A 'TRANSYLVANIAN' DOUBLE NICHE RUG, OUSHAK REGION, WEST ANATOLIA

Anon. sale Christie's London 13 October, 2005, lot 204

Christie's, London, 8 April 2014, lot 52 

One of the earliest studies of the ‘Transylvanian’ group was by the scholar Emile Schmutzler. In his discussion of a related 'Transylvanian' rug formerly in the Thyssen-Bornemisza collection, illustrated in Spuhler, F., The Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection, London 1998, pl. 9, pp. 52-53 and sold Sotheby's London, 6 November 2018, lot 36, Spuhler cites Schmutzler, who had previously divided the genre into various sub-groups, noting the Thyssen example most closely matches the second of these descriptions, Spuhler, ibid., p. 54. The present lot is similar to the Thyssen rug with its border of cartouches enclosing split arabesque palmettes (here enclosing rosettes rather than miniature palmettes) and with mosque lamps in each of the niches. The layout of the present lot is more successful however, with generous space between the two white 'V' palmettes which support a further layered palmette issuing elegantly drawn leafy vines, rosettes and whorled flowerheads.

In his comprehensive study of the entire ‘Transylvanian’ group Stefano Ionescu suggests that this particular design, with the inclusion of the mosque lamps, accounts for only approximately one third of the ‘double niches’ in existence, see Ionescu, S., and Boralevi, A., Antique Rugs in Transylvania, Rome 2005, p. 122. For comparable examples in Transylvania, see Ionescu, op.cit., Cat 72, p.114 from the Black Church, Braşov, Inv. 276, Cat. 75, p. 114, the rug in the Blumenau Church, Braşov, Inv. 286, and Cat. 78, p. 116, also from the Black Church in Braşov, inv. 270. All 'Transylvanians' are believed to have originated from Oushak; this particular design is closest in concept to the Ottoman courtly ‘small medallion’ Oushak rugs. 

For an overview of 'Transylvanian' rugs, please see opposite page.