Hi Barry, You caught me guessing! I've handled lots of Shahsevan mafrash and mafrash panels, and when the piece you've illustrated came along, it looked very different. It was most like the Kurdish slit-tapestry and soumak work that I'm familiar with, thus that is what I called it--the attribution qualified with a question mark. I've scanned details--front and back--of this piece, along with a panel that I know for sure to be Shahsevan. The "Kurdish" piece, on the left, is considerably coarser; it has 11 warps per inch, as compared to 16 in the Shahsevan piece on the right. The Shahsevan has a thin, smooth feel. To me, the stepped figures on the left are articulated in a particularly Kurdish way, with variations in step size from one motif to the other used for design interest. But it is the narrow soumak borders that display the most easily defined differences. In the piece on the left, the rows of wrapping are separated by coarse wefts, as in most Kurdish work. I have not seen this in Shahsevan pieces. In this "Kurdish" piece the wrapping wefts are worked "discontinuously;" each pattern yarn goes back and forth in its own pattern area. This soumak is worked from the front. On the other hand, in the Shahsevan piece, on the right, the soumak wrapping yarns are floated across the back of the weave where they are not used; they are continuous from one selvage to the other. This Shahsevan soumak piece was worked from the back side. The two NW Persian pieces are probably about the same age, both are handsome, and both appear to have all natural colors. The piece on the left is the more unusual and rare of the two. It may, in fact, be something other than Kurdish; but in my opinion, a Shahsevan label is not appropriate. All the best,
Hello Marla, Thank you for your very educational response. Whatever the piece turns out to be it is a really nice mafrash. I came across a smuggler who was bringing in similar but newer pieces. The pieces always came with Shahsavan Ardabil Kelims. Since each bale seemed to come from the same area and had similar wool and dye so I assumed that they had the same source. Because they came with the kelims and had some similarities to published examples I assumed Shahsavan. So your attribution may well be better than mine. Interestingly enough the drawing of the medallions and the border are stylistically similar to plate 473 in Hull, Alastair and Luczyc-Wyhowska Kilim The Complete Guide a Shirvan Kelim. I do not suggest that yours is Shirvan but I often note how similar Shirvan designs are to Ardabil Shahsevan. Marla thanks not just for this but for all the help you share so freely. You know a lot more about Oriental Rugs than I do and I am always amazed by the patience you show to newcomers like myself. Best wishes, Barry |
Persian Rugs the O'Connell Guides |
