PART ONE OF THREE
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| VINTAGE CARPETS |
During
recent years antique Caucasian rugs have exerted a greater appeal to
connoisseurs than was hitherto the case. Prayer rugs or namazliks
are not so dominant as they are in the Turkish group, though quite a
large number occur from time to time, particularly in Daghestans. In
general, Caucasian rugs are very colourful, and therein lies their
appeal. All Caucasians are made with a Turkish knot.
Kazak
The
largest group is undoubtedly the Kazak, wherein there are a number of
subdivisions which are generally ignored by most collectors, with the
exception of Chelaberds, often called 'Eagle Kazaks', which are
really from the Karabagh area and Bordjalous. Kazaks, in general, are
woven from thick lustrous wool with a longer pile than most other
rugs, and the texture is sturdy and usually fairly coarse, with
knotting varying between 6.5 and 14 sq cm (42 to 90 sq in). Colours
are strong, and include
green,
red, blue, yellow, white and brown, and the drawing of the designs is
clear-cut and vigorous. Warp and weft are both of wool; the weft,
usually dyed red or brown, crosses two, three or even four times
between every two rows of knots.
Patterns
are very varied, ranging from extreme simplicity with large areas of
solid colour bearing disjointed motifs to several large medallions of
different colours on a ground filled with small motifs. Borders are
small in comparison with the remainder of the rug. The main stripe
can vary from the most common 'crab' pattern, to the
leaf-and-wineglass, or the reciprocal sloping latch hook, or consist
of rows of stylized rosettes.
The
so-called 'Eagle Kazaks' have similar wool, but the whole of the
field is occupied by one, two or three sunburst patterns that give a
wild and untamed effect. Borders are usually in the 'crab' pattern.
Equally
as numerous as Kazaks are the antique Shirvans, but usually they are
very different in styling, design and texture. Knotting varies from
8.75 to 22.25 to the sq cm (56 to 144 sq in) and the rows of knots
have a slightly wavy appearance from the back, which is not ridged.
Colours are mostly blue, red, ivory, with some yellowish tan and
occasionally green, and the designs mostly tend to be a number
of angular medallions occupying the centre of the field, with the
remainder of the space filled with small unrelated motifs as in the
manner of nomad rugs. There are many other designs to be found in
this group however, both in field and border, but by far the
commonest border design is the leaf- and-wineglass.
Soumak
Currently
very popular, but rapidly becoming scarcer, are the flatweave
Soumaks, a form of
kelim with loose ends of weft
threads hanging at the back, and the design on the surface effected
in a flat chain stitch, while there are also separate weft threads
additional to those employed in creating the design. The field
usually contains three or four large diamond- shaped medallions
stretching the full width of the field, with flattened octagons in
their centres and in the triangular areas remaining at the sides of
the medallions. The main colours employed are blue, red, brown, a
little yellow and some ivory, and the warp and weft are both of wool.
Daghestan
Although
less frequently encountered than the Shirvans, the Daghestan rugs are
very popular with collectors. They have a short pile, which gives an
incisive clarity to the designs, and they are some of the firmest
textured rugs in the Caucasian group. Both prayer rugs and other
types of rugs are encountered, the only difference in their treatment
being the inclusion of a geometrical
mihrab.
The
fields and spandrels are covered with the same design, which is
usually a diaper pattern in which the diamond shapes carry a very
highly stylized small floral spray, the whole designed in blue, red,
ivory, green and yellow on an ivory ground. The main border stripe is
usually composed of a series of triangular shapes in contrasting
colours.
Knotting
varies from coarse, at 8.75 knots, to fine, with 28 knots to the sq
cm (56 to 180 sq in). Unlike Shirvans, the rows of knots at the back
look straight.
At
one time these rugs were more often called Baku, but today's opinion
comes down on the side of Khila, although they come from the Baku
area. They are different from all other Caucasian rugs in colouring
and in design. The colour is duller and not so vivid, and consists of
dark and light blue, shades of brown, yellow and tan and black. The
main design - and the most usual - is a long narrow field carrying
two or more rhomboidal medallions delineated by stepped outlines,
with the corners of the field matching the medallions. If several
medallions are present, they are set on larger rhombs in a
contrasting colour, the intervening half rhombs matching the inner
medallions.
The
main ornamentation consists of larger
boteh or cones which cover
the field and are very heavily ornamented and of a strong rectangular
form. Knotting is on the coarse side, varying from 6.5 to 15.25 to
the sq cm (42 to 99 sq in) and the texture is fairly firm.
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| VINTAGE CARPETS |
Mostly
on the coarse side, with knotting varying between a mere 4.5 and
16.75 to the sq cm (30 and 100 sq in). However, there arc few to be
found at the finer end of the scale, representing the earlier
productions. There are two or three shoots of wool weft between every
two rows of knots. Warp is usually wool, though frequently brown goat
hair was used. Designs are varied, often with the field occupied by a
number of medallions, sometimes filled with small stepped rhombs
and similar devices. Usually, there are three border stripes, but
more in the older and finer pieces. The main colours are red, blue,
brown and ivory.
These
rugs are nearly always in small sizes, and the fields are covered
with either horizontal or diagonal rows of small stepped polygons in
differing colours. The most distinctive feature, however, is the main
border stripe, which consists of alternate rosettes and diagonal
bands which have been squared by the addition of stylized trifoliate
forms. Colours are rich, and include light and dark blue, red and
ivory, with a little yellow, green and brown. Texture is fairly firm,
with knotting varying from 8.75 to 18.50 to the sq cm (56 to 120 sq
in), the back being flat and not ribbed.
These
rugs are always long and narrow and have an air of character; they
are not very common. The most characteristic feature is the main
border stripe which is invariably composed of a large rosette
alternating with four tiny squared rosettes arranged in a square.
Both the rosettes and squares appear in a variety of colours. The
field, always long and narrow, is usually blue, often plain, though
there might be one or two small rosettes capriciously placed in any
position on the field. Very occasionally, the field is covered with
eight-pointed stars arranged in a diaper pattern. Texture is rather
loose, and knotting coarse, around 16.50 ltd the
sq cm 000 sq in).
From
the Kuba district comes a great variety of designs and styles, and
this also includes the border designs. Nevertheless, they are not
difficult to place, having silky wool, fine ordered patterning with a
rather Persian styling
and a general air of sophistication.
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| VINTAGE CARPETS |
Knotting
varies from 6.5 to around 18.5 to the sq cm (42 to 120 sq in), with a
fairly closed look on the back, with very little of the warps
showing, yet the overall texture is rather loose. Patterns may
closely follow the Shirvan medallion type or, on the other hand, they
may consist of refulgent star shapes arranged in horizontal and
diagonal rows, in differing colours, in glowing colours. Again, they
might borrow formalized rosettes and other devices from other
areas, but arrange them in an ordered fashion of their own.
Borders
often are of the rosette and bracket type, and usually with three
border stripes. But there are many other main stripes, a popular one
being of alternate diamond-shaped rosettes and four serrated leaves
arranged in a quadrangular form. Colours are rich, with medium and
dark blue, red, ivory, sable brown, green and yellow.
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