Seychour Rugs

Guide to Seychour Rugs & Carpets

Seychour also Seichur, Tabassarans, and Yukhari-Zeykhur.

map of region

Sub-type of Kuba Rugs, See: Guide To Kuba Rugs

Seychour rugs usually come in one of two patterns.

Seychour rug

Above we see the Seychour Rose or cabbage rose as many call it. Below we see the Seychour Cross.

A Seychour Long Rug

Please note the similarities. The pattern of the main border of the top rug is the same as the guard borders of the second rug. This is commonly called the Running Dog Border or sometimes the Seychour border. The Main Border of the second rug to uses the same pattern as the Rose rug above it.

The Cabbage Rose Rug above is in wonderful condition and illustrates several attribution clues. Note top and bottom the skirts of Offset Overhand Knots. Related to Mallett’s Woven Structures 13.9. Also note the “four cord” reinforced selvedge Mallett 15.16. We see the same ends and selvedges in the James Cohen Zeykhur Rug. Then compare the main border in the Cohen Zeykhur Rug below which is the guard border in the Cabbage Rose Rug.

Zeykhur border

We do not see the same symmetry in borders of Zeykhur rugs as we do in other Caucasian rugs. Two borders are typical and one or none are seen.

Ulrich Schurmann suggested that of all the Caucasian rugs Zeykhur Kuba rugs are the only ones that are single wefted. That means that there is one row of wefts between each row of knots. Caucasian Rugs page 47. This assertion is problematic since most experts disagree. Then again there seems to be a lack of unanimity as to how Zeykhur rugs are constructed.

Yukhari-Zeykhur was a village in the north of the old Khanate of Kuba. The people are Tabasarans who are a Northern Caucasian people who speak a dialect related to Lezgi.

Examples:

The James Cohen Zeykhur Rug

The James Cohen Zeykhur Rug

Ulrich Schurmann mentioned that white fields are common and a yellow field (as we see here) is less common.

The border we see in this rug is frequently seen as a Guard border in Zeykhur rugs. We do not see the same symmetry in borders of Zeykhur rugs as we do in other Caucasian rugs. Two borders are typical and one or none are seen. Both ends top and bottom are typically finished in offset overhand knots as we see here.


Rare Seichur sumac
Rare Seichur sumac
Rare Seichur sumac and white cotton plainweave half khorjin


Antique Zeihur Cabbage Rug

Antique Zeihur Cabbage Rug

Age: circa 1850-1875

Here is a very fine and small Zeihur or Seychour rug from the Northeast Caucasus measuring 3ft. X 3ft. 3in. (0.90 by 0.98m.) It has most of its original macramé end finishes, oxidized browns, and it is in excellent condition. This is a very rare rug in the most desirable size to collect. Small Zeihur rugs like this one were dowry pieces. The green field with cabbages evokes images of the fecund earth and is a fitting image for a young bride basically promising children and a good garden. The statement made by such a rug is simple and direct: I can collect, card, spin, dye and weave, I can garden, and I can bear children. In many ways weavings such as this are the most obvious, certain, and personal dowry weavings in the entire Caucasus.



A Zeikhur Floral Design Rug

A Zeikhur Floral Design Rug

Caucasus 19th ct., 158 x 109 cm


A Seychour Cabbage Rose Rug
A Seychour Cabbage Rose Rug

Approximately 4ft. 3in. by 2ft. 11in. (1.29 by 0.89m.) third quarter 19th century original end finishes, oxidized charcoals, partially reselvaged, minor repiling.


A Seychour Rug, Northeast Caucasus

A Seychour Rug, Northeast Caucasus

Approximately 3ft. 1in. by 2ft. 3in. (0.94 by 0.69m.) Circa 1875 original macramé end finishes, oxidized browns, minor foldwear.


A Seychour Rug, Northeast Caucasus
A Seychour Rug, Northeast Caucasus
Approximately 4ft. 9in. by 3ft. 3in. (1.45 by 0.99m.) Circa 1900 oxidized browns, rewoven end guard stripes.


The Cocoon Seychour Rug 

The Cocoon Seychour Rug

Size: 129cm(H) x 90cm(W) / 4’3″(H) x 2’11″(W)

Structure: The rugs look to have wool warps, weft, and pile. The knot is symmetrical and with the exception of the supplementary paired wefts on the sides there are two shots of wefts the first more rigid than the second. This makes the back very mildly depressed.

Selvage reinforced selvage of white wool with two groups of two warps. Periodically, the white selvage yarn extends erratically into the field, 4 to 8 warps into the knotted area.


Seychour Rug last quarter 19th C.

Seychour Rug last quarter 19th C.

Approximately 5ft. 3in. by 3ft. 5in. (1.60 by 1.04m.) Last quarter 19th century.


A Seychour Long Rug. Northeast Caucasus

A Seychour Long Rug. Northeast Caucasus

Approximately 8ft. 11in. by 4ft. 4in. (2.72 by 1.32m.). Circa 1875 oxidized charcoals, rewoven areas, holes, stains, losses to edges, foldwear, moth damage, minor repiling.


19th C. Seichur Rug with unusual borders

19th C. Seichur Rug with unusual borders

Kuba region, north east Caucasus. Late 19th century. 6ft.5in. x 4ft.4in. 1.96m. x 1.32m. Overall even wear, slightly heavier lower left, short vertical split roughly repaired lower left edge of field.


A Seychour Alpan Rug
A Seychour Alpan Rug

Approximately 5ft. 3in. by 3ft. 11in. (1.60 by 1.19m.)

Circa 1890 partial original macramé end finishes, oxidized browns, reselvaged, minor reweaves.