to attribute with any accuracy.

[Ralph's commentary] The tree forms which create a lattice containing the botehs are similar to Afshar motifs. The authors tentatively ascribe this piece to one of the tribes in the Kerman area, but suggest that it appears to be more closely related to pieces further west, and may well be Qashqa’i. Soft, lustrous wool. Woven in both asymmetric knot open left and symmetric knot (right side only). A green ground torba with 3 rows of similar botehs and closely similar border, tentatively attributed to Kashguli (2’2 x 1’6; Edelmann, May 23, 1984, #204), purchased by Dennis Dodds and exhibited at a recent Hali Fair. A red ground torba with a similar lattice pattern and 3 rows of botehs, ivory ground floral border (3’7 x 1’9; Rippon-Boswell, November 12, 1994, #180), dated to mid-19th C. and attributed to Qashqa’i, Fars region = RB 26 March 2011 #11 Kossow Collection = RB 25 May 2013 #50.

Identical or very similar borders appear on a torba of variant design (3’11 x 2’0, Rippon-Boswell, May 24, 1997, #160), an eye-dazzler torba (4’11 x 1’11; Benardout, Woven Stars, #25) and a Herati-design carpet with a central medallion in Woven Gardens, plate 6.

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161 Qashgai Bag Face Safi Khani Tribe, South Persia, inscribed, 19th century 2 ft. 2 in. x 1 ft. 6 in. $2,000–3,000 Provenance: Rippon Boswell, The Kossow Collection, 26 March 2011, Lot 38.

Literature: - John C. Edelmann Galleries. New York: 25 May 1984, Lot 204.

- Hali 168. "Auction Price Guide." Hali Publications Ltd: London, 2011, p. 140.

Ralph’s Notes: According to Cecil Edwards (The Persian Carpet, p. 286) the Safi Khani “... are a very small tribe and not too respectable. They weave good rugs, however…” When the book was published, in 1953, the various nomadic Qashqai tribes aggregated 17,400 families, of which the Safi Khani accounted for only 200, slightly more than 1% of the total, which may account for the rarity of their weavings.

[Rippon Boswell catalogue caption] A very rare, green-ground bag face by the Safi Khani tribe, with three horizontal rows of offset botehs enclosing flowering trees.

The red-ground border is decorated with a delicate floral vine. The angular, bold drawing of the botehs is influenced by Afshar pieces (see Collins). A fine weave, white wefts, a dense velvety pile. Remnants of a pistachio coloured kilim survive at the bottom. Slightly reduced at the top, original sides, in good overall condition.

Lit: Collins, John J., Persian Piled Weaving. A collection of non-urban piled bags. Newburyport 2007, Tf. 37; Dodds, Dennis & Eiland, Murray L., Jr. (Hrsg.), Oriental Rugs From Atlantic Collections. Philadelphia 1996, Nr. 293.

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162 Afshar Bag Face South Persia, second half 19th century 2 ft. 11 in. x 2 ft. $1,000–1,500 Provenance: Rippon Boswell, 17 November 2001, Lot 61.

Ralph’s Notes: A similar example was published in Hali 103, p. 156, in conjunction with Roger Cavanna’s exhibition at “Carpets of the Inner Circle” (San Francisco) titled “The Dowry Tradition: Its Impact on Persian Weavings”.

Hali’s editor wrote that for the nomadic tribes of Persia, the dowry was usually in the form of small weavings to hang around the tent.

The possible “mate” to this piece was in the Israeli trade and appeared on Cloudband in April 2002. Another virtually identical piece was offered by Wannenes (Italy) on 1 December 2010 #603.

163 Two Similar Afshar Bag Faces South Persia, ca. 1890 the larger: 2 ft. 2 in. x 1 ft. 4 in. the smaller: 1 ft. 5 in. x 1 ft. $1,000–2,000 Provenance: [the smaller] Sotheby's New York, 13 December 1986, Lot 129.

Ralph’s Notes: A diminutive bagface with two large botehs facing in alternate directions. Bags of their type are known to have only a single boteh. These botehs are the “Hartley Clark” type, much more common in bags than in carpets. For examples with a single boteh see Skinner 5 June 1988 #21; Woven Gardens pl. 45; Benardout 1978 Catalog #14. For examples with two botehs see Opie Tribal Rugs of Southern Persia, p. 145; SNY 10 April 1997 #33 and Skinner 20 September 1998 #37.

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164 Pair of Afshar Bag Faces South Persia, ca. 1880 each: 2 ft. 8 in. x 1 ft. 10 in. $2,000–3,000 Provenance: Christie's London, 16 October 2003, Lot 144.

Literature: Hali 132. "Auction Price Guide." Hali Publications Ltd: London, 2004, p. 132.

Ralph’s Notes: [Auction Price Guide] The two most popular Afshar ‘boteh’ bags feature either elaborate large botehs seen in the well-known Hartley Clarke rug, or more geometrically rendered shield-type straight-edged botehs contained within compartments separated by rayed plant forms. Bags of the latter type usually have six or eight botehs, but exceptions are known. This lot is most like a pair of identical size but in better condition, purchased by Herrmann at SNY on 4 June 1988 (lot 17) for $4,950 (SOT X, pl.78). Other comparisons include a six-boteh bag in Hali 74 (p.9), John J. Collins, Shiraz, pl. 24; Herrmann, ATT 4, pl. 74a; and Taschen der Nomaden West Persiens der Sammlung Bach (1996), pl. 55. A bag with six complete and three half-botehs with a barber's-pole border sold at SNY on 10 April 1997, lot 11, for $3,250 (Hali 93, p. 128).

Examples with eight botehs are: pl. 8 in Jones, Yohe & Boucher's Persian Tribal Rugs (1971) attributed to the Bakhtiari; RB, 11 November 2001, lot 61, DM7,000; and Hali 103, p. 156. A very reasonable price for a good pair of bags of a type which is…

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165 Lori Mixed-Technique Double Bag Veramin Area, Persia, 19th/20th century 5 ft. 4 in. x 2 ft. 11 in. $2,000–3,000 Provenance: David Black Oriental Carpets, London, June 1980.

Ralph’s Notes: A very closely similar bag from the Tanavoli collection is published in de Franchis and Wertime Lori and Bakhtiari Flatweaves pl. 66B, captioned, “This lovely bag is of a type commonly encountered in the Veramin area”. Another complete bag, virtually identical to the preceding, attributed to Veramin, north Persia 19/20th century was on offer at Skinner Boston 15 November 2003 #171. A closely related example, with quartered octagons instead of Memling guls was exhibited by Peter Pap on 27 March 2012 and a similar piece was published in Lori and Bakhtiari Flatweaves pl. 66A.

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166 Afshar Bag Face South Persia, ca. 1900 1 ft. 6 in. x 2 ft. 7 in. $1,000–1,500 Provenance: Sotheby's New York, 13 December 1986, Lot 129.

Ralph’s Notes: This turn-of-the-century bagface features a type of boteh that appears to be a later addition to the Afshar design repertoire, obviously modelled after the botehs in Kerman shawls. Three full botehs and partial botehs at the sides and bottom create a feeling of movement. The floral border is typical Afshar work.

167 South Persian Bag Front ca. 1900 2 ft. x 1 ft. 5 in. $1,000–1,500

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168 Tekke 'Bird' Azmalyk Central Asia, ca. 1800 3 ft. 10 in. x 2 ft. 10 in. $30,000–50,000 Provenance: Eberhart Herrmann, February 1990.

Literature: - Sotheby's New York. New York, 20 January 1990, Lot 65.

- Herrmann, Eberhart. Asiatische Teppich- und Textilkunst II. E. Herrmann: Munich, 1990, pl. 57.

- Hali 50. "Auction Price Guide." Hali Publications Ltd: London, 1990, p. 169.

- Hali 51. "Letters." Hali Publications Ltd: London, 1990, p. 99.

Ralph’s Notes [Sotheby’s New York catalogue caption] The currently offered lot is the fourteenth Tekke bird asmalyk to be discovered and is published here for the first time; the first twelve known examples are documented in Pinner, Robert and Franses, Michael, Turkoman Studies I, Oguz Press, London, 1980, pp. 114-121 and the thirteenth was sold Christie's East, New York, December 6, 1988, lot 35. Although all fourteen of these bird asmalyks share a layout of bird motifs within a serrated leaf lattice, there are considerable differences in the composition and design devices utilized in creating each piece. The well articulated and fully formed diamond lattice allowing ample open space around each bird and the powerfully elegent stepped ascent of the upper border give the current piece a wonderfully pleasing aesthetic grace. The most closely related example to the present asmalyk is in the collection of the Museum of Oriental Art, Moscow and illustrated in Pinner and Franses, op. cit., p. 116, no. 217. In the current piece the orientation of the birds face in opposite direction in alternating rows, whereas the Moscow piece has the more standard design of all the birds facing in one direction.

There are only two other known pieces with the differing bird orientation as experienced here, see Pinner and Franses, op. cit., p. 120, no. 228 for an example, location presently unknown, in which the top two rows of birds face opposite direction to the bottom two rows and Pinner, Robert, HALI, issue 33, vol. 9, no. 1, January/February/March 1987, p. 12 for an example in the Dr. Sigmund Freud Museum, London with the same bird orientation as demonstrated here. The asmalyk offered here is, to our knowledge, the only existing piece to retain its original jajim embroidered [or brocaded] applied side and bottom end finishes outside of four examples in the Museum of Ethnography, Leningrad, see Pinner and Franses, op. cit., pp. 115-118, nos. 215, 215, 222 and 223 and the aforementioned Freud piece which retains partial end finishes with added fringe.

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169 Tekke Torba Central Asia, first half 19th century 4 ft. 7 in. x 1 ft. 10 in. $5,000–10,000

Ralph’s Notes [Auction Price Guide] This beautiful large torba is quite similar to an example in the McMullan Collection (Islamic Carpets, New York 1965, no.131) now in the Metropolitan Museum.

Both torbas have a kurbaghe secondary ornament, unusual on tent bags, but while the McMullan piece has a conventional kochanak border, the long borders of this example have an interesting variant of the naldag border. For a well-illustrated glossary of common Turkoman designs see R. Pinner, The Rickmers Collection, p.80.

Provenance: Dr. and Mrs. Jon Thompson, London; Eberhart Herrmann, Munich.

Literature: - Sotheby's New York. "Turkmen and Antique Carpets from the Collection of Dr. and Mrs. Jon Thompson." Sotheby's: New York, 16 December 1993, Lot 4.

- Hali 73. "Auction Price Guide." Hali Publications Ltd: London, 1994, p. 135.

[Thompson’s comments, in part] This is rather large for a torba which raises the question of whether it could be a rectangular camel flank hanging (kejebelik). Whatever evidence there might have been is missing (it has no back, nor is there a hem) because it has been made into a pillow, which is the reason for its excellent state of preservation. The field design is rare. The upper and lower border design is also unusual.

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170 Tekke Shallow Tent Bag (Torba) Central Asia, mid 19th century 1 ft. 8 in. x 4 ft. 1 in. $5,000–10,000

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Provenance: Dr. and Mrs. Jon Thompson, London; Eberhart Herrmann, Munich.

Literature: Sotheby's New York. "Turkmen and Antique Carpets from the Collection of Dr. and Mrs. Jon Thompson." Sotheby's: New York, 16 December 1993, Lot 15.

Ralph’s Notes [Jon Thompson’s catalogue comment] 19th century, complete with flatwoven back, small reweave in one outer border, reweave in opposing corner.

Approximately 1 ft. 7 in. by 4 ft. (0.48 m. by 1.22 m.). This piece retains its back and is a little smaller than lot (4) which has the same rare field design, so we can be certain of its function. Of interest is the star between the secondary ornaments.

Such tertiary ornaments are usually found only in the oldest pieces though this one can hardly be earlier than the mid-nineteenth century.

171 Arabachi Chuval Central Asia, first half 19th century with silk highlights 5 ft. x 2 ft. 9 in. $5,000–8,000 Provenance: Rippon Boswell, 12 November 2000, Lot 64A. Literature: Hali 115. "Auction Price Guide."

Hali Publications Ltd: London, 2001, p. 151.

Ralph’s Notes: [Auction Price Guide] It is rare that two gülli-göl Arabachi chuvals (more closely related to the Tekke than the Salor or Ersari güls) were auctioned within a month of each other in different salerooms. These gülli-göls, normally exclusive to main carpets, are not only unique on tent bags, but alternate with the karbaghe minor güls also best known on Tekke main carpets. The Arabachi wove gülli-göl chuvals with very little difference in design from at least the 18th century up until the late 19th century when the synthetic dye Ponceau 2R had already come into use. In one or two examples the gül shapes differ slightly. The Rippon Boswell chuval was bought by a California collector, and has an extra border at the top. Lot 67 at Sotheby's in New York on 15 December 2000 ($4,800), consigned by the Wher Collection, had an unusual variant of the regular alem drawing.

[Ralph's commentary] Writing about this piece in “Auction Price Guide” Robert Pinner pointed out that the Gulli gül is more closely related to the Tekke than to Salor or Ersari güls. The extra border at the top of this chuval is an unusual feature which I thought to be unique until the appearance of another Arabachi chuval with this extra border, at RB 25 May 2013 #31.

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172 Saryk Chuval Central Asia, second half 19th century 4 ft. 6 in. x 2 ft. 11 in. $3,000–5,000 Provenance: Anthony Hazledine, at San Francisco Tribal Arts, February 2001.

Exhibitions: Ralph & Linda Kaffel, Seattle, Washington, American Conference on Oriental Rugs 7: ‘Cedar Chest’ Session, March 2004.

Ralph’s Notes: A full-pile chuval with original unusual selvedges and large (10” x 6”) major güls and minor chemche güls only a little smaller. The beautiful elem is identical to that of a chuval published in Wie Blumen in der Wuste, pl. 110, which is dated to the 17/18th century, and another such elem appears on a fragmented chuval sold at the Jon Thompson sale at the Sotheby’s New York, December 16, 1993, #94. A similar, slightly smaller chuval in that sale (#25) with cotton whites was dated to the 18/19th C. There are two basic borders in Saryk 9-gül chuvals: the Kochak motif seen here and a series of linked diamonds containing cruciforms, as in the Wie Blumen… piece.

