A Kazak prayer rug, South Caucasus, dated 1269 AH/1852-53 AD

Rippon Boswell, 19 May 2007, lot 174

The present prayer rug is closely related to an example that is dated 1242 AH/1827 AD formerly in the Rosalie and Mitchell Rudnick Collection sold at Grogan & Co., 20 November 2016, lot 62, see Hali, no. 152, p. 70, Hali, no.175, p.115 and Hali, no.191, p.117). 

Regarding the Rudnick example, Lawrence Kearney praised the “luminous, deep watermelon-red field, which is intense and clear and mellow at the same time” and further admires the weaver’s “sense of play” in the particularly free drawing of the motifs, reflected in this example (see Hali, no. 152, pp.70-71). Further related prayer rugs include one published in the Oriental Rug Review, October/November 1989, p.53 and another now in the Roman Zaleski collection (see Kaffel 1998, pl.24).