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The Allen 1792 Ladik Prayer Rug

The Allen 1792 Ladik Prayer Rug

Without the date this would be a wonderful old rug but with a clear date of 1792 (1207 Hijra) this piece is truly exceptional.

In Oriental Rugs A Complete Guide plate 158 and note Eiland & Eiland show an analogous example of this main border and refer to it as an early example. With a rug with a similar lily and blossom border in the collection of the Fogg Museum at Harvard Susan Day suggests that Ladik rugs in this period often have dates. The Fogg rug is dated 1794, two years newer the the Allen Ladik. Great Carpets of the World page 75 and plate 74.

Of all the published examples that I found the closest rendering of the main lily and blossom border is Bennett, Ian et al. Rugs & Carpets of the World page 202 upper right. It is very similar in rendering of the main border and has the upside down tulips as well. Bennett attributes it to the 18th century

Provenance - From the private collection of James C. Allen.

As we can see from the front and back this is a fine carpet for a Ladik. In Oriental Rugs A Complete Guide page 171 Eiland & Eiland note that most Turkish rugs average 60 kpsi but classic Ladik rugs average over 100 kpsi.

It is normal in Ladik prayer rugs to have tulips that grow either up or down from the main field design. Of course down is defined by the directions of the pile.

This rug has a date which I translated as 1207 Hijra which converts to 1792 AD. Oriental Rugs A Complete Guide page 189 Murray Eiland Jr notes that dates are often seen in Ladik prayer rugs.

For Further Reading:

Guide to Rugs & Books

La Miniature En Orient

Notes on the War on Terrorism

Southwest Asia Time Line

Thanks and best wishes,

J. Barry O'Connell Jr.

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