This rug is bound to cause some controversy. It looks almost too good. The rug has good pile and fantastic color. Normally this would sound like a good thing but it can be a problem. Many collectors and so-called experts like their rigs to be battered and worn. Bad condition is seen by some as confirmation of age. What do we do with a rug that logically seems to be old but is in pristine condition. I remember one Hajji Baba lecture by Mike Tschebull on rugs from the former Soviet union. They were so good I was prompted to ask what makes you say 1830 rather than 1930. Mike explained his rational for the attribution. At the time I did not understand but the more I see and handle rugs the more I understand. We must keep in mind that for years antique Caucasian rugs came mostly from old homes and they showed wear commiserate with long term floor use. Then after the fall of the Soviet Union we began to see very old carpets with little or no wear. This cause some people unease. I for one am glad to see pristine rugs especially when they are as beautiful as this one. Provenance - Formerly in the private collection of James C. Allen.
Zakatala is a small mountain city near the extreme southern border with Georgia and northern with Russia. The locative people have preserved their old traditions and customs. The Zakatala region is an important producer of spring and winter vegetables. Tea, rice, grapes, tobacco, and nuts thrive in the warm climate. Zakatala.com Jozan Zakatala Skinner Oriental Rug Auction in Boston "Azerbaijan also acquired the Zakatala district, where Muslim Georgian Ingilos live." ABKHAZIA.ORG - The Caucasus - An Overview Northwest of Saki is Zakatala,` which has the ruins of an old fortress. Zakatala is mainly of historic interest -- the fortress was used after the 1905 Revolution as a prison for the mutinous crew of the battleship Potemkin. 235 mi/380 km northwest of Baku. http://www.usembassybaku.org/post/city.htm
James C. Allen's Auction description.Here is a rug that I think represents the oldest weaving traditions from the Zakatala people of far Northwestern Anatolia, circa 1800 to 1850. Unlike Konya examples with the Memling gull, the Memling gulls of this very antique Zakatala weaving is absolutely true to 18th century antecedents, highlighted by the way its gull's pattern their negative spaces. The weaving is the right size, measuring 3' 7" x 7' 11", with colors that are virtually leaping from the surface of the pile. Some of the characteristics suggesting to me such an early date are the narrow borders, that are NOT mirror images of each other, and these fabulous early vegetable dyes of superior clarity and saturation. Such playful variations, such as a lack of symmetry in the border system, are characteristic's of the oldest strata of weavings from the Western Caucasus Mountain area. Some knowledgeable people have suggested to me that a more realistic dating would be circa 1800. I feel like I am being conservative with my dating. Why? I am serious about this rug and its value; this is ART! These are colors that result in emotional states upon viewing. You fall in love with this rug. With regard to the colors I especially think the mauves and aubergines in this weaving, with such a wide range and such clarity, are indicative of an early date and are not found on later rugs from any region in Anatolia. I keep coming back to the color in this weaving. It is extraordinary and the wool is so very soft. I doubt seriously that a weaving such as this was ever used in situ as a rug. I would suggest a use more like that of a soffreh instead, used for festive occasions like weddings. Here is a detail of the back showing the characteristic dark brown wefts and knotting of traditional Zakatala weaving. This rug is complete! The ends are original as are the selvages! I have repeatedly been asked, what are the colors in the dark Holbein type Memling gulls at the end of the rug. One of them is a deep highly saturated blue. The other is a natural wool, dark brown with a hint of purple to it. They are both beautiful in the light but as with all photographs of pile weavings, when you emphasize one thing it causes something else to be de-emphasized. |
SpongoBongo and Persian Carpet Guiden Site Search |