173 Tekke Chuval Central Asia, mid 19th century with silk highlights 3 ft. 10 in. x 2 ft. 8 in. $2,000–3,000 Provenance: John C. Edelmann Galleries, 10 November 1979, Lot 160.

Other Notes: Bears collector's label of Frank Springer verso.

Ralph’s Notes: This chuval is a relatively early example with several unusual features. Formerly in the Frank Michaelian collection it contains 6 columns of 6 aina güls, with a generous use of magenta silk. Each side depicts a descending flowering plant or vine, a feature unduplicated in any other chuval of this type known to me. The elem pattern while unusual is not unique. A similar but larger chuval from the Bogolubov collection, with 7 columns of 5 aina güls and a different skirt, dated to late 19th century, is illustrated in plate 129 in Oriental Rugs from Atlantic Collections. Another quite similar example, with 6 columns of 5 aina güls was sold at the Pinner collection sale at Rippon Boswell on 15 May 2004 #105, dated to the first half 19th century. Its elem design was identical to ours, about which Hans Sienknecht and Detlef Maltzan write in the catalog’s caption that “the trees in the elem appear more authentic than in many comparable pieces.”

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174 Tekke Chuval Central Asia, ca. 1860-75 3 ft. 8 in. x 2 ft. 1 in. $1,000–2,000 Provenance: John C. Edelmann Galleries, New York, 10 November 1979, Lot 102.

Exhibitions: Ralph & Linda Kaffel, Seattle, Washington, American Conference on Oriental Rugs 7: ‘Cedar Chest’ Session, March 2004.

Ralph’s Notes: Notable for its spacious drawing, the “tomato-red” color, and a border more usually seen on Tekke Chuvals with diamond guls (e.g., Hali 52, p.125; Vanishing Jewels, pl. 28; Hali 81, p. 97, Ronnie Newman; Hali 82, p. 148, Chris Legge; Collection HCS, pl. 44; Sotheby’s New York, December 14, 1995, #65; Collections HCS, pl. 85). The major gul is identical to those of a chuval illustrated on p.97 of Oriental Carpet and Textile Studies III/1, in “Classification of Tekke Chuvals by elements of design and technical factors”, by E.B. Long (a Group B piece). Sixteen gul Tekke chuvals with undecorated (plain) elems are uncommon, most examples have elems (skirts) decorated with plants or flowers. The following are some examples with plain elems: Sotheby’s New York, December 16, 1993 (Jon Thompson sale) #17; Collections HCS, pl.47. Thompson wrote in part in the caption, “...the sense of space, the felicitous color and some unusual details … set this aside as one of the oldest of its type”; Coll. HCS, pl. 45, with an “X” border identical to ours that Sienknecht attributed to Eagle Gul-2. A fragmented Tekke chuval with this identical primary gul, Lefevre, June 17, 1983, #37.

175 Tekke Chuval ca. 1860-75 4 ft. 5 in. x 2 ft. 9 in. $2,000–4,000 Provenance: Tom Weisbuch, The Old Rug, Oakland, California, ca. 1981-2.

Ralph’s Notes: A beautifully colored Tekke Chuval with 6 turret-guls and minor guls called “shararch-palak” by Uwe Jourdan in Oriental Rugs, Vol 5 / Turkoman pl. 64, which he dates to mid-19th century. Another closely related example (pl. 63) is dated to 1st half 19th century. Similar examples are often mistaken for Salor, eg. Straka Collection pl.

12 and Amos Thatcher, pl. 5. Another related chuval is published in Mackie/Thompson Turkmen pl. 32. The present chuval has a particularly attractive elem design, similar but better drawn than in pl. 20 in Azadi’s Turkoman Carpets, also misattributed to Salor.

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176 Ersari Azmalyk Central Asia, 19th century 4 ft. 9 in. x 2 ft. 4 in. $10,000–20,000 Provenance: Rippon Boswell, 18 November 2005, Lot 53.

Literature: Hali 150. "Auction Price Guide." Hali Publications Ltd: London, 2007, p. 133.

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Ralph’s Notes: There is only one comparable example - the well-known Hecksher asmalyk (Oriental Rugs from Atlantic Collections pl. 244). This asmalyk is a little larger than Hecksher’s (ours is 4’8 x 2’4, Hecksher’s 4’2 x 2’5). The main difference between the two pieces is in the borders. Hecksher’s is an elaborate polychrome naldag (horseshoe) design – ours has stylized solomon stars. Both have identical narrow ivory ground meander guard stripes but our asmalyk has an added “barber pole” frame between the main border and the field. It has velvety wool and is in generally good condition with minor spot repairs and moth damage. It has been said that the Hecksher asmalyk may be a generation or so older, but both seem relatively early, perhaps no later than mid-19th century. We paid a high price for this piece after a bidding battle against David Sorgato, but the piece is so rare that we thought the high price was worth it.

177 Yomud Azmalyk Central Asia, ca. 1800 3 ft. 11 in. x 2 ft. 8 in. $15,000–30,000 Provenance: Eberhart Herrmann, Munich, 1991 Literature: - Weltkunst. "The European Art Fair, Eberhart Herrmann, Munich." Weltkunst: Berlin, February 1991, p. 400.

- Christie's New York. New York: 22 January 1991, Lot 26, cover lot.

- Hali 56. "Auction Price Guide." Hali Publications Ltd: London, 1991, p. 175.

Ralph’s Notes: Bausback published a pair of very similar asmalyks in his 1983 catalog, pp. 128/9. He wrote that "this pair might well be unique with no known similar examples outside of possibly Leningrad (St. Petersburg) Museum, and that these might be the products of the Goklan Yomud, who were said to possess the best agricultural areas and pastures of all Turkmen and thus were able produce the best quality wool." In his reference to Leningrad, Bausback may have been referring to the motif rather than a similar asmalyk; Tsareva, in Rugs and Carpets of Central Asia pictured a Yomud main carpet with its lower elem containing 12 such motifs (#69, p. 109). Another pair of similar asmalyks that were missing their peaked apexes were offered by Jabert, Paris in Hali 62, Gallery ad p. 122. Our asmalyk differs from the Bausback pair in its upper border design and by having a plain elem as opposed to the ashik motifs in the Bausback pair.

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178 Tekke Torba Central Asia, mid 19th century or earlier 3 ft. 9 in. x 1 ft. 1 in. $1,000–2,000

Ralph’s Notes: Despite missing its top and bottom guard stripes and having spotty moth damage, this is an exceptional torba. It has nine colors, including a clear lemon yellow and a medium green. Most importantly, it has tertiary motifs between its “chemche” minor guls (see Moshkova p. 220, fig. 5) including a “double comb” talismanic motif. Tertiary motifs in the Tekke torbas are quite rare and are usually a reliable indication of great age. The pile is closely clipped and velvety; the colors are deeply saturated.

Provenance: Collection of David Black and Clive Loveless; Sotheby's New York, 1 December 1984, Lot 37.

179 Tekke Mafrash Central Asia, first half 19th century 2 ft. 1 in. x 1 ft. $1,000–2,000 Provenance: Rippon Boswell, 19 November 2005, Lot 192A.

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Ralph’s Notes: One of the oldest of the published examples with the classic 6 gul pattern of Tekke mafrash. While considerably worn, it is complete except for missing part of its left side border and is in unrepaired condition. Analogies include a much later piece with D. Dodds, advertised 3 times on Cloudband between 2000 and 2003; pl. 26 in Whiting’s catalog (c. 1850) offered by Purdow in Oct. 2000 for £650; Nagel 5/16/00 #133; WOW 7/3/03 #358 and J.P.J. Homer Tempting Turkoman pl. 8A.

180 Tekke Torba Central Asia, late 19th century 4 ft. x 1 ft. 4 in. $2,000–3,000 Provenance: John C. Edelmann Galleries, New York, 14 June 1980, Lot 162.

181 Tekke Mafrash Central Asia, first half 19th century 2 ft. 7 in. x 1 ft. 1 in. $1,000–2,000

Ralph’s Notes: Two unusual features of this torba are its light brick red color and the interior design of its six large guls, each measuring nearly one foot in width. The more usual centers of most torba guls feature a stylized eight-petalled floral form. A similar drawing of the guls’ interior may be seen on an older six-gul torba with an unusual border illustrated in Hali 124, p. 120 , exhibited by the late Hans Elmby at the 2002 Hali Fair in London. Two other related examples, with more precisely executed “checkerboard” gul centers were offered by Lefevre 16 October 1981, #4, dated 1st half 19th C., and Sotheby London 11 October 2004 #3 = Sotheby New York 16 December 2004 #9, with a border very similar to our piece. A virtually identical inner gul motif appears on a trapping, possibly from the “Eagle II” group, ex-Robert Pinner collection, sold at Rippon Boswell on 15 May 2004 #61.

Ralph’s Notes: [Rippon Boswell catalogue caption] An extremely rare mafrash with just four widely spaced chuval guls that are comparatively large in view of the small format. The rare tertiary motifs – simple double kochaks – are tone-on-tone with the field ground and barely stand out. Largely original ends and selvages: the top right hand corner is damaged and backed with fabric. Uniformly short pile with slight discoloration, an inexpertly darned area on the bottom left.

Provenance: Rippon Boswell, Robert Pinner Collection, 15 May 2004, Lot 99.

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182 Uzbek Rug Central Asia, late 19th century 8 ft. x 3 ft. 2 in. $3,000–5,000 Provenance: Seref Özen, Cocoon Istanbul, September 2000.

Ralph’s Notes: Uzbek rugs are often confused with Ersari products. Four rugs, quite similar to ours have been been published, all attributed to Ersari: Nagel 27 May 2003 #52: Music for the Eyes pl. 139 (early 19th C.); Hali 94 p. 39, Ottomania, Istanbul (early 19th C.); Tsareva Rugs and Carpets of Central Asia cover & pl. 89 (mid 19th C.). Another similar rug was attributed to Karakalpak by Nagel 5 November 2002.

A comparable rug, attributed to Kirghiz and also having the “curled leaf” border of our piece (dated 1880) was published in pl. 40 in The World of Rugs, a catalog of the 1973 exhibition at the Hugh M. Moss Gallery in London. The caption, by Michael Franses, states: “The Kirgiz and Uzbek people, who lived in the area between East and West Turkestan, but were of different origin from the Turkomans, also wove rugs using elements of both Ersari and East Turkestan designs.”

The attribution of this rug to Uzbek is based primarily on representations made

by Seref Ozen, but the rug may well be Kirgiz, as it replicates many of the design elements in the Hugh Moss rug.

A related carpet published in Timbuktu to Tibert pl. 26 attributed as “possibly Kazakhstan – 19th century.”

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183 Kirgiz Carpet Central Asia, late 19th century 6 ft. 9 in. x 3 ft. 2 in. $4,000–6,000 Provenance: Seref Özen, Cocoon Istanbul, September 2000.

Ralph’s Notes: Ivory ground Kirgiz carpets are extremely rare. All of the Kirgiz carpets featured in Hali; Tsareva Rugs and Carpets of Central Asia; Moshkova/ O’Bannon Carpets of the Peoples of Central Asia and Music for the Eyes are dark, with reds and blues dominating the palette.

The design of this rug is rather similar in concept to a well-known rare Yomud rug published as plate 30 in Schurmann’s Central Asian Rugs. Both rugs have a field divided into ivory compartments containing crones (in the Yomud) and hexagons (in this rug). While the palette of our rug is decidedly unusual, the basic design comparts with the description of Kirgiz designs as defined in Hali 66, p. 155 Auction Price Guide for Kvalitéts Auktion, Stockholm 5 September 1992 #4130 – “No style of carpet decoration relies as much as that of the Kirgiz on the dual reading of reciprocal geometric ornaments. The strict geometry of Kirgiz carpets is supported by the simple palette of two or at most, three colors.”

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184 Goklan Small Rug Northeast Persia, Khorasan, early 19th century 4 ft. 2 in. x 3 ft. 4 in. $2,000–4,000 Provenance: Rippon Boswell, 18 November 2006, Lot 34.

Literature: Hali 150. "Auction Price Guide." Hali Publications Ltd: London, 2007, p.

133.

Ralph’s Notes: [Auction Price Guide] According to Siawosch Azadi, the Göklan tribe lived in the Gurgan-Atrak region of northern Khorasan. However, there is nothing quite like this little mat in Studien zur Teppich-Kultur der Turkmenen, Rautenstengel & Azadi's definitive 1990 book on Göklan and 'Eagle-göl’ rugs and trappings. While a number of dyrnak göl carpets are illustrated, none have this monochromatic motif within the göl interiors. Several main carpets (pls. 8-10, 12-17) have guard borders of horizontally-reciprocal dotted arrowheads, but none use the design for their main border, as here. There are also unusual motifs between the 'eagles' in the elems. Its small size, comparable to the so-called ‘wedding' rugs of the Tekke, suggests that it too may have been woven as a dowry or wedding piece. Whatever its function it is a rare item.

185 Yomud Ensi Central Asia, late 19th century 5 ft. 1 in. x 4 ft. $2,000–3,000 Provenance: Bausback, Mannheim, Germany, November 1980.

Literature: - Hali 3/2. Hali Publications Ltd: London, 1990, outside back cover.

- John C. Edelmann Galleries. New York, 25 October 1980, Lot 226.

Ralph’s Notes: The motifs in the field are known as the “bovrek” pattern and appear on Yomud ensis, torbas and mafrashes (see Moshkova, p. 235, fig 107). A related example with a similar field pattern but lacking the “eagle” elems published Hoffmeister Turkoman Carpets in Franconia pl. 18 also published in Eiland A World of Carpets and Textiles p. 19, fig. 24. A damaged example from Broido Collection was offered Nagel 22 March 2011 #10.

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186 Beshir Prayer Rug, Type 3-D Middle Amu Darya, Central Asia, ca. 1875 5 ft. 6 in. x 3 ft. 3 in. $5,000–10,000 Provenance: Sotheby's New York, 17 December 1999, Lot 36.

Literature: - Lefevre & Partners. "The Persian Carpet Galleries." Lefevre & Partners: London, cover illustration and lot 16.

