Antique Armenian Garabagh Rug

An ‘Armenian’ Garabagh Rug, South East Caucasus, Wool on Wool Foundation. The red field, with a column of four ‘Lasghi Shirvan’ bold medallions supported by a male and female figure and stylised flower heads, within polychrome octagonal medallion border, Armenian dated, 1816 to one end.

The reverse knotting detail indicates this to be of the origin as stated. The Caucasian mountainous region is made up of a number of districts, home to town and village workshops making rugs of distinctive character. Consistent with all districts, their rugs display designs drawn in a geometric style showing stylised pattern details representing both flora and fauna forms drawn in totemic form based on a Caucasian tradition dating back to the early 16th Century. This rug displays such traditional representations. Often pattern details traditional to one region or district are copied, or shared with other district weavers. This rug shows a column of central medallions, the shape and style of which are traditional and characteristic to the Shirvan District of the East Caucasus. Shirvan rugs are technically made on cotton foundations and are much finer knotted. This rug is of different construction and looser knotted consistent with Garabagh rugs. The Garabagh district is occupied by many ethnic groups including Armenians. Armenian rugs with inscriptions often display ‘Roman' numerals, which suggest a date. However, the date is spurious, which is often the case as the weavers are often illiterate. The colours used suggests that the date is not accurate. Whilst the colours are mostly vegetable dyed the orange colour is an aniline dye which began to be introduced around 1870, and was used extensively from then through to the early years of the 20th Century. The colours here certainly indicate a pre 1900 date, and suggest that the date should read 1896 perhaps. 

Dimensions: 131cm x 400cm

Condition: Age and fading, patches of wear commensurate with age. would benefit from a profesional clean.

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