Lot 3 Sotheby's Carpets From the J. Paul Getty Museum December 8, 1990, New York City Est. $50,000-70,000, Sold for: $231,000 Provenance: Charles T. Yerkes, New York. Sold, American Art Association, New York, April 8, 1910, lot 212 D. G. Kelekian, purchased at above sale. Mortimer L. Schiff, New York. Sold by his heir, John L. Schiff, Parke Bernet, New York, April 8, 1939, lot 69. J. Paul Getty Literature: Sassoon, Adrian and Wilson, Gillian, Decorative Arts: A Handbook of the Collections of the J Paul Getty Museum, Malibu, 1986, fig. 302. *Graphic Image Courtesy of Sotheby's1. I differ substantially in my attribution from what Sotheby's expert wrote at the time of the sale. To be fair I have to note that while I may be right I am the only one who at this point thinks so. Please see the Auction Catalogue Notes for Lot 2. My reasoning for attributing this rug to India is covered in The Incidence Of High Ply Counts In Early Cotton Warps. Not to be redundant but if the rug has Z6S warps then it must be attributed to India or some point in time post 1850. 2. Notes in Sotheby's sale catalogue:In size format and overall design composition the present lot has numerous comparisons to other silk and metallic thread carpets of the "Polonaise" group. In this group, the emphasis of multi-layered linear design found in 16th and 17th century Persian weavings is replaced with subtle color tonality changes to define the composition. This is demonstrated in the present piece by the use of gold thread brocading defining the medallion juxtaposed to the silver thread of the field. The rich split-leaf arabesque, floral vinery and palmette lattice structure of the carpet is analogous to other examples of the group, see The Tiffany Studios Collection of Notable Oriental Rugs, New York, 1907, p. 75. While the emerald green ground color of the border is commonly found in "Polonaise" carpets,the width and bold scale of the border on the present example appears to be unusual within the group. Usually, the border acts solely as a frame. In this example, the border has a dominant presence which nearly overwhelms the more intricate composition of the field. Perhaps this indicates that the weaver utilized a border cartoon intended for a larger carpet. The split-leaf arabesque and palmette design of the border seen here is repeated in the so-called "Coronation Carpet" at Rosenborg Castle, Copenhagen, See Pope, Arthur U., A Survey of Persian Art, London and New York, 1939, plate 1254. In the Getty carpet, however, the border design is drawn with a spacious, robust vitality lacking in the Danish piece. The delicate floral vinery of the outer guard stripe and the reciprocal pattern of the inner guard stripe of the present piece have direct correlation with other carpets of the "Polonaise" group, see Tiffany Studios, op. cit., and Eberhart Herrmann, Seltene Orientteppiche V, Munich, 1983, p. 125, plate 59. "Polonaise" carpets have long been objects of desire in prominent collections of the East, Europe and America. Maurice Dimand indicates that many of these carpets were acquired directly by the Ducal families of Italy as gifts or purchases from the court of Shah Abbas. In turn, these same carpets were acquired by the likes of Yerkes, Rockefeller and Havemeyer, see Dimand, Maurice S., "Persian Silk Carpets," Connoisseur, July 1975, p. 205. Although it may only be fanciful speculation, it is amusing to imagine that this Getty "Polonaise" has had an illustrious past in the possession of the Doria's or Medici's, as well as its documented history in the collections of Charles Yerkes, Mortimer Schiff and J. Paul Getty. Note: To further a long term research project I am collecting data. When a piece such as this may be of interest to others I have decided to share my notes prior to culmination of the project. As such the attributions are my own and may be different that the catalogue attribution. Any additions, information, or corrections, would be appreciated. For Further Reading: Thanks and best wishes, J. Barry O'Connell Jr. |
Persian Rugs the O'Connell Guides |