- Jones, H. McCoy and Jeff W. Boucher. An Exhibition of the Weavings of the Tribes in Afghanistan. "The Collection of Marshall and Marilyn Wolf." Cosmos Club: Washington, D.C., 1972, pl. 7.

- Hali 151. "Beshir Prayer Rugs." Hali Publications Ltd: London, 2007, p. 79, pl. 9.

- Hali 151. "Addendum, no. 3:29: 'Classification by Design'."

Hali Publications Ltd: London, 2007, type 3-D. Ralph’s Notes [Excerpt from addendum] According to AB Thacher (Turkoman Rugs, 1940) the border design and colors are strongly influenced by the art of Chinese Turkestan. Peter Hoffmeister cites this rug in Turkoman Carpets in Franconia (1980) p. 70, caption to plate 21.

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187 Beshir Prayer Rug, Type 2 Central Asia, early 19th century 4 ft. 4 in. x 7 ft. 7 in. $15,000–25,000 Provenance: Sotheby's New York, 20 September 2001, Lot 55.

Literature: - Rippon Boswell. Wiesbaden: 16 November 1996, Lot 141.

- Hali 91. "Auction Price Guide." Hali Publications Ltd: London, 1997, p. 157.

- Hali 120. "Auction Price Guide." Hali Publications Ltd: London, 2002, p. 125.

- Hali 151. "Beshir Prayer Rugs." Hali Publications Ltd: London, 2007, p. 74, pl. 1 Ralph’s Notes: Unknown prior to its appearance in Wiesbaden in 1996, and considered "best of type" by, among others, the editors of Hali, Detlef Maltzahn (RB), Mary Jo Otsea (SNY) and Robert Pinner. The first Hali APG review stated that "it is unsurpassed in our experience in its quality of drawing, proportions and clarity of colours, including the luminous red and white of the ground." In the online Cloudband magazine, Robert Pinner wrote that "... the dominant white area of this beautiful rug is filled with small pomegranates, a symbol of fertility also found on a group of silk rugs attributed to Yarkand in neighbouring East Turkestan. The 'head' which broadens out at the top of the white mihrab carries a 'kochak' (ram's horns). Much rarer is the similar kochak-topped 'head' on the small red mihrab, which is missing in most of the rugs of this group.” As pointed out in Hali 120, at 7'7" × 4'9" it is the largest rug in this group. Pomegranate border.

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188 Tekke Pile and Flatwoven Tent Band Central Asia, ca. 1850 or earlier 43 ft. 6 in. x 1 ft. $5,000–10,000 Provenance: Skinner, Bolton, Massachusetts, 1 December 1990, Lot 123.

Ralph’s Notes: In an unpublished study, Soren Neergaard of Denmark compiled and isolated 564 motifs from 78 tent bands, which were then catalogued into 23 distinct types. These findings were presented at a “poster session” at the 7th ICOC in Hamburg Germany in June 1993. Neergaard’s theory is that these motifs are pre-Islamic and that each tent band tells a story. The rarest of these motifs is the gameboard (Type 16) occurring only once in his sample (0.18%) and may represent the old story of the Gods playing with men’s souls (according to Neergaard).

A number of motifs in this band are unrecorded in Neergaard’s study. A very similar band, also featuring a “gameboard” was sold at Skinner’s on 8 May 1980, advertised in Hali 3/2, p. 31. An 8’ long fragment of another, early, similar band was exhibited in Toronto in 1998 and is illustrated in the exhibition’s catalog Oriental Rugs from Canadian Collections II. According to Skinner’s catalog caption, this tent band was formerly in the collection of Arthur D. Jenkins.

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189 Yomud Full Pile Tent Band Central Asia, ca. 1850 46 ft. x 1 ft. 4 in. $10,000–20,000 Provenance: John C. Edelmann Galleries, New York, 24 October 1981, Lot 198.

Literature: Hali 4/1. Hali Publications Ltd: London, 1981, outside back cover.

Ralph’s Notes: As of this writing, there are only four complete piled tent bands that have been reliably documented. The best and oldest of the four was sold at Sotheby’s London on 10/16/85 #750 to Eberhart Herrmann and was published in S.O.T. VIII, pl. 105, dated to 18th c. It was also published in Hali 29, Auction Price Guide, Hali 32, p. 97 and Hali 58, p. 161. Jon Thompson’s band was sold at SNY 12/16/93 #93 and reviewed in Hali 73 APG p. 137. The band in the Textile Museum, Washington DC is illustrated in Turkmen pps. 52-55. It is as old and as beautiful as Herrmann’s and is also dated to the 18th century. Ours is the fourth. Hali 30 "Letters 3" mentions another complete band as “present whereabouts unknown.” Jack Cassin’s band, a large fragment 32’ long (about 70% complete) is also included in the Hali listing. There are several fragments, the longest of which, at 16’10” was sold at SNY on 12/3/88 #116 (Hali 43, APG p. 95).

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190 Yomud Bokche Central Asia, third quarter 19th century 3 ft. x 2 ft. 10 in. $2,000–4,000 Provenance: Rippon Boswell, 24 May 1998, Lot 84.

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Ralph’s Notes: A virtually identical bokche, with the same syrga borders and the same “diamond like” minor borders is published in Lefvre’s Central Asian Carpets/Supplement One fig. 13, dated to the first half 19th c. (also published Bausback 1977 p.159).

Herrmann in S.O.T. VIII pl. 106 published a very similar bokche and listed the following analogies: - Grote - Hasenbalg pl. 90 #Z - Jones/Boucher Rugs of the Yomud Tribes #51-53 - Loges Turkoman Tribal Rugs #50 - Bausback 1978 p. 445 - Mackie/Thompson Turkomen pl. 80 - Herrmann S.O.T. IV pl. 86, 87 - Herrmann S.O.T. VII pl. 72b

191 Yomud Bokche Central Asia, mid 19th century 1 ft. 8 in. x 1 ft. 8 in. $2,000–4,000 Provenance: Rodney McDonald, Rochester, New York.

Literature: Dodds, Dennis R. and Murray Eiland, Jr. Oriental Rugs from Atlantic Collections. "The Collection of Dr. and Mrs. Marvin Amstey." 8th ICOC: Philadelphia, 1996, pl. 253.

Ralph’s Notes: [Atlantic Collections caption] 253. Yomut bokhche, mid 19th century, 1’8” x 1’6”. Collection of Dr. and Mrs. Marvin S. Amstey.

The bokhche (bohca - square cloth for wrapping a bundle, Turk.) is a square, ‘envelope’-shaped bag and while in Turkey a bohca usually contains a bride’s trousseau and later her precious things, its ceremonial function in the Turkmen wedding, is said to be to hold bread. As with several other weavings for the Turkmen wedding, we have at present records only of ‘Yomut’ bokhches.

Normally only the four triangular upper portions of the bokhche are in knotted pile, in this case in the asymmetric knot open right; the central area, which becomes the back of the finished bag, is flatwoven. A comprehensive study of the Turkmen bokhches has been published by Rautenstengel (1995).

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192 Tekke Kapunuk Central Asia, before 1800 3 ft. 7 in. x 3 ft. 4 in. $15,000–25,000 Provenance: Rippon Boswell, 15 May 2004, Lot 111.

Literature: Hali 136. "Auction Price Guide." Hali Publications Ltd: London, 2004, p. 115.

Ralph’s Notes: [Auction Price Guide] The catalogue cited the V&A Kapunuk (Hali 2/4, cover, “Turkoman Rugs in the VA”, pp. 301-315) as the sole analogy. The latter is larger, but they are similar. Without direct comparison, it is hard to say which (if either) is better. Together they represent the best of type of a very rare and early group of Tekke kapunuks. The drawing here is more spacious with only four instead of five large serrated curled-leaves in each arm, and seven leaves across the upper panel rather than eight. Justifiably, it set an auction record for its type. The generous spacing of leaves in the arms is comparable to that in the sole recorded Arabachi kapunuk (Wie Blumen in der Wuste, pl. 91). Other related examples include pl. 70 in McMullan Smith Collection of Islamic Rugs (erroneously attributed to the Yomut); SNY, 17 September 1992, Lot 2, $11,000; Between the Black Desert and the Red, Wiedersperg Collection, pl. 25 (where Pinner and Eiland say that the curled-leaf on white ground symbolises growth and fertility); RB 15 May 1993 Lot 138, DM 17,500; Edelmann, 25 October 1980, lot HH, sold for $16,500 = Hali 3/3, p. 254 (Saryk but possibly Tekke); Tsareva, Rugs and Carpets of Central Asia, pl.19 = Bogolyubov, pl. 5 (attributed to Saryk but very similar in drawing to the Tekke pieces); Pacific Collections, pl. 110 = Hali 111, page 121 = Eiland & Eiland 1998, plate 205.

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193 Salor 'Curled Leaf' Kapunuk Central Asia, ca. 1800 4 ft. 5 in. x 2 ft. 11 in. $30,000–50,000 Provenance: Eberhart Herrmann, Munich, ca. 1990.

Literature: Herrmann, Eberhart. Asiatische Teppich- und Textilkunst II. E. Herrmann: Munich, 1990, pl. 58.

Ralph’s Notes: When Hali published the Ballard Salor Kapunuk (Vol. 6 #2, p. 134) it wrote that it was one of only three known pieces. Since the fall of the Soviet Union, a few more pieces have emerged, but are still exceedingly rare.

They are: 1. Ballard Collection, MMOA #190 = Hali 6/2 p. 134 = Turkmen pl. 15 2. Schurmann Central Asian Rugs pl. 27 = Wie Blumen in der Wüste pl. 99 = Hali 78, p. 97 = OCTS 1 p.

135 = Weetkunst 15.8.86 p. 2192 #10 3. Rippon Boswell 20 November 2004 #169 = Hali 143 “Letters” p. 27 4. Michael Rothberg Collection, exhibited ACOR of Seattle; exhibited “Art of the Hordes” San Francisco, July–September 1993; exhibited ICOC IV San Francisco 1990; Published Hali 167, ICOC XII preview p. 45 with James Cohen 5. Drudin Collection, Tsareva pl. 4 = Oriental Rugs from Pacific Collections, p. 270 p. 238 = Oriental Rugs from Atlantic Collections, pl. 138 6. Moshkova fig. 75 7. Sotheby New York 15 December 2000 #70 = Hali 115 APG p. 151 8. Austria Auction Co. 15 March 2014 #89 = Hali 178 p. 2 AAC Ad. 9. The present example.

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194 Yomud Khalyk Central Asia, mid 19th century 2 ft. 5 in. x 1 ft. 2 in. $5,000–8,000 Provenance: Robert Pinner, London; Rippon Boswell, 15 May 2004, Lot 80.

Literature: - Pinner, Robert and Michael Frances. Turkoman Studies I: Aspects of the Weaving and Decorative Art of Central Asia. Oguz Press: London, 1980, fig. 14, p. 199.

- Hali 136. "Auction Price Guide." Hali Publications Ltd: London, 2004, p. 118.

Ralph’s Notes: [Rippon Boswell catalog caption] This ceremonial Yomut trapping with three arms – a type far rarer than the popular Tekke khalyks – is one of the treasures of the collection. The lack of comparative pieces makes it difficult to date. The only directly related piece, albeit of a different design, is found in the catalogue of the 1993 Hamburg Turkmen exhibition, Wie Blumen in der Wüste. The quality of the brilliant colours (aubergine, cobalt blue, petrol green, maize yellow) suggests a date of ca. 1850 or earlier. This rare piece was previously published in Turkoman Studies in 1980; the same publication also illustrates other, obviously later, Yomut khalyks showing different shapes and designs (figs. 414–417). A long, vertical tear between the right-hand and central arms has been stitched. The pile is in very good condition, and the overcasting of the selvedge is original. Lit. (Pinner & Franses, Turkoman Studies, 1980, fig. 412, p. 199; Cf.: Hamburg Museum, 1993, Wie Blumen, no. 70 * [Ralph's commentary] * The Wie Blumen example is this exact format but features a Pekvesh floral motif...and is attributed to Karadashli. There is a unique Kepse gul example with 6 flaps of identical size pub. Turkoman Studies #417 = Benardout Turkoman Weavings pl.17.

There is a group of Yomut khalyks with three “arms” of equal size, but there is space between the “arms” and the ends are squared off rather than pointed.

Examples include: Eiland ‘73 p.145 = Yomud Tribes, pl. 47 = Turkoman Studies #414; Bausback ‘78 p. 436; Bausback ‘81 p. 127; Loges p. 99; Turkoman Studies #415; Hali 6/1 p. 96 = Nagel 11/2 #2 DM 4800 = Jordan #167 = Nagel 304 #2; Yoruk, pl. 81; Moshkova Fig. 99

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195 Tekke Khalyk Central Asia, first half 19th century 2 ft. 9 in. x 1 ft. 7 in. $5,000–8,000 Provenance: Robert Pinner, London; Rippon Boswell, 15 May 2004, Lot 65.

Literature: - Benardout, Raymond. Tribal and Nomadic Rugs. London: 1976, pl. 20.

- Pinner, Robert and Michael Frances. Turkoman Studies I: Aspects of the Weaving and Decorative Art of Central Asia. Oguz Press: 1980, p. 394, fig. 39, pl. XXIV. - Hali 136. "Auction Price Guide." London: 2004, p. 118.

Ralph’s Notes: [Rippon Boswell catalog caption] This Tekke khalyk is particularly impressive because of its light and pleasing colouring, which is achieved above all by a strong green tone, relatively rare among Tekke weavings. Apart from a small repiled area at the inner right hand corner, this precious trapping is in very good condition, with original selvages and ends, and cord all around.

[Auction Price Guide] Superficially similar to Robert Pinner’s other Tekke khalyk but with a clear strong green (rare in Tekke weaving) rather than the more typical blue-green. In an unusual design departure, the columns of chevrons framing the kochanak crosses in the arms become much more closely spaced in the upper panel. In good condition, except for a small repiled area, it has its original selvedges and ends, and the cord all around. Offered in 1976 in Benardout’s Tribal and Nomadic Rugs (pl. 2C), it was subsequently published in Turkoman Studies I, p. 194, fig. 39 and pl. XXIV.

