A Star Kazak rug, Southwest Caucasus

Barker Bros., 1959

Pile ranges from near original 1/5" with areas of foldwear low to knotheads and foundation. Dark browns oxidized to knotheads and spot foundation. Area of horizontal foldwear in the right center of the rug, now with a repaired slit and some very amateur repiling. Original selvages with areas repaired and later overcast, particularly on the right side. Some selvages in upper right corner tearing away from the rug. Upper end with 1/4" madder kilim, some fraying and small losses. Lower end with remnants of kilim end finish, now secured with blanket stitch. Supple handle, lustrous, sound fabric, will enhance with cleaning and some restoration.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Star Kazak rugs have long been appreciated by scholars and coveted by collectors as some of the rarest and most distinct weavings from the Caucasus. The group is defined by a particular vocabulary of boldly drawn octagons and stars executed in vibrant colors on an ivory ground. With its schematic design of madder red medallions and indigo stars spaced by diagonally oriented polygons on a cream ground, the lot offered here is an outstanding example of a Star Kazak rug, of which approximately forty are known today. Star Kazak rugs can be sub-divided into four groups (A, B, C and D) based on design ornamentation and border, see "Star-Kazaks," Hali, vol. 3, no 1, 1980, pp. 17-26. With its framed central star, hooked octagon ornaments and diamond-filled thin border, the lot offered here belongs to group C. What sets this lot apart from other group C pieces, and in fact from most Star Kazak weavings, is the band running parallel to the border at one end. These stylized blossoms decorating this "pseudo border" are found in other Star Kazak rugs, but almost always as irregularly placed secondary design elements. Such a "pseudo border,"  running along the inner guard border framing three quarters of the field, can be seen in a group D rug, see ibid., p. 25, no. 16.