An Azerbaijan silk embroidery, South Caucasus

worked in satin stitch and running stitch

David Black, London

Christine Klose, "The Transformation of Rug Designs," Hali, vol. 4, no. 4, fig. 12, p. 348
Hali, vol. 1, no. 3, inside front cover, advertisement by David Black

Silk embroidery on a dyed blue cotton ground. Dark brown areas oxidized and now generally restiched. 10 by 12 inch corner redone. Rejoined slit going the length of the embroidery. Stretched and mounted.
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.

The visual impact of this embroidery shares its dominant central medallion with a contemporaneous work in the David Collection, Copenhagen, see Jennifer Wearden, "A Synthesis of Contrasts," Hali, issue 59, fig. 7, p. 106.  In coloring and border design, the embroidery here is more similar to one in the Victoria and Albert Museum, ibid, fig. 3, p. 104 and one published, Ulrich Schürmann, Caucasian Rugs, Munich, 1964, pl. 141, pp. 356-357.  Christine Klose notes that the design of a medallion flanked by diagonal cartouches came from Safavid tile patterns, see Christine Klose, "The Transformation of Rug Designs," Hali, vol. 4, no. 4, p. 351.  This pattern is also found on Caucasian carpets from the eighteenth century, for one example see Serare Yetkin, Early Caucasian Carpets in Turkey, London, 1978, pl. 39.