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196 Tekke Khalyk Central Asia 19th century 2 ft. 2 in. x 1 ft. 8 in. $4,000–6,000

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Provenance: John C. Edelmann Galleries, New York, 23 October 1982, Lot 337A. Literature: - Hali 5/2. "Auction Report." Hali Publications Ltd: London, 1982, p. 202.

- Eiland, Murray. Oriental Rugs from Pacific Collections. San Francisco Bay Area Rug Society: San Francisco, 1990, pl. 138.

Ralph’s Notes: Tekke khalyks with the “cup” pattern are much rarer than those with the Kochak design. Of some 12 “cup” pattern khalyks published, in 9 the pattern extends to the central “flap”, and in only 3 the “flap” is of a different pattern, as here, also in Moshkova, fig. 11 and Skinner’s 12 April 1997 #67.

A khalyk with the “cup” pattern set an auction price record (at the time) at Rippon Boswell 19 May 2007 #109, reviewed Hali 152, Auction Price Guide p. 126, where the reviewers described the pattern as an “unusual and desirable design, one of the rarest in Tekke weaving.”

197 Tekke Khalyk Central Asia, first half 19th century 2 ft. 4 in. x 1 ft. 4 in. $4,000–6,000 Provenance: Rippon Boswell, 31 May 2014, Lot 127.

Literature: - Pinner, Robert and Michael Frances. Turkoman Studies I: Aspects of the Weaving and Decorative Art of Central Asia. London: Oguz Press, 1980, p. 198, color pl. XXV. - Hali 180. "Auction Price Guide." Hali Publications Ltd: London, 2014, p. 137.

Ralph’s Notes: [Auction Price Guide] The 'curled leaf' motif on a white ground is the rarest of the designs found on Turkmen khalyks (thought to be decorative trappings for the breast of the camel that carries the kejebe or bridal litter in the Turkmen wedding procession). This example was consigned for sale by George Bailey, a former consultant to the carpet department at Christie's in New York and a veteran collector of choice Turkmen pieces. While not mentioned in Rippon Boswell's catalogue, a very closely comparable khalyk was published in John Eskenazi's L'Arte del Tappeto Orientale, 1983, p. 365, pl. 265, attributed to the Tekke. By 1990 it was in the John M. Douglass & Sue N. Peters collection, published as pl. 84 in the second volume of their book The Lost Language, and also in the San Francisco ICOC exhibition catalogue Oriental Rugs from Pacific Collections (p. 133, pl. 111), after having undergone some restoration and acquired tassels. It was one of 163 pieces reported stolen in August 2004. Douglass attributed their khalyk to the Salor, based on its ‘depressed warps and Senna knots'. The drawing of the Bailey khalyk, which was bought by an American collector, is more adventurous than the symmetrical pattern of the Douglass piece, and the triangular central flap is unusually small. We should mention two other white-ground curled-leaf khalyks, but they are not really in the same league – Rippon Boswell, 11 May 1996, Lot 59, sold for $10,710, from the collection of the late Thomas Kalman (Hali 88, p. 145) described as 'not one of the success stories; the curled-leaf pattern is too cramped and boxy…’ (also published by the late Hans Elmby, in his Antique Turkmen Carpets IV, 1998, No. 3); and, very similar to the preceding, Sotheby's, London, 12 October 1999, Lot 12. Unsurprisingly, given its rarity, the Bailey khalyk set a new auction record by a wide margin, the previous recorded high being $21,155 for a khalyk with the uncommon 'cup' motif, at Rippon Boswell on 19 May 2007, Lot 109 (Hali 152, p.126), the review ending with the comment ‘The price is totally justified and will be thought cheap in the future’. That khalyk is now with the German specialist collector Peter Hoffmeister (Elena Tsareva, Turkmen Carpets, the Hoffmeister Collection, pl.36), and is one of twelve known khalyks with the 'cup' motif.

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198 Salor Turkmen Trapping Central Asia, early 19th century 1 ft. 6 in. x 4 ft. 9 in. $10,000–20,000 Provenance: Rippon Boswell, 18 November 2006, Lot 54.

Literature: Hali 150. "Auction Price Guide." Hali Publications Ltd: London, 2007, p. 133.

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Ralph’s Notes: One of the great pleasures of collecting Tribal rugs is the ever-present possibility of discovering something unique. In over 35 years of collecting, we have never come across a salor curled leaf trapping or panel, with the stepped indentation in the field, associated with the much larger Salor Kejebe trappings. In discussing Turkmen Rugs in the V&A (Hali 2/4 pp. 301-315) Pinner and Frances refer to these rare leaf salor weavings as panels, as there is no evidence that the fewer than 10 published pieces were woven with backs. This trapping is the largest in the group. There is heavy pile corrosion, primarily in the diagonal rows of curled leafs knotted in purplish-red insect-dyed wool. There are minute purple and red silk details in the border.

199 Salor 'Diamond Gul' Torba Central Asia, Central Turkestan second quarter 19th century 3 ft. 9 in. x 1 ft. 7 in. $10,000–20,000 Provenance: Sotheby's New York, 2 December 2003, Lot 19.

Literature: Hali 133. "Auction Price Guide." Hali Publications Ltd: London, 2004, p. 115.

Ralph’s Notes: [Auction Price Guide] This diamond gül is a virtual trademark of the Salor. In addition to its use as a primary gül in this tent bag face and its analogues, it is also used as a minor gül in Salor main carpets (Hoffmeister, Franconia, pl. 56; SNY, 16 December 1993, lot 54, Thompson sale) and chuvals (Thompson, lots 55, 57). The standard configuration in bags of this type is six columns of three güls each. Examples include: Jourdan, Turkoman, pl. 7 = Hali 6/2, p. 130 = Sovrani Tappeti, p. 177; ORR, October/November 1987, p.18 = SNY, 16 December 1993, lot 154, $12,500 (Mushak Collection) = Atlantic Collections, pl. 217; Loges, pl. 14 = Wie Blumen, p.102 = Hali 68, p.104; Collection HCS, pl. 14; Through the Collector’s Eye, pl. 140. For a seven column example see Textil Kunst Feuer, pl. 70/2. The present torba and Benardout, Woven Stars, pl. 70 (= Hali 86, p. 101), are the only known examples with 5 columns. This torba is 15cm (6”) wider, allowing the outermost minor güls to be almost fully articulated where they are almost completely absent from the Woven Stars bag face. It also differs from all others cited in the addition of a frame of small diamonds between field and border. The major güls are outlined in rose silk, now almost totally corroded. Silk highlights also appear in the quartered-diamond gül centers and throughout the border. It is only the second such torba to appear in a major auction in the past thirty years, the other being the Mushak piece cited above.

The saturated dyes, use of silk and dense weave of this shallow tent-bag (torba) are hallmarks of the care lavished on utilitarian, as well as ceremonial, pieces by Salor weavers. For related examples please see Sotheby’s New York, December 16, 1993, lot 154 and Loges, Werner, Turkoman Tribal Rugs, London 1980, pl. 19. In the present example, there are five columns of major guls rather than the six found in the other two torbas. Proportionally, this bagface is more shallow, and while this was most likely for a functional reason, this format allows for the minor guls on the side ends to be more fully articulated here and for there to be additional space between the major guls and the edge of the field. The primary guls in these torbas are often found as minor guls on main carpets and chuvals; for examples see Turkman and Antique Carpets from the Collection of Dr. and Mrs. Jon Thompson, Sotheby’s New York, December 16, 1993 lots 54, 55, 57 and 61.

Other examples of this style: 1. 6 columns Jourdan, pl. 7. Russian Museum St. Petersburg = Hali 6/2 p. 130 #8 = Sovrani, ORR 8/1 Oct/Nov 87 p. 18, Paul Mushak = SNY 12/16/93 #154 $15-20,000 $12,500 2. 6 columns (104 x 48/3’5 x 1’7) Herrmann underbid and commented “good colors but rather crudely drawn with missing side borders hurting symmetry of the pieces” = ATL. COLL #217 3. 6 columns Loges pl. 14 = Wie Blumen, p. 102 = Hali 68, p. 104 (105 x 50/3’5 x 1’8) 4. 6 columns Variant border, Collection HSC, pl. 4 (119 x 48/3’11 x 1’9) 5. 5 columns Woven Stars p. 63, #70 = Hali 86, p.101 (99 x 53/3’3 x 1’9) 6. 6 columns Adraskand Sept. 92–Price N/A measurements N/A 7. 7 columns Textil Kunst Feuer 3, pl. 70 #2 (140 x 56/4’7 x 1’10) 8. 6 columns Through the Collector's Eye, p. 102 , pl. 140–coll. Alan Varteresian (102 x 41) 9. ? columns Hali 95 p. 60 Krausse–detail only shown with 3 columns (107 x 38/3’6 x 1’3)

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200 Salor Chuval Central Asia early 19th century 3 ft. 11 in. x 2 ft. 8 in. $5,000–10,000

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Provenance: Anthony Hazledine, United Kingdom, April 2000.

Exhibitions: Ralph & Linda Kaffel, Seattle, Washington, American Conference on Oriental Rugs 7: ‘Cedar Chest’ Session, March 2004.

Ralph’s Notes: The field and borders of this chuval is pretty standard Salor – 16 chuval guls with quartered centers and diamond-shaped minor guls and a kochak border. The relatively sparse use of silk and a darker tonality argue for an earlier date. The elem design is this chuval’s distinguishing feature. We know of no such design in any Turkmen elem or elsewhere.

There is an old cloth tag sewn to the back, from Knuchel und Kahl Moebel, Zurich, dated 14 December, 1934.

201 Salor Chuval Central Asia ca. 1825-50 4 ft. 6 in. x 3 ft. $15,000–25,000

Provenance: Dr. and Mrs. Jon Thompson, London.

Literature: - Sotheby's New York. "Turkmen and Antique Carpets from the Collection of Dr. and Mrs. Jon Thompson." Sotheby's: New York, 16 December 1993, Lot 55.

- Hali 106. "Exhibition Review: Turkmen Weavings of the Middle Amu Darya, Peter Pap Oriental Rugs, May/June 1999." Hali Publications Ltd: London, 1999, p. 100.

Ralph’s Notes: [Sotheby’s New York catalogue, authored by Thompson] “The very high quality of this weaving, its wool, the dyes, and the generous use of silk is typical of the later phase of Salor weaving. It speaks of a time of prosperity and ample surplus labour. In age it is probably contemporary with lot 61 (a salor main carpet), perhaps second quarter of the 19th century.”

A salor chuval, generally considered to be one of the oldest extant, ex-Arthur Jenkins collection, published in Turkmen pl. 7, has a field very similar to this chuval; tall primary guls with quartered centers, octagonal “diamond” secondary guls. The Jenkins chuval is fragmented and has no border. Another similar chuval, extensively annotated was published in Cassin/Hoffmeister Tent Band, Tent Bag pl. 3. The other type of Salor chuval gul has a hooked cruciform in the gul’s center, rather than the quartered polygon, as here. An example of that type is published in Elena Tsareva Carpets of the Central Asian Nomad pl. 6 and dated to the end of the 18th century (Also published Jourdan Turkoman pl. 8).

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202 Salor Trapping Central Asia, before 1800 4 ft. 6 in. x 1 ft. 8 in. $15,000–25,000 Provenance: Rippon Boswell, Robert Pinner Collection, 15 May 2004, Lot 68.

Literature: - Loges, Werner. Turkoman Tribal Rugs. Humanities Press: London, 1980, pl. 20.

- Hali 6/2. Hali Publications Ltd: London, 1984, p. 130.

- Hali 136. "Auction Price Guide." Hali Publications Ltd: London, 2004, p. 117.

Ralph’s Notes: [Rippon Boswell catalogue caption] Small Salor decorative hangings with kejebe motifs and only one central medallion are much rarer than the large examples with two or three medallions.

This precious piece was published by Loges as early as 1978. A comparative piece in the collection of Ethnographic Museum, St. Petersburg (no. 26–19) is described as a “Salor asmalyk” by Tzareva–a plausible explanation of the function, which has however not yet become accepted in the literature. The extravagant use of ruby-red silk and insect-dyed wool is characteristic of antique sailor weavings.The upper end and selvages are original, and there are remnants of the blue decorative fringe. Somewhat reduced and backed with fabric at the lower end. A few (patched) holes; highly corroded; signs of wear in the pile. Lit: LOGES, 1978, no. 20; Cf.: TZAREVA, 1984, no. 10; HAMBURG MUSEUM, 1993, Wie Blumen, no. 103 (with two medallions).

[Auction Price Guide] These decorative trappings, bold in execution and architectural in concept, pose more questions than they answer. Are they really camel flank hangings? They may well be, for many Ersari pieces of this shape undoubtedly are, but the raison d’etre for the restraint borders is just part of the enigma, as is the question as to which way up they should be presented. A comfortable price for such a rare item.

[Ralph’s commentary] Other single medallion examples:RB 11/16/91 #107 E. DM 50,000, DM 47,720 ($30,645) Hali 61 APG p. 169; Skinner 5/31/87 #92 E. $30-50,000 $37,400 Hali 36 APG p. 83 = Jourdan, pl.4; Pacific Coll. p. 237, pl. 268, Dudin Coll.; “Turkmen” pl. 9, ex. Coll Arthur Jenkins; Tzareva pl. 10 = Felkerzam, pp. 72-73 Mus. of Ethnography, St. Petersburg = Carpets of the Central Asian Nomads, pl. 64 = MFTE, pl. 212; Gombos, pl. 37, Fragment (possibly of a single medallion piece).

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203 Chodor Torba Central Asia, second half 19th century 4 ft. 1 in. x 1 ft. 7 in. $2,000–4,000 Provenance: Marvin Amstey.

Literature: - O'Bannon, George, William A. Wood, William Irons, and Paul Mushak. Vanishing Jewels: Central Asian Tribal Weavings. "The Collection of Marvin and Frederica Amstey."

Rochester Museum & Science Center: Rochester, 1991, pl. 8.

- Christie's East. "J.P.J. Homer Collection." Christie's: New York, 8 April 1989, Lot 196.

