Among
antique rugs, probably the most interesting and colourful group are
those made in Turkey - mostly in Asia Minor - in the 17th and early
18th centuries.
At that time, the finest of the Turkish products rivalled all but the very best of Persian weavings, and the rugs of Ghiordes, Mudjar, Kadik and Konieh, for example, are still eagerly sought by connoisseurs and collectors, to say nothing of the lovely little Melas rugs.
At that time, the finest of the Turkish products rivalled all but the very best of Persian weavings, and the rugs of Ghiordes, Mudjar, Kadik and Konieh, for example, are still eagerly sought by connoisseurs and collectors, to say nothing of the lovely little Melas rugs.
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| TURKISH RUGS |
All Turkish rugs are knotted with the Turkish knot.
Ghiordes Turkish Rugs
The
best known of all Turkish weavings, the Ghiordes at its finest is a
magnificent rug, rivalling the best in Persia.
Examples exist covering several centuries and, even today, pieces from the 17th and 18th centuries still come on to the market. In the namazliks or prayer rugs the arch is very typical in form, rather suggesting a Pathan turban, with flat shoulders rising steeply to a point, from which a lamp is suspended. In later forms, this could also be a vase or basket of flowers. Often, in later picces, there is a form of pilaster inside the edges of the field, acting as suppon for the shoulders of the arch.
The remainder of the field is plain, but the spandrels above the mihrab or arch are closely covered with tracery or angular foliate forms. There is a great variety of main border stripes, but they are invariably squared off in quadrangular forms, except when, possibly through intermarriage, the main border stripe from nearby Kulah is adopted.
Examples exist covering several centuries and, even today, pieces from the 17th and 18th centuries still come on to the market. In the namazliks or prayer rugs the arch is very typical in form, rather suggesting a Pathan turban, with flat shoulders rising steeply to a point, from which a lamp is suspended. In later forms, this could also be a vase or basket of flowers. Often, in later picces, there is a form of pilaster inside the edges of the field, acting as suppon for the shoulders of the arch.
The remainder of the field is plain, but the spandrels above the mihrab or arch are closely covered with tracery or angular foliate forms. There is a great variety of main border stripes, but they are invariably squared off in quadrangular forms, except when, possibly through intermarriage, the main border stripe from nearby Kulah is adopted.
Knotting
varies from coarse 8.75 to the sq cm (56 sq in) to fine 29.75 to the
sq cm (192 sq in). The coarser pieces are of a looser texture, with
wool or silk warps, though cotton was sometimes used in later pieces.
The main colours include a rich red, dark green, ivory and deep blue.
. Kulah Turkish Rugs
1
he village of Kulah produces a much looser fabric than Ghiordes, and
the
mihrab is the flattest of all
the Turkish prayer rugs. The field is almost invariably decorated,
usually with vertical rows of flower heads, and the spandrels are
covered with small repetitive designs.
Red,
blue, a mid-green, ivory and yellow are the main colours used, and
there is never any clashing of colours. Texture is loose, with two
weft threads between every two rows of knots, the knotting varying
between 5.5 and 18.5 to the sq cm (35 to 120 sq in). The border
stripe consists of several narrow stripes about 3 cm (1 in) in
width in alternate contrasting colours, each bearing minute floral
forms at regular intervals.
There
are quite a few rugs other than prayer rugs in this category, mostly
like a double-ended namazlik, having an identical arch at either end
of the field.
There
is a wide variety of design in this group in almost every part.
Borders may vary from several narrow stripes to an exceptionally wide
main stripe that is rather too wide for the rest of the design.
Positioning of the prayer arch or
mihrab also varies a great
deal, and the fields are rarely plain, mostly bearing small stylized
floral forms.
The
mihrab is stepped and often
small latchhooks project from these steps into the spandrel, and so
to those of the field. Two threads of red wool wefts across between
each two rows of knots, and the backs of these rugs are less ribbed
in appearance than most Turkish rugs. Knotting is coarse, varying
between 4.5 and 12.5 to the sq cm (30 and 80 sq in) and texture is
reasonably firm.
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| TURKISH RUGS |
Although
these rugs are characterized by a soft strawberry red, and the
designs have an artless simplicity, they offer the widest scope of
design in all the rugs in the Turkish group.
The variety of design is almost endless, yet there is rarely any hesitation in ascribing a rug to the right category. Generally, the mihrab is characteristic in that it
is sharply waisted with an angular indentation on either side before the arch ascends at about 45 degrees to meet in the centre. The indentations are often filled, with the exception of a small dividing line, with a triangular piece of the same colour as the field.
The variety of design is almost endless, yet there is rarely any hesitation in ascribing a rug to the right category. Generally, the mihrab is characteristic in that it
is sharply waisted with an angular indentation on either side before the arch ascends at about 45 degrees to meet in the centre. The indentations are often filled, with the exception of a small dividing line, with a triangular piece of the same colour as the field.
