An Azerbaijan silk embroidery, South Caucasus

worked in cross-stitch

B. C. Holland, Chicago

Silk embroidery on a natural linen ground. Much of dark brown background restitched. Minor abrasions and losses to embroidery with small areas of restitching. Small 1/2 by 1/2 in. L-shaped tear in upper left corner. Minor scattered spot stains. Stretched and mounted on linen.
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Worked in cross-stitch, this embroidery belongs to the group generally believed to be among the oldest of Caucasian/Azerbaijan embroideries. The highly-detailed design of this embroidery was possible due to the way in which the pattern was transferred to the ground. Cross-stitch patterns with central medallions and surrounding cartouches, such as this example, were typically resist-dyed with indigo, so that the pattern elements were white. The precise placement of the resist on pairs of warps and wefts allowed the pattern-makers to be very exact and detailed, see Jennifer Wearden, "A Synthesis of Contrasts," Hali, issue 59, pp. 102-111.  The author publishes several related examples; ibid, figs. 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, from a private collection, the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Textile Museum.  A closely related example, with the pairs of leaves flanking the medallion as in this lot, from the Collection of Dave and Eileen Ryan Chapman, sold at Sotheby’s New York, April 7-8, 1978, lot 61.  Other related pieces that have come on the market include one in the Blondeel-Deroyan sale, Christie's London, April 2, 2003, lot 41; Orient Stars auction, Rippon Boswell, October 2, 1999, lot 19;  Rippon Boswell, November 21, 1998, lot 189; the Battilossi Collection, Christie's London, February 11, 1998, lot 81 and previously, The Toms Collection, Sotheby's London, June 7, 1995, lot 16.