Ralph’s Notes: [Vanishing Jewels Caption] This is a chodor version of the kejebe design that is associated with the wedding ceremony. The Chodor attributes are the palette, the white and red ashik trees in the opposing kejebes and the patterns used in the major and minor borders. Few Chodor weavings with the kejebe pattern are known. The border patterns are the most typical of Chodor bags of this size.

[Ralph’s commentary] Comparable examples: Collection HCS (Sienknecht) pl. 23 = Wie Blumen… pl.84; R.B. 11 May 1991 #17; Austrian Collections II pl. 117; Hali 5/3 p. 334 #1; Jourdan Oriental Rugs Vol. 5/Turkoman pl. 229; Phillips London 13 October 1999 #123.

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204 A Salor Wedding Trapping Central Asia, early 19th century 2 ft. 8 in. x 7 ft. 6 in. $50,000–100,000 Provenance: Sotheby's New York, 13 April 1995, Lot 82.

Literature: - Hali 79. Hali Publications Ltd: London, 1995, p. 74.

- Hali 81. "Auction Price Guide." Hali Publications Ltd: London, 1995, p. 121.

- Bérinstain, Valérie and Susan Day, et al. Great Carpets of the World. Vendome Press: New York, 1996, pp.

106-7, fig. 82.

Ralph’s Notes: [Sotheby’s New York catalogue caption] Jon Thompson refers to the similar wedding trapping from the Arthur D. Jenkins Collection, now in the Textile Museum, as “Salor weaving at its most magnificent …,” Mackie and Thompson, Turkmen Tribal Carpets and Traditions, Washington D.C., 1980, p. 77, pl. 14. The grand scale, saturated colors, precise design and fine weave of these trappings make them the most monumental of Turkmen weavings. These large three gul trappings are rare with this previously unknown example being the seventh published. The other examples are the Jenkins/Textile Museum trapping mentioned above; lot 58, Turkmen and Antique Carpets from the Collection of Dr. and Mrs. Jon Thompson, Sotheby’s, New York, December 16, 1993, and Tsareva, Elena, “Salor Carpets”, Hali, v. 6, no.

2, fig.17; Herrmann, Eberhart, Asiatische Teppiche-und Textilkunst, band 1, Munich, 1989, pl. 53, two trappings which are possibly a pair; Sotheby’s New York, December 5, 1987, lot 54, and Schürmann, Ulrich, Central Asian Rugs, Frankfurtam-Main, 1969, plate 7, p. 83.

The use of silk is more sparing in the trapping offered here than in the six cited counterparts. Silk is used only on the interior gul of the central large gul and in minor decorative elements such as the small triangles which flank each large gul, the center of blossoms in the guls and in the dotted guard stripes. In the six examples previously cited, crimson silk has been more widely employed, and is the ground of each of the large three guls. The interior guls of the large guls at left and right in the present lot are woven with insect-dyed crimson wool. Insect-dyed crimson wood is also used in the “candelabra” motifs and in some of the guard border decorative elements. The juxtaposition of madder-red, which is predominant, with the insect-dyed red wool demonstrates the sophisticated understanding of subtle variations by the weavers of these elegant ceremonial decorations. Trappings such as the present lot are believed to have been woven in pairs, to adorn each side of the kejebe or litter atop a camel, in which the bride would ride to her wedding. That the present lot is woven beginning from the lower end, as a sort of reflection of the other side, would support the theory of these trappings being woven pairs. The bride-to-be would weave these trappings herself. The importance attached with this ceremony, and its significance for the future, is reflected in the meticulous weaving of a grand wedding decoration such as the present lot.

[Auction Pride Guide] These kejebe design wedding camel trappings form a small, select group of much sought-after Salor weavings, and examples with one, two and three güls are known. This is the seventh recorded example of the three-gül type, the others being: a) Louise Mackie & Jon Thompson; Turkmen, pl. 14; b) Sotheby’s New York, December 1993 (Thompson Collection), $51,750; Hali 6/2, 1984, p. 132, fig. 17; c & d) probably a pair, Dreweatt Neate, Newbury, Berkshire, November 1988, $56,415, Hali 43, p. 94, Eberhart Herrmann, Asiatische Teppich-und Textilkunst I, pl. 53; e) Sotheby’s New York, December 1987, $18,700; f) Ulrich Schürmann, Central-Asian Rugs, pl. 7; g) Murray L. Eiland, Oriental Rugs from Pacific Collections, pl. 112. This example differs from the others in its sparing use of silk, which is used here only in the central flower of the middle gül and as accents in some minor elements. Insect-dyed wool is used in the central flowers of the flanking güls, in the candelabra motifs and in minor decorative elements. The pile is in wonderful condition, notwithstanding minor losses to sides and bottom end. The colour is the unique clear tomato red of early Salor pieces. A two-gül example, even more sparing in its use of silk was advertised by Bertram Frauenknecht in Hali 3/2, 1980, ad., p. 50, appeared in Hali 6/2 (p.132. fig.16) and was sold by Lefevre & Partners in London May 1984 for £17,000. Lavish use of silk may indicate a later phase of Salor weaving, but that criterion does not necessarily apply to the dating of these trappings, as Lefevre’s catalogue notes point out.

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205 Beshir Prayer Rug Middle Amu Darya region, Central Asia, ca. 1800-25 3 ft. x 2 ft. 8 in. $4,000–8,000 Provenance: Ronnie Newman, New Jersey, May 1998.

Literature: - Hali 98. "Ronnie Newman Ad." Hali Publications Ltd: London, 1998, p. 109.

- Hali 111. "Exhibition Preview." Hali Publications Ltd: London, 2000, p. 115.

- Hali 151. "Beshir Prayer Rugs." Hali Publications Ltd: London, 2007, p. 81, no. 13.

- Hali 151. "Addendum, no. 3:50: 'Classification by Design'." Hali Publications Ltd: London, 2007.

Exhibitions: Burlingame, California, American Conference on Oriental Rugs 5: 'Passages II: San Francisco Bay Area Collections', March/April 2000.

Ralph’s Notes: The following is excerpted from the “Classification by Design” addendum: Possibly a child’s prayer rug on account of its extremely small size (2’8 x 3’0). Only a handful of related examples of similar size are known, including Gulbenkian Tapetes Orientais pl. 4 and a somewhat larger (3’3 x 4’3) and later virtual copy of this rug, but with a Sary Gyra border – Besim Mythos und Mystik 3 pl. 65.

For another opposed stepped polygon border see McCoy Jones The Ersari and Their Weavings (1969) pl. 52.

206 Yomud Salatshak Central Asia, second half 19th century 5 ft. 1 in. x 4 ft. 6 in. $2,000–3,000 Provenance: Marvin Amstey, Rochester, New York.

Literature: - Loges, Werner. Turkoman Tribal Rugs. London, 1980, pl. 53.

- Sotheby's London. London, 19 October 1994, Lot 18.

Ralph’s Notes: The exact function of these weavings is somewhat unclear. Both Loges and SLO cite the same sources: Moshkova called a piece of similar shape a namazlyk or prayer rug while Azadi refers to these pieces as salatshak (children’s or cot rugs). Peter Stone Oriental Rug Lexicon p. 195 defines salatshak as a cradle. At 5’1 x 4’5 this piece is much larger than the published example. This field pattern is very similar to another Loges rug, published in pl. 52 and to a rug or ensi at SNY 22 June 2005 #11.

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207 Bokhara Suzani Uzbekistan, mid 19th century 5 ft. 6 in. x 3 ft. 10 in. $5,000–10,000 Provenance: Rippon Boswell, 26 November 2011, Lot 126.

Other Notes: Bears old linen label reading Suzani Bochara, ca. 1850, Coll. L. Powell.

Ralph’s Notes: A very similar but much larger suzani (218 x 165 cm/ 7’2 x 5’5) is published in plate 22 in Black and Loveless’s Embroidered Flowers from Thrace to Tartary. The authors suggest that the design is reminiscent of 18/19c. Khorassan floral rugs. Another related example is illustrated in Suzani, Eine Textile Kunst aus Zentralasien/ The Vok Collection #12. A related Suzani was purchased by Herrmann at SNY 11 December 1991 #71.

[Rippon Boswell catalogue caption] A very beautiful Bokhara Suzani, executed on a four-panel cotton ground. The field displays a lattice of diagonal leaves enclosing cruciform floral clusters. The wide border contains a complex vine design and rich floral ornamentation.

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208 Beshir Kapunuk with Scrolling Leaf Motif Central Asia, ca. 1850 4 ft. 8 in. x 2 ft. 5 in. $2,000–3,000

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209 Chodor Kapunuk Central Asia, third quarter 19th century 4 ft. 5 in. x 2 ft. 8 in. $3,000–5,000 Provenance: Sotheby's New York, 13 December 1996, Lot 81.

Literature: Hali 91. "Auction Price Guide." Hali Publications Ltd: London, 1997, p. 158.

Exhibitions: Ralph & Linda Kaffel, Seattle, Washington, American Conference on Oriental Rugs 7: ‘Cedar Chest’ Session, March 2004.

Ralph’s Notes: [Auction Price Guide] The handful of published Chodor Kapunuks all have different designs. Best known is an elegant kejebe design piece in a German collection (Loges, Turkoman Tribal Rugs, pl. 69; Wie Blumen in der Wüste, pl. 82). A fragmentary example with the same design is in the Fine Arts Museum, Ashgabat. A red-ground example with a small-scale star design, similar to a type of Yomut family asmalyk, was advertised in Hali 89 (p. 128).

A fourth example appeared at Nagel in October 1976. Here the half-ertmen gül design of the main horizontal stripe is similar to that of a type of tent-bag made by the Chodor and the Yomut, and, in a slightly different form, by the Kizil Ayak. However, the style of drawing of the ertmen gül resembles that on Chodor carpets rather than tent-bags. The ends of the vertical arms attractively echo the ‘animal tree’ form of the half-ertmen on a white ground. In view of its extreme rarity, this was a real bargain.

[Sotheby’s New York catalog caption] This decorative hanging, woven to adorn the entrance to a tent, or yurt, is notable on account of the rarity of Kapunuks made by Chodor weavers. Another Chodor Kapunuk, in a private collection in Hamburg (see Loges, Turkoman Tribal Rugs, London, 1980, p. 116, pl. 69 and Andrews et al., Wie Blumen in Der Wuste, Hamburg, 1993, p. 126, pl. 82), has a color palate similar to that of the present example. Both pieces have deep, purple-brown grounds and design in ivory, green, saffron, midnight blue and rust. Except for having similar minor borders, however, the two pieces are unalike in design. The Kapunuk from the private collection is dominated by four linked arches of kedjebe design within a gotshak border and minor borders that are, as in the lot illustrated here, of a linked “S” design. The present example features five half-guls containing a derivation of the confronted animal-tree design, within a border of enclosed eight-pointed stars and minor borders of a linked “S” design [Ralph's commentary] A fourth Chodor Kapunuk, with a panel of 3 full Ertmen güls and 4 half güls was offered as lot #71 at Nagel 10/9/76 est. DM 1100 (!) price N/A.

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210 Yomud 'Syrga' Pattern Azmalyk Central Asia, 19th century 3 ft. 11 in. x 2 ft. 4 in. $2,000–3,000 Provenance: Adraskand, Ross, California, August 1990.

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Ralph’s Notes: This asmalyk is most likely the pair to an identical piece published Schurmann Central Asian Rugs pl. 32, which was the first publication of a syrga pattern asmalyk. Both feature 8 white ground vertical columns of syrga motifs, green ground borders of ashik guls and “running dog” minor borders. In his caption Schurmann wrote “these hangings are rarely as colorful as the example shown here.” The “syrga” asmalyks are among the rarest of Turkmen weavings, yet relatively obscure. According to Hali 4/1 p. 88 “Auction Reports” only three such pieces were known in 1981: Skinner 19 June 1981 = Edelmann 24 October 1981 = Reuben Gols and Guls II pl. 63; the Schurmann piece and one sold at SLO and stolen after the auction. To these we can add Pacific Collections pl. 117 = Between the Black Desert and the Red Wiedersperg Collection pl. 46 = Hali 4/4, p. 374; a mate to the Wiedersperg piece offered by Tom Cole in 2002 and with Krausse, Munich in 2005 and one offered by Sotheby New York 30 April 1983 #100. Together with our piece, the total is seven. ALL of the pieces feature the “running dog” variant of the syrga motif as opposed to the type Moshkova calls “Syrga hagish” (earring), which is commonly found as the main border on tree asmalyks.

211 Yomud Azmalyk Central Asia, mid 19th century 4 ft. x 2 ft. 5 in. $4,000–6,000 Provenance: Udo Langauer, Vienna, Austria, December 2012.

Literature: - Stone, Peter. Mideast Meets Midwest: Ethnographic Rugs from Midwest Collections. The Chicago Rug Society: Chicago, 1993, pl. 59.

- Stone, Peter. Oriental Rug Lexicon. University of Washington Press: Seattle, 1997, p. 37, fig. 6.

- Parry, Owen. Hali 174. Hali Publications Ltd: London, 2012, p. 95.

- Carpet Collector. SN-Verlag: Hamburg, Germany, May 2012, p. 12.

Ralph’s Notes: This is a very unusual white ground variant of the tree design. This piece was thought to be unique until the possible pair to this piece sold at Freeman’s Auction, Philadelphia, in September 2005. This piece was exhibited at ACOR II in Chicago in one of the coldest Februarys on record in 1994. It was published in the catalog of the exhibition, Mideast Meets Midwest pl. 59 when it was in the collection of Richard Golder Jr. It surfaced recently, published in Carpet Collector 4/2012, page 12, owned by Austrian dealer and auctioneer Udo Langauer, where we acquired it. Also published in Peter F. Stone’s Oriental Rug Lexicon p. 37 fig. 6 and Hali 174 p. 95.

[Owen Parry in Hali 174 p.95 “Welcome to Hotel California”] YOMUT TURKMEN ASMALYK, 19th century, Udo Langauer, Vienna.

Few asmalyks at the show strayed from the well-beaten lattice-field path. But Udo Langauer’s white-ground Yomut example rose majestically above the field. Five vertical columns stand guard in front of undulating, serrated branch formation peeking out from behind, creating a pleasing depth to the composition. Amulet devices add further charm. A rare weaving in good condition, it was one of the highlights of Langauer’s room.

