AN AZERBAIJAN GALLERY CARPET

Rippon Boswell, Wiesbaden, 10 November 1990, lot 174

Rippon Boswell, Wiesbaden, 21 November 1998, lot 193

Christie's London, 16 October 2003, lot 71

Rippon Boswell, Wiesbaden, 29 November 2014, lot 144

Hali, Issue 55, February 1991, p. 163

A majestic example of a Harshang design gallery carpet, well drawn and with glowing colour, enhanced by the remarkable condition for its age, and on a grand scale, commensurate with the classical 17th century Central Persian carpets from which it derives. 

The distinctive Harshang design, developed from the 'in-and-out palmette' design of 17^th century Central Persian carpets, with blossom palmettes with vertical and horizontal orientation and secondary design of dense smaller blossoms and vine trellis, was used through the 18^th century and into the 19^th century, found from Kurdistan and Northwest Persia across to Eastern Persia, and in the Caucasus. For discussion of four late 18^th century and early 19^th century contrasting appearances of this design, see Bensoussan, P., ‘Four Harshang Pattern Carpets in the Musée des Arts Decoratifs’, Hali, Vol.3, no.3, pp. 207-209.

For a gallery carpet with very similar main field design, and border with cartouche and star medallions, attributed to Northwest Iran or Caucasus, (670 by 244cm) in the Metropolitan Museum of Art New York (In.68-219), see McMullan, J., Islamic Carpets, Near Eastern Art Research Center, New York, 1965, No. 27, pp. 112-119 (pull-out plate). See also Denny, W.B., How to read Islamic Carpets, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2014, pp. 96-97, fig. 82. A considerably smaller version of similar field design was illustrated as Kuba, published by Schürmann, U., Caucasian Rugs 1990, pl. 95 (sold AAC 2014, see below).

Other related carpets include: Sotheby’s London, Bortz Collection, 29 May 1998, lot 21; Sotheby's London, 7 November 2017, lot 144 (610 by 221cm); Schirwan, Kaukasus, Baku, 1800 (362 by 165cm), illustrated in Võlker, A., Die orientalischen Knüpfteppiche im MAK (Õsterreichisches Museum für angewandt Kunst), Vienna, 2001, No. 126, pp. 342-343 (Inv. Nr. T8375/1922); a Shirvan, Caucasus, 1800 (372 by 158cm), Hallwylska museet (Inv. Nr. LX:I:C.c.1); Provenance: purchased by Count von Hallwyl at Ernst Stangen, Berlin, 1896, partially illustrated Ådahl, K., Den orientaliska mattan I Sverige, Medelhavsmuseet, Stockholm, 1998, Nr. 39; and a Kuba carpet, 18^th century (389 by 173cm), Austria Auction Company, Vienna, 16 September 2014, lot 172 and a Kuba, circa 1800 (size unknown), partially illustrated, Erdmann, K., Oriental Carpets, 1976, The Caucasian-Northwest Persian Carpet, pp. 45-56., fig. 111 (Private Italian Collection).