Despite
this, the rule is broken as often as it is observed. In some
namazliks
the field may be only a long narrow panel running the centre of the
rug with a tiny arch at the top, while the rest of the field may be
covered with assorted designs or even more, shorter vertical panels.
Rugs
other than
namazliks are quite common,
but the variety of invention in design is bewildering. Knotting
is coarse, varying from 4.5 to 14 to the sq cm (30 to 90 sq in) and
there are usually four weft threads of fine red wool between every
two rows of knots.
These
lovely and colourful rugs may still be found in the auction rooms,
though the older pieces are often in bad shape. The
mihrab generally has a triple
arch of which the centre one is higher than the others, while the
field is usually a rich red or pale blue. Below the field is a deep
panel with a row of reciprocal Vandykes from which, depend a downward
pointing row of stems with leaves ending in what look like
pomegranates.
These are very characteristic, as is the main border stripe which usually consists of alternate conventionalized rosettes and Rhodian lilies. Colours are mainly red and a lightish blue enlivened by a typical canary yellow, with a certain amount of green and brown. Texture is on the firm side, with from 14 to 24 knots to the sq cm (90 to 156 sq in). The back is ribbed.
These are very characteristic, as is the main border stripe which usually consists of alternate conventionalized rosettes and Rhodian lilies. Colours are mainly red and a lightish blue enlivened by a typical canary yellow, with a certain amount of green and brown. Texture is on the firm side, with from 14 to 24 knots to the sq cm (90 to 156 sq in). The back is ribbed.
The
carpets of Oushak were some of the first oriental carpets to be seen
in the West. There are a good number of examples of these weavings
from the 16th and 17th centuries, either in designs with large
rounded medallions or with star-shaped medallions.
There are also 'bird' Oushaks and examples with the Tamerlane motif of three dots superimposed over two tiny wavy bands, both used as repetitive patterns on a white or ivory field.
There are also 'bird' Oushaks and examples with the Tamerlane motif of three dots superimposed over two tiny wavy bands, both used as repetitive patterns on a white or ivory field.
The principal colours are red, blue and green, and the texture is
very loose, while knotting is coarse, varying from as little as 2.5
to a top limit of around 11 to each sq cm (16 to 72 sq in). Warp and
weft are of wool, the weft being dyed red.
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| TURKISH RUGS |
Like the rugs of Bergama they are rather squarer in format, but they are distinctive in that the field may be divided into one, two or three vertical panels in strongly contrasting colours, each panel carrying a number of disjunct motifs in bright colours.
Ground
colours of the panels are usually red, blue and green in rich depth,
with a lot of golden yellow and white. The back is not ribbed, and
the knotting is coarse, varying between 5.5 to 12.5 to the sq cm (35
to 80 sq in) giving a fairly loose texture. There is a web at both
ends, and usually a flat two, three or four cord selvage in bright
mid-blue at the sides.
Mudjar Turkish Rugs
The
Mudjar is a rare type that is a joy to find, with borders like
tessellated tiles, each tile a different colour from that of its
neighbours. Colours include mauve, blue, green, red pink, yellow and
ivory. The arch is steeply stepped with three or four lines in
differing colours outlining the arch which ends with a vandyke, with
disjunct ornaments - often including water jugs - in the
spandrels. Above the
mihrab is a shallow panel
carrying a row of Vandykes terminating in arrow heads.
Texture
is loose and the weave fairly coarse, with from 6.5 to 16.75 knots to
the sq cm (42 to 108 sq in). There are two shoots of wool weft
between each two rows of knots, the weft being dyed red or brown. The
warp is also wool.
Kir-Shehir Turkish Rugs
Like
the Mudjar prayer rugs, the
mihrab is steeply stepped,
ending in a vandyke, with the arch delineated by several parallel
rows of coloured lines, but there the similarity ends.
In the Kir-Shehir, stylized carnations extend into the centre panel from all round the sides, and there are usually carnations projecting into the sides of the field and spandrels, while the panel above the mihrab usually carries a cloudband and rosette design.
There are two main border stripes characteristic of this type, one ot which consists of sprays of flowers arranged in quadrangular form in different colours, while the other consists of quadrangular arrangements of stylized lilies alternating with cypress trees.
In the Kir-Shehir, stylized carnations extend into the centre panel from all round the sides, and there are usually carnations projecting into the sides of the field and spandrels, while the panel above the mihrab usually carries a cloudband and rosette design.
There are two main border stripes characteristic of this type, one ot which consists of sprays of flowers arranged in quadrangular form in different colours, while the other consists of quadrangular arrangements of stylized lilies alternating with cypress trees.
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