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212 Yomud Azmalyk Central Asia, late 19th century 3 ft. 1 in. x 1 ft. 11 in. $1,500–3,000 Provenance: John C. Edelmann Galleries, New York, 27 October 1984, Lot 82.

Literature: John C. Edelmann Galleries. New York, 24 October 1981, Lot 336.

Exhibitions: Cincinnati Art Museum, Cincinnati, Ohio, Oriental Rugs in Cincinnati Collections, December 1976–February 1977, pl. 37.

Ralph’s Notes: The so-called “tree” motif is the second most common type (Moshkova, p. 52), consisting, most often, of five vertical panels, each containing a stylized “tree” with an ascending chevron motif of serrated branches. This motif is variously referred to as “erre tree” (Bennett), “Yomud pine” (Schurmann), and “Gapripa” (Moshkova).

The unusual aspect of this piece, apart from its diminutive size (the average size is about 4’2” x 2’5”) is that it contains only 3 ½ panels of trees, the only such example that we know of. Some comparable examples of similar size include: Hali 1/2 p. 372 Raymond Benardout 3 Trees; Elmby I plate 17 (pair) 3 Trees; Homer Tempting Turkomans (cover) 3 Trees; Nagel 11/8/80 #25 3 Trees; Hali 5/3 Gallery p. 20 David J. Brown 3 Trees white ground.

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213 Yomud Azmalyk Central Asia, ca. 1900 3 ft. 4 in. x 2 ft. 1 in. $1,000–1,500

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214 Tekke Mafrash Central Asia, first half 19th century with cotton highlights 2 ft. x 1 ft. $4,000–6,000 Provenance: Rippon Boswell, 19 November 2005, Lot 59.

Literature: Hali 145. "Auction Price Guide." Hali Publications Ltd: London, p. 119.

Ralph’s Notes: [Auction Price Guide] The symbolism of these “white panel” mafrash is uncertain, but their aesthetic appeal is undeniable. Two, three, and four panel variants are known, with the highest auction prices to date achieved by two-panel examples (see Hali 118, p. 152, RB, 19 May 2001 and Hali 79, p. 147, CNY 16 December 1994). This mafrash set an auction record for a 3 panel example. One of the smallest in the group, it is exceptional for its range of colors; 14 in all, including cotton whites (rare in Tekke work), magenta silk, three greens, two blues, two reds, yellow, ivory and brown.

215 Kizil Ayak Bag Face Central Asia, second half 19th century 1 ft. 9 in. x 1 ft. 7 in. $2,000–3,000 Provenance: Rippon Boswell, 18 November 2000, Lot 42.

Ralph’s Notes: “Kizil Ayak” means “red foot” in Turkish. There are very few Kizil Ayak bagfaces documented. The superficial resemblance of Kizil designs to those of the Ersari prompted some experts to suggest that the Kizil Ayak are a sub-group of the Ersari. The design in this piece is clearly Chodor-inspired.

The “Ertmen” gul in the center is used by both Ersari and Chodor weavers, and in some cases by the Yomud as well. No clear analogies to this piece are known. See Elmby IV, #47 & 55 for similar guls on Ersari pieces.

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216 Yomud Mafrash (possibly Igdyr?)

Central Asia, ca. 1880 2 ft. 9 in. x 1 ft.

Ralph’s Notes: Loges published a very similar mafrash in Turkoman Tribal Rugs pl. 63, with the following comment (in part): “shows the Yomud preference for a white ground… it is not clear, whether, as Moshkova believed, such pieces were made by the Shik or the Igdyr who lived near the Yomud.” (also published Hali 4/1).

$2,000–3,000 Provenance: Rudolf Geissman, ACOR, 2002.

217 Yomud Mafrash Central Asia, late 19th century 2 ft. 11 in. x 1 ft. 3 in. $1,500–2,000

Similar examples include: Nagel (1977) #3, attributed to Igdyr; Gombos Old Turkmenian Rugs #56; The Russian Collections #61 (Tekke); Jourdan Turkoman #177 (Yomud) = Nagel 11 October ‘91 #1165; SNY 16 December 1998 #85; SLO 17 October 1985 #743; Hali 5/3 p. 334 #5, Adil Besim Collection. One of the best examples of this type was exhibited by Adraskand (Hali 6/3 p. 301) and published in Oriental Rugs from Pacific Collections pl. 157, attributed to Tekke, although Eiland wrote that “a Yomud origin is a possibility…” A closely related example offered by Alberto Boralevi on Cloudband in December 2000 was sold for a reported $25,000 by a San Francisco dealer at the SF Tribal & Textile show in February 2004.

Provenance: Skinner, Boston, Massachusetts, 20 April 1997, Lot 151.

Literature: - Rippon Boswell. Wiesbaden, Germany, 11 May 1996, Lot 150.

- Skinner. Boston, 12 April 1997, Lot 106.

Ralph’s Notes: While this type border is relatively common on Yomud chuvals, it is quite rare for smaller pieces. This border design is variously described as “bat,” “butterfly,” “wings,” “floral forms” and “dancing girl.” McMullan and Reichert, annotating a chuval with a closely similar border published plate 64 in the Vincent/ Smith catalog, described the border as “based on floral devices and appears with some frequency, but its blocky composition almost defies description…” While I know of no close published analogy for this piece, a related example was in the San Francisco trade in 1998.

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218 Yomud Mafrash Central Asia, late 19th century 2 ft. 8 in. x 1 ft. 5 in. $1,500–2,500 Provenance: Collection of Wells Klein, purchased from Tom Cole, March 2001.

Ralph’s Notes: The border of this mafrash is identical to that of a Yomud torba in the H. McCoy Jones collection published in Rugs of the Yomud Tribes #30. Jones and Boucher describe this border as having a “repeating design of flower heads with two projecting tendrils.” Identical border on a 4 gul Yomud mafrash RB 12.3.05 #17. Diamond gul pieces, in general, are much rarer than pieces with chuval or torba guls. There are but a few published examples in mafrash formats. Elmby IV published one, pl. 26, described as Yomud/Karadashli, before 1850, with the characteristic “Karadashli gul.” Three related pieces were offered by Rippon Boswell, two from the Pinner Collection (12 March 2005 #3 & 5) and 23 May 1998 #160. A related mafrash assigned to Karadashli is in the Sienknecht Collection #65 = Nagel 17 October 1992 #2240.

219 Kizil Ayak Trapping Central Asia, mid 19th century 4 ft. 7 in. x 1 ft. 5 in. $2,000–4,000 Provenance: Marvin Amstey.

Literature: O'Bannon, George, William A. Wood, William Irons, and Paul Mushak. Vanishing Jewels: Central Asian Tribal Weavings. "The Collection of Marvin and Frederica Amstey." Rochester Museum & Science Center: Rochester, 1990, p. 40.

Ralph’s Notes: George O’Bannon and Amstey called it Kizil Ayak only because the knot was open right. In every other respect, according to Amstey, it is Salor; color, materials, depressed warp. The handle is light, soft and floppy, not stiff like in later Salors. The red color is striking – a deep saturated pure red.

[Vanishing Jewels caption] At first glance this piece would appear to be Saryq. They had a greater fondness for this design, called shemle gul, than other tribes. The border patterns are also found on Saryq bags. However, the asymmetric knot shows it not to be Saryq. The shade of red and the tight weave are typical of pieces attributed to the Kizil Ayak, a group closely associated with the Ersari. This seems a more likely attribution for this trapping.

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220 Arabachi Torba or Mafrash Central Asia, 19th century 2 ft. 7 in. x 1 ft. 3 in. $1,000–2,000 Provenance: Rippon Boswell, 17 November 2001, Lot 173.

Literature: Hali 121. "Auction Price Guide." Hali Publications Ltd: London, 2002, p. 140.

Exhibitions: Ralph & Linda Kaffel, Seattle, Washington, American Conference on Oriental Rugs 7: ‘Cedar Chest’ Session, March 2004.

Ralph’s Notes: Ex collection of German Bogner (1938-1987) who was the carpet expert for Bernheimer in Munich for 27 years. Bogner was the author of Alte und Antike Knupfarbeiten der Turkmenen (1977). His obituary was in Hali 35, p.7. The only other known analogy is slightly larger (2’10 x 1’2), published in Hali 2/3, p. 234 (detail only), in a review by Hans Konig of the exhibition at Musee de L’Homme, Trocadero, Paris (1979) of Turkoman rugs from Ashkabad Museum, and again in Hali 376, p. 38 (“The Ashkabad Turkomans”) and in Moshkova/O’Bannon’s Carpets of the People of Central Asia, p. 299, fig. 135, in which the caption states: “Arabachi torbas are not common and the design of this may be unique”. While the comparable piece is rather somber, our example is much more colorful, with bright colors in shades of blue, green, and pink.

[Auction Price Guide] This rare and charismatic little mafrash has a design specific to the Arabachi and well-known from a similar piece in the Fine Arts Museum in Ashkabad. The field is decorated with diagonal rows of bi-colored diamonds with sea shell shapes and the kap has bright colors in shades of blue, green and pink.

221 Yomud Bag (Mafrash) Central Asia, ca. 1875 2 ft. x 1 ft. 4 in. $2,000–4,000 Provenance: Sotheby's New York, 30 October 1981, Lot 198.

Literature: Hali 4/3. "Auction Report." Hali Publications Ltd: London, 1982, p. 309.

Ralph’s Notes: The catalog captions this pieces as “possibly woven by the Igdyr, one of the many sub-tribes of the Yomud.”

An early issue of Hali (Vol. 4 #1) illustrated a very similar bag (p.17, fig. 22) described as a “very rare and exceptionally beautiful design,” attributed to Tekke. Subsequently published

by Bausback, attributed to Igdyr (catalog 1978, p. 468). Rippon Boswell, 17 November 2001 #172 offered a very similar piece, attributed as “Pseudo Chodor”, which was offered by Langauer on RugRabbit on 28 April 2010. John Taylor (rugtracker.com) cataloged eight related pieces (22 January 2013).

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222 Belouch Sofreh Northwest Afghanistan, 19th century 3 ft. 8 in. x 2 ft. 3 in. $2,000–3,000 Provenance: Albert Mazzie, San Francisco.

Literature: Herrmann, Eberhart. Seltene Orientteppiche X. Tiafit AG: Munich, 1988, pl. 87.

Exhibitions: Burlingame, California, American Conference on Oriental Rugs 5: 'Passages II: San Francisco Bay Area Collections', March/April 2000.

Ralph’s Notes: Herrmann attributed this rare sofreh as Kurdish work of a Baluch tribe from the Herat/Sabzwar (present day Shindand) area of Northwest Afghanistan.

His Kurdish attribution was based partially on the symmetric knotting of this piece, which, according to Michael Craycraft, may indicate the weaver’s Anatolian Kurdish origin (see Beluch Prayer Rugs Adraskand, p.79).

Complimenting the high quality of its wool and dyes are complete flatwoven Kilim ends which contain some fine metallic threads. A related sofreh with two “arrowhead” columns on a red field was offered by Owen Parry on RugRabbit in February and August, 2011.

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223 Belouch Balisht Afghanistan, late 19th century 2 ft. 11 in. x 1 ft. 8 in. $2,000–3,000 Provenance: Christie's New York, 22 June 2005, Lot 15.

Literature: - Benardout, Raymond. Exhibition Catalogue. Raymond Benardout: London, 1978, Lot 90.

- West Coast Peddler. Whittier, April 2000, p. 48.

Ralph’s Notes: Benardout’s description from article: “Rare 19th century Beluch from southwestern Iran, with camel ground, repeating 5-row botehs in contrasting shades of brown and red. The central male human figure flanked by what some believe to be and call “The Hands of Fatima”.

Note repeating pattern animal figures circling the main field.”

While this rug (described as a pillow face by Christie's) may not be very old, it is undoubtedly rare and whimsical. The male figure is bug-eyed, pigeon-toed and well-endowed. There are 66 animals in the border.

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224 Belouch Prayer Rug Afghanistan, early 20th century 5 ft. 1 in. x 3 ft. 6 in. $3,000–5,000 Provenance: Sotheby's New York, 10 September 1996, Lot 34.

Literature: - O'Bannon, George, William A. Wood, William Irons, and Paul Mushak. Vanishing Jewels: Central Asian Tribal Weavings. "The Collection of Marvin and Frederica Amstey."

Rochester Museum & Science Center: Rochester: 1991, no. 13.

- Oriental Rug Review. Philadelphia, vol. IV, no. 2, p. 33 Exhibitions: Burlingame, California, American Conference on Oriental Rugs 5: 'Passages II: San Francisco Bay Area Collections', March/April 2000.

Ralph’s Notes: [Vanishing Jewels caption] No illustrations can convey the color and brilliance of this rug. The color range is broader than most Baluch rugs, and they are all heightened in intensity by the extremely fine and lustrous wool used. The Baluch blues may be the most magnificent used at any time or place in Oriental rugs. There is also abrash throughout, which further enhances the colors, making them kaleidoscopic in effect.

[Ralph’s commentary] Probably Timuri. A closely design-related rug attributed to Chahar-Aimak, published Textil-Kunst-Feuer 3 pl. 86. A very similar rug attributed to FIRUZ KOHI by Michael Craycraft offered on RugRabbit July 2010.

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225 Belouch Prayer Rug Afghanistan, second half 19th century 3 ft. 5 in. x 2 ft. 6 in. $2,000–3,000 Provenance: Sotheby's New York, 10 September 1996, Lot 120.

Literature: O'Bannon, George, William A. Wood, William Irons, and Paul Mushak. Vanishing Jewels: Central Asian Tribal Weavings. "The Collection of Marvin and Frederica Amstey." Rochester Museum & Science Center: Rochester, 1991, no. 12.

Exhibitions: Ralph & Linda Kaffel, Seattle, Washington, American Conference on Oriental Rugs 7: ‘Cedar Chest’ Session, March 2004.

