AN OUSHAK 'TRANSYLVANIAN' RUG, WEST ANATOLIA

Christie's London, 13 April 2000, Lot 81

Schloss Eggenberg, Graz, 1983

Antike Anatolische Teppiche aud Österreichischem Besitz, Vienna, 1983, pp. 74 & 75, no. 12

Whilst at first glance, this 'Transylvanian' rug is of typical format, it has a couple of unusual features: the shape and decoration of the double-niche is clearly and intentionally different at each end, and the border cartouches use two different schema; the side compartments are decorated with palmettes (all facing in the same direction) and the end borders with the more unusual lozenge. Whilst the lozenge border might indicate an early 18th century date, the drawing of the motifs in both field and borders is not entirely simplified, suggesting a date in the latter part of the 17th century.