Ralph’s Notes: This is one of my all time favorite Beluch prayer rugs. We were very pleased to be able to acquire it at Sotheby’s New York (10 September 1996, #120), where it was unobtrusively listed, unillustrated and without reference to prior publication. The unusual floral motifs in the hand panels add to the rug’s charm. A few prayer rugs with this particular pattern include a related example in Minasian’s Rug Co. (Chicago) pamphlet titled Beluchi Heaven (from the Joseph Fells collection), attributed to the Farah district of western Afghanistan, and an example on the Samarkand (UK) website in November 2003. Secular examples include Skinner, September 15, 2001 #214; Hali 59, p.113, #3, a balisht from the Anne Halley collection attributed to the “Hari Rud Tribes” of western Afghanistan by M. Craycraft.

[Vanishing Jewels caption] This rug has lost the wide kelim ends at the bottom. Otherwise it is in very good condition and the pile is full. The corroded brown which was used to outline most of the colors gives the surface a beautiful embossed effect. The drawing is immaculate and the flowers in the spandrels are an unusual motif. The alternating rosettes and geometric forms of the main border are a rare combination of forms.

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226 Belouch Prayer Rug Afghanistan, second half 19th century 4 ft. 3 in. x 3 ft. 1 in. $2,000–3,000 Provenance: Rippon Boswell, 23 May 1998, Lot 246.

Literature: - Rippon Boswell. Wiesbaden, Germany, May 1981, Lot 81 (cover illustration).

- Oriental Rug Review. Philadelphia, vol. 1, no. 3, p. 3.

- Hali 4/1. Hali Publications Ltd: London, 1981, p. 67.

- Hali 101. "Auction Price Guide." Hali Publications Ltd: London, 1998, p. 135.

Ralph’s Notes: In the ORR article “The Baluch Boom” Ian Bennett described this rug as “a very rare late 19th century camel ground prayer rug with a highly stylized tree of life in the mihrab. With silk highlights.” The “tree of life” pattern in this rug is known as the “tobacco pattern” because of a similar rug in an 1891 photo of Hajji Mirza Hassan, leader of the tobacco boycott in Persia (R. Pittinger “Forum” in Hali 75 p. 65). Azadi (Carpets in the Baluch Tradition pl. 75) and Mangisch (catalogs of March and November 1989) attribute similar rugs to Jacub Khani, while Michael Craycraft (Baluch Prayer Rugs pl. 65) and George Gilmore (Hali 65 p. 115) attribute them to Farah.

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227 Belouch Prayer Rug Northwest Persia, 19th century 4 ft. 6 in. x 3 ft. $2,000–3,000 Provenance: Skinner, Bolton, Massachusetts, 7 December 1996, Lot 36.

Literature: Hopkins, Mark. Oriental Rug Review. "Steven Maeck Exhibition, New York." Philadelphia, December/January 1991, vol. 11, no. 2, p. 24, fig. 1.

Ralph’s Notes: This camel ground prayer rug is distinguished by a number of unusual features. The hand panels are decorated by hooked diamonds rather than the more conventional representation of hands or trees. The medahil guard stripes serve as the main border, a quite unusual feature. The inner borders framing the field are rendered with great delicacy. The overall spacing is extraordinary. While the field contains a number of motifs it does not appear crowded. The most unusual feature is the addition of the supplementary flowering vines, almost trident-like, that flank the central tree-of-life. This rug was available at Adraskand (Ross, CA) during 1993 (stock #229-2A).

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228 Belouch Rug Afghanistan or Northeast Persia late 19th/early 20th century 4 ft. 5 in. x 2 ft. 9 in. $2,000–4,000 Provenance: Anthony Hazeldine, ca. 2001.

Literature: Hali 115. Hali Publications Ltd: London, 2001, p. 45 (detail).

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Ralph’s Notes: Quite an odd Baluch rug which does not fit into any of the types of Baluch pictorials. The camel field depicts four tall individuals standing at attention, along with six octagons containing Solomon stars, and two central tree forms along with birds and animals scattered throughout the field. The rectangle at the top of the rug is a possible representation of the Kaaba, opening up the conjecture that the rug might have intended for prayer. The main border in typical Baluch burnt orange features a design similar to that on a chauteh published by Frank Diehr in Three Dusty Dozen, attributed to Northwest Afghanistan. A somewhat related rug, with Chuck Patterson of Santa Fe, New Mexico, depicting a human form with long legs and raised arms was published in Hali 131 p. 104, attributed to Northeast Persia.

229 Belouch Prayer Rug Northeast Persia, early 20th century 3 ft. 1 in. x 2 ft. 8 in. $2,000–3,000 Provenance: John C. Edelmann Galleries, New York, 15 April 1980, Lot 362.

Ralph’s Notes: For a few months in 1980, Baluch Fever hit New York.

We were there at the time and were infected. This rug was the result. A year later Ian Bennett reported on the short-lived epidemic in Oriental Rug Review Vol. 1 #3 (May 1981) in an article titled “The Baluch Boom: the Undereducated in Pursuit of the Underestimated.” While “The Undereducated'' may have applied to us, the “underestimated” unfortunately was not the case here. 35 years later the rug is still with us. While we would not have bought it today, it is not a bad piece. We surely could have made graver errors had the Baluch fever not abated.

A closely similar prayer rug was published in Hali p. 91 #23, attributed to Johan Beqi, Torbat-e-Haydarieh area, Khorossan, dated to late 19th century.

230 Belouch Rug Northwest Afghanistan, first quarter 20th century 4 ft. 6 in. x 4 ft. 6 in. $1,000–2,000 Provenance: Tom Weisbuch, ca. 1984.

Ralph’s Notes: The most similar published example is pl. 80 in Besim’s Mythos und Mystik Vol. 4, devoted to the WIG collection of Baluch rugs. It is almost identical in size, palette and design elements.

Another similar example was published in black and white as pl. 34 in Baluchi Rugs / Christmas Exhibition of the International Hajji Baba Club (1974) also dated to the first quarter 20th c. The caption stated in part: “... this flat woven square piece served as a “guest” rug for the nomadic Baluchi family living west of Herat along the Iranian board.”

Another related example was offered by Laugauer on his website on 9 January 2013.

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231 Belouch Prayer Rug Northeast Persia, Khorasan, possibly Torbat-e-Haidari third quarter 19th century 5 ft. 8 in. x 3 ft. 8 in. $1,000–1,500 Provenance: R. Franklin Horst, Minneapolis, July 2002.

Ralph’s Notes: The cursive beaded botehs on a camel hair field are very similar to those in an example published by Boucher in Baluchi Woven Treasures pl. 10, attributed to Torbat-e-Haidari circa 1875. Another of Boucher’s rugs (pl. 43) has a border system of a reciprocal “ocean wave” design quite similar to this rug’s border. The variety of colors employed in the boteh of this rug, including a rare light blue, and the spacing and placement of alternatively facing botehs combine to create a feeling of movement and action rare in Baluch boteh rugs. In the opinion of many of the collectors who have seen this piece, it is earlier than the date we have assigned to it, possibly mid 19th century and the oldest of the type. Similar botehs appear on a smaller rug in Diehr’s Treasured Baluch Pieces pl. 43, though in a more restrained range of colors. Diehr comments that “not very many rugs of this field design (apart from prayer rugs) are known."

232 Belouch Rug East Persia, late 19th century 4 ft. 5 in. x 2 ft. 11 in. $1,500–2,500 Provenance: Butterfield & Butterfield, San Francisco, California, December 1982, Lot 186.

Literature: John C. Edelmann Galleries. New York, April 1981, Lot 46.

Ralph’s Notes: Unusual palette for a Baluch with tones of sable, rose and ivory in 10 vertical bands with stylized cruciform motifs. No exact analogies to this piece have been identified, but a related rug with a somewhat more varied palette, with 12 vertical bands decorated with diamonds was published in Herrmann’s S.O.T. V, pl. 76, attributed to Khorossan and dated to the 19th century. In both rugs the design is interrupted – the top of the field in Herrmann’s rug features a rose colored panel with 3 birds, while here the top of the field features the beginning of much narrower stripes with stylized “S” motifs, which are replicated in the rug’s border pattern.

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233 Belouch Rug Northeast Persia, last quarter 19th century 4 ft. 11 in. x 3 ft. 1 in. $2,000–3,000 Provenance: Skinner Boston, 11 September 1993, Lot 104.

Ralph’s Notes: This camel-ground rug is a more densely patterned cousin of a rug exhibited and published in Belouch Prayer Rugs, Adraskand Gallery, Point Reyes Station, CA, in the summer of 1982 (pl. 34). While the hooked cruciform Turkic motifs in the Adraskand rug appear to be oriented in the form of an inverted chevron (hence its inclusion in a prayer rugs exhibition), they are more randomly configured in our rug.

It, as well as a related rug at Rippon Boswell (5/23/98, lot #103), are both attributed as Kurdish weavings. A similar rug at Lefevre (6/22/79, lot #110) is attributed as “probably Afghanistan”. All four rugs have the identical border of smaller cruciform motifs on brown ground. The Lefevre rug and ours have small horned animals in the field. A prayer rug with a conventional mihrab containing similar cruciform motifs was published Skinner 4/29/2000, lot #150.

234 Belouch Rug East Persia, ca. 1875 5 ft. 1 in. x 3 ft. 1 in. $1,500–3,000 Provenance: Sotheby's New York, 12 April 1996, Lot 34.

Ralph’s Notes: The camel field contains diagonally-oriented rows of small squarish botehs, but which in the lower half is interrupted by the insertion of a totemic two-headed bird.

Such random insertions occasionally occur in Baluch weavings and have purportedly talismanic significance; a lucky charm to protect the weaver and her family.

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235 Belouch Rug Northeast Persia, late 19th/early 20th century 7 ft. 4 in. x 3 ft. 3 in. $2,000–4,000 Provenance: R. Franklin Horst, Minneapolis, Minnesota, October 2000.

Ralph’s Notes: The “Mina Khani” pattern was a favorite design of the Baluch, used on rugs as well as saddle bags. Many example have been published in various Baluch rug books, but there is little unanimity among the authors regarding attribution. One of the best examples, plate 6 in Rugs of the Wandering Baluchis is unattributed regionally, and has the characteristic 5-petalled in the border and the field. Boucher attributes all of his examples (pl. 17-21) to Khorossan, Kashmer area.

Craycraft, in Beluch and Karai Rugs of Torbate-Heydarieh, attributes his examples (pl. 1-5) to Karai. Frank Diehr, in Three Dusty Dozen attributes his bagfaces (back cover & plate 54) to Khorossan, while Boucher and McCoy Jones attribute three examples in Baluchi Rugs (Washington D.C. 1974) to Torbate-Heydarieh area (pl. 12-14) and remark that the type is known in the trade as “Mashad Baluchi.”

Our example, while lacking in flatwoven ends, is in excellent condition, in full pile and with lustrous, silky wool. It is also notable for having pairs of “Baluch birds” flanking the central column of white flowers. Herrmann published a related example with birds in S.O.T. VIII, pl. 95, which he attributed to Khorossan. An example with a border similar to ours was published in Hali 98, p. 51 (Asad and Dawn Khan ad).

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236 Belouch Rug Northeast Persia, late 19th/early 20th century 5 ft. 4 in. x 3 ft. $2,000–3,000 Provenance: Rippon Boswell, 22 May 2000, Lot 130.

Ralph’s Notes: If one can get over elitism about age, then there are some wonderful Baluch pieces from l.19th / e. 20th century to be had. The best of these are distinguished by meticulous craftsmanship, good dyes and silky wool, qualities this rug possesses. An example of the ubiquitous “tree of life” variant in a secular context, this rug boasts a complex but perfectly executed border. The ivory flatwoven ends are indicative of a later date. For a very similar border see Boucher (Baluchi Woven Treasures) pl. 19. The border pattern is also adapted to a field design – see F. Diehr Treasured Baluch Pieces p. 38.

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237 Belouch Bird Bag Afghanistan, late 19th century 1 ft. 3 in. x 1 ft. 2 in. $1,000–1,500 Provenance: Adraskand, Ross, California, July 1992.

Ralph’s Notes: Peacocks of this alternative type, with a turreted fantail, a three pronged crown, taloned feet, a longer beak, and a clearly defined eye are uncommon in any type of Baluch weaving, but especially exceedingly rare on a bag. Very similar birds grace the cover of Jeff Boucher’s Baluch Woven Treasures, also arranged diagonally. Boucher assigns his small rug (pl. 12) to Khorossan, Torbat-e-Haideri area, Northeast Persia, previously published Herrmann, S.O.T. VI, pl. 75. Other analogous examples, all small rugs, include pl. XXIII in Reinhard Hubel’s Book of Carpets and a camel-ground example at SNY 17 September 1992 Lot #6.

238 Belouch Bag Face Northeast Persia, 19th century 2 ft. 6 in. x 2 ft. 3 in. $1,000–2,000 Provenance: Rippon Boswell, 20 May 2000, Lot 17.

Ralph’s Notes: Many “bird” bags have one or more birds piled in ivory wool, meant to convey that bird as a chief or main bird. Describing a central bird which differs from the others by having its crown piled in silk, Boucher cites Herrmann who refers to such birds as “primus inter pares” or “first among equals.” The assembly of nine birds in this bag is more democratic – seven of the nine birds only have ivory accents. Frank Diehr (Three Dusty Dozen p. 18) attributed a closely similar piece to Timuri, Afghan/Persian border region, while Ant Koch (Herat Gallery) speculated that the bird figures have talismanic significance meant to protect the weaver’s home and hearth.

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239 Belouch Bag Face Torbat-i-jam Region, Khorasan, ca. 1875 2 ft. 4 in. x 1 ft. 9 in. $1,000–1,500 Provenance: Sam Coad.

Ralph’s Notes: Some of the oldest Baluch bagfaces feature this design of a central geometric medallion which Black and Loveless in Rugs of the Wandering Baluchis (pl. 18) describe as having descended from an ancient gul and “probably represents opposing animals or birds facing a tree.” While very few Baluch pieces of any type could be dated earlier than 1850, there is an example of this type in a San Francisco collection that is very likely circa 1800-1825. Another similar bag, from the Anne Halley collection, was pictured in Oriental Rugs from Pacific Collections p. 91 and dated to early 19th century or earlier by Murray Eiland. While this bagface is not among the oldest, it is old enough.

The rectangular shape of the bagface and medallion are unusual. In all three cited pieces, the central medallion is surrounded by a field of “stars in octagons” which match the central star.

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240 Belouch Balisht, Afghanistan early 20th century 2 ft. 8 in. x 1 ft. 5 in. $1,000–1,500 Provenance: John C. Edelmann Galleries, New York, 10 November 1979, Lot 1.

Ralph’s Notes: A classic example of the later phase of Baluch weaving, which, like the rug in B-17 [Lot 236], is of high quality with good wool and dyes and meticulously executed. The camel field contains an ascending “tree of life” motif, with a serrated flowerhead border. Seven of the original tassels remain. John Edelmann’s Afghanistan attribution is problematic. A comparable example in Boucher’s Baluchi Woven Treasures (pl. 32) is attributed to Northeast Persia, Khorassan region, which is the more likely attribution for this balisht. Reyn Staffel exhibited a closely comparable piece at A.R.T.S. (Motel Capri, San Francisco) in 2010. A closely related balisht published pl. 155 Tsareva Rugs and Carpets from Central Asia.

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241 Berber Rug, Morocco mid 20th century 6 ft. 7 in. x 4 ft. 6 in. $1,000–2,000 Provenance: Purchased from Alberto Levi.

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NOT ES

TERM S A ND CON DIT IONS OF SAL E Please read the following terms and conditions carefully. Bidding at an auction sale constitutes acceptance by you (herein referred to as “you” or “Bidder”) of all the Conditions of Sale.

These Terms and Conditions of Sale contain all terms and conditions on which Grogan & Company, Inc. (herein referred to as “Grogan & Co.” ,“we”, “us”, or “our”) and the consignor’s contract with the purchaser relative to the property listed in our catalogue or otherwise offered for sale. These Terms and Conditions of Sale may be amended by Grogan & Co. at any time and from time to time through the time of sale by any notices posted or oral announcements made during the sale.

1. Agency. We act as agent for the consignors of all property described in all catalogues. The contract for the sale of each item is a contract between the owner of the item and the successful bidder (the “Purchaser”) for the item.

2. Inspections. Our auctions are sight sales. Regardless of the presence of any condition report with respect to any item, each Bidder must rely on his or her own judgment of an item’s description and condition and should inspect the property before bidding to determine its condition, size, and whether or not it has been repaired or restored. You accept all responsibility for such purchase; without limitation, you accept any defects, damages, past repairs, irregularities, and all other physical conditions that could have been determined by your inspection of the property.

3. Estimates and Descriptions. Any estimate of the selling price of an item stated in our catalogue or internet listing is intended as a guide for prospective bidders. Stated estimates should not be relied upon as the value of the item, nor as a statement that this is the price at which the item will in fact sell. All images in catalogues are for identification purposes only and are not intended to represent the actual color or clarity of the item being auctioned. Written and oral descriptions, including, without limitation, catalogue and internet descriptions and condition reports, are our opinions only, and should not be construed or relied upon as statements of fact nor as guarantees of any kind. We and the consignor make no representation or warranty as to whether the Purchaser acquires any copyrights, including, but not limited to, any reproduction rights, in the property. No statement anywhere, whether written or oral, shall be deemed to be a guarantee, a representation, warranty, or assumption of liability of any kind by us. Grogan & Co. is not responsible or liable for the correctness of the catalogue, internet listing, condition reports, or other descriptions, except as expressly provided in Section 20 hereof. Any references to damage, repair or restoration are for guidance only and should be evaluated by personal inspection by the bidder; the absence of such references does not imply that an item is free from defects, repairs, or restoration, nor does a reference to particular defects, repairs or restorations imply the absence of others. Condition of frames on artwork is not generally described. All measurements are approximate. Jewelry descriptions are only estimates as to carat size, precious metal content, number of stones, quality, clarity, and the like.

4. Purchaser’s Responsibility. Except as expressly stated in Section 20, all property is sold “AS-IS” and neither we nor the consignor make any guarantees, warranties or representations, expressed or implied, with respect to the property, merchantability, or correctness of the catalogue, internet listings, condition reports or other description of the authenticity of authorship, physical condition, size, quality, rarity, importance, provenance, exhibitions, literature, or historical relevance of the property or otherwise. Bidders are responsible for satisfying themselves as to all aspects of property condition and descriptions.

register through Grogan & Co’s online bidding software. PRIOR TO BIDDING, ALL REGISTRANTS ARE REQUIRED TO CAREFULLY READ ALL TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF SALE, THE DESCRIPTIONS FOR THE LOTS ON WHICH THEY INTEND TO BID AND THEY AGREE TO BE BOUND BY THESE TERMS OF SALE. Registrants are responsible for payment of purchases resulting from all successful bids.

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8. Acceptance and Rejection of Bids. The highest bidder acknowledged by the auctioneer will be the purchaser. In the event of a dispute between bidders, or in the event of doubt on our part as to the validity of any bid, the auctioneer will have the final discretion either to determine the successful bidder or to re-offer and re-sell the article in dispute. If any dispute arises after the sale, our sale record is conclusive. Although at our discretion we will execute order bids or accept telephone bids as a convenience to clients who are not present at auctions, we are not responsible for any errors or omissions in connection therewith.

9. Winning Bids. On the fall of the auctioneer’s hammer, title to the offered lot will pass to the highest bidder acknowledged by the auctioneer, subject to fulfillment by such Bidder of all of the conditions set forth herein, and such bidder thereupon assumes full risk of loss and responsibility therefore. Any person submitting bids on behalf of a corporation or other entity, by making such bid, agrees to be personally liable for the payment of the purchase price and any related charges and the performance of all Purchaser obligations under the Terms of Sale. GROGAN & CO. IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY ERRORS IN BIDDING. All Bidders should make certain to bid on the correct lot and that the bid is in the amount intended. Once the hammer has fallen and the auctioneer has announced the winning bidder, the winning bidder is unconditionally bound to pay for the lot in the amount of the winning bid, even if the winning bidder made a mistake.

10. Reserves. It is our policy to act as agent on behalf of the consignor; we do not permit a consignor to bid on his or her own lots unless expressly agreed between us and the consignor or except as herein set forth. Unless advertised otherwise, some lots may be offered subject to a reserve.

A reserve is the minimum price that the consignor is willing to accept for the lot, which may or may not be disclosed, and which may be determined or modified at any time by written or verbal communication between us and the consignor. If the auctioneer decides that any bid is below the value of the lot offered, the auctioneer may reject the same and withdraw the lot from the sale, and if, having acknowledged an opening bid, the auctioneer decides that any advance thereafter is insufficient; the auctioneer may reject the advance and may thereafter withdraw the lot. Unless an auction is announced as “without reserve,” each lot offered may be subject to a reserve and we may execute said reserves by bidding on behalf of the consignor; provided, however, that we will not place consecutive bids on behalf of the consignor above the reserve.

11. Withdrawal of Lots. We reserve the right to withdraw any property at any time before the sale and for any reason or no reason. No participant in the auction shall have a right to claim any damages, including, without limitation, consequential damages, if a lot is withdrawn.

5. Qualification. We may from time to time establish standards of qualification for bidders. We reserve the right, at our sole and absolute discretion, to refuse admission to the premises and/or participation in any auction, and/or to reject any bid.

12. Buyer's Premium. A buyer’s premium of 28% will be added to the successful hammer price and is payable by the Purchaser as part of the total purchase price. Purchases made through Invaluable or LiveAuctioneers will be subject to an additional 5% charge and through Bidsquare an additional 3% charge.

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M A S S A C H U S E T T S A U C T I O N E E R L I C E N S E N O. 8 0 0

established, or if a bank letter has been received prior to the sale guaranteeing said personal check.

All property must be paid for within five (5) business days following the sale and removed from the gallery within twenty (20) days. At our option, payment will not be deemed to have been made in full until we have collected funds represented by checks, or, in case of bank or cashier’s checks, we have confirmed authenticity. GROGAN & CO. DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL LIABILITY FOR LOSSESS OR DAMAGES THAT MAY OCCUR AS A RESULT OF TRANSPORTING OR STORING UNCOLLECTED PROPERTY. 14. Tax. Unless exempt by law, the Purchaser will be required to pay the Massachusetts sales tax or any applicable compensating use tax of another state on the total purchase price. The rate of sales tax in Massachusetts is 6.25%. For those eligible, a Massachusetts exemption number may be applied for prior to the auction by contacting the Massachusetts Department of Corporations and Taxation, 100 Cambridge Street, Boston, Massachusetts.

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Property not removed from the gallery within twenty (20) days will be sent to our warehouse where storage fees may be assessed at the then prevailing rate. We may provide names of packing and shipping agents and you may arrange for service by one of those agents or one of your own choosing to pack and ship the winning lots. Grogan & Co. will not pack or ship; providing names of packing and shipping agents is done as a convenience for our customers and Grogan & Co. shall have no responsibility or liability for loss or damage of property shipped to Purchasers. We are not responsible for the acts or omissions of carriers or packers of purchased lots, whether or not recommended by us. Packing and handling of purchased lots by us is at the entire risk of the Purchaser. Without limiting the foregoing, in no event will we be liable for damage to glass or frames, regardless of the cause. If property remains in our warehouse on the third anniversary of the close of the auction, we retain the right to resell, as agent for the Purchaser, any such unshipped property, or send the property to another auctioneer for resale. We will send the proceeds of any resale, less any commissions and fees, by mail to the Purchaser’s last known address.

16. Remedies for Breach. If any applicable conditions herein are not complied with by a winning bidder, in addition to other remedies available by law, including without limitation the right to hold the winning bidder liable for the total purchase price, we, at our option, may either (a) cancel the sale, retaining as liquidated damages all payments made by the winning bidder or (b) resell the property at public auction without reserve or minimum selling price, and the winning bidder will be liable for any deficiency and costs, including handling charges, expenses of both sales, the commission on both sales at regular rates, all other charges due hereunder and incidental damages. In the event of breach by internet bidders of these Terms and Conditions of Sale, Grogan & Co. may file a Non-Paying Bidder Alert to Bidsquare, Invaluable and/or LiveAuctioneers. Grogan & Co. reserves the right to impose a carrying charge of 1.5% per month on past due accounts.

Purchasers agree to pay reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs incurred to collect past due accounts.

17. Limitation of Liability. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE LIABILITY OF CONSIGNOR OR US, OUR OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, REPRESENTATIVES AND AGENTS, TO A PURCHASER FOR ANY BREACH, ACT, OMISSION, OR CLAIM OF ANY NATURE, WITH RESPECT TO AN ITEM PURCHASED, EXCEED THE PURCHASE PRICE ACTUALLY PAID BY THE PURCHASER FOR THE ITEM. In no event shall the consignor or us, our officers, employees and agents, have any liability under any circumstances for special, indirect, incidental or consequential damages (including, without limitation, for loss of profits or revenue, costs of obtaining alternative property, claims of customers of Purchaser or otherwise), whether in contract, tort, negligence, strict liability, or otherwise, arising out of, resulting from or in any way relating to the property purchased, or its purchase, sale, delivery or non-delivery. In no event shall consignor or us, our officers, employees and agents, be liable for any claims related to the errors, acts, omissions, websites, or technology of the bidding software.

18. LIMITATION OF WARRANTIES. EXCEPT AS EXPRESSLY SET FORTH IN SECTION 20, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED, AND ALL PROPERTY IS SOLD, “AS IS” WITH NO GUARANTIES OR WARRANTIES OF ANY TYPE. NEITHER THE CONSIGNOR NOR US, OUR OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES OR AGENTS, MAKE ANY REPRESENTATION, WARRANTY OR GUARANTY, NOR DO ANY OF THE FOREGOING ASSUME ANY LIABILITY OF ANY KIND WITH RESPECT TO THE MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, DESCRIPTION, SIZE, GRADING, QUALITY, ATTRIBUTION, GENUINENESS, AUTHENTICITY, PROVENANCE, AGE, CONDITION, MATERIALS, AUTHORSHIP, COMPLETENESS, DAMAGE, REPAIR, RESTORATION, ESTIMATE OF VALUE OR ANY OTHER FEATURE. NEITHER THE CONSIGNOR NOR US, OUR OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, REPRESENTATIVES OR AGENTS, ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CORRECTNESS OF ANY STATEMENT OF WHATEVER KIND CONCERNING ANY LOT, WHETHER WRITTEN OR ORAL, OR FOR ANY ERRORS OR OMISSIONS IN DESCRIPTION OR FOR ANY FAULTS OR DEFECTS IN ANY PROPERTY. THE PURCHASER HEREBY ASSUMES ALL RISKS CONCERNING AND RELATED THE PROPERTY, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, THE GRADING, QUALITY, DESCRIPTION, CONDITION, AUTHENTICITY, AND PROVENANCE OF A LOT. 19. All Sales Final. Items are sold with all faults and are not returnable for any reason except as set forth in the following Section 20.

20. Limited Rescission Right. If within fourteen (14) days of the sale of any lot, the Purchaser gives notice in writing to us that the lot is counterfeit and within ten (10) days after such notice, the Purchaser, at Purchaser’s sole cost, risk, and expense, returns the lot to us in the same condition as when sold, and demonstrates to our satisfaction that the lot is a counterfeit, we will refund the purchase price.

21. Severability. No invalidity or partial invalidity or unenforceability of any provision provided herein shall affect or impair the validity of enforceability of any other provision hereof. If any provision or portion thereof of the Terms and Conditions of Sale shall be void, unlawful or unenforceable under applicable law, that provision or portion thereof shall be deemed deleted and severed from the remaining provisions, and shall not affect the enforceability or validity of any of the remaining provisions.

22. Jurisdiction; Governing Law. These Terms and Conditions of Sale as well as the Purchaser’s and our respective rights and obligation hereunder shall be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. By bidding at an auction whether present in person or by agent, order bid, telephone, or other means, you shall be deemed to have consented to the jurisdiction of the state courts, and the federal courts sitting in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. In any litigation between us and any Bidders (whether or not the Purchaser) the prevailing party shall be awarded full reimbursement of its actual paid legal fees in connection with the dispute.

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25. BY BIDDING AT AN AUCTION, WHETHER IN PERSON OR BY AGENT, PROXY, ABSENTEE BID, TELEPHONE, OR OTHERWISE, YOU AGREE TO BE BOUND BY THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF SALE.

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