In this category I list recently acquired pieces of all groups and sizes for a duration of maximum 4 months after arrival, thereafter they appear in their respective sections. More images of any lot available on request. Updated 12/3/2018
Woven on wool and goats' hair warp, this rug is typical of the broad style of pieces woven by various tribes after their gradual settling into sedentary life around Shiraz. This example still features a great variety of typical tribal motifs and symbols, incl birds and animals, and it's clearly woven "free style" as against the later, sterile and uninspiring production. All dyes are natural and the rug is in totally original, complete condition with near full pile throughout, virtually repair free. The size is a much sought after, and hard to find, furnishing format. This image doesn't do the piece justice, other images supplied if requested.
€2300
This isolated Kurdish village region has for over a century woven rugs of Caucasian appearance, mostly with a distinctive design of "memling" guls on red ground, typically in oblong or runner format. Warp and weft are of dark brown wool, all dyes natural. In good condition throughout, original sides and ends, virtually repair free but showing slight, even wear across the centre field.
€1350
This group of Quashq'ai weavings were woven during the tribe's gradual settlement from nomadic to sedentary life. They are robust, hard wearing rugs, with excellent natural colours and original, yet slightly more formal, designs. Many of them also happened to be woven in a rare and very desirable middle size around 8 x 5 ft, a hard one to find in most other Persian weavings.
This rug is virtually unused, in absolutely original and complete condition, full pile, no repairs. If you are looking for a rug that will give you pleasure for generations, this one comes highly recommended. The natural dyes are impervious to light and water, meaning you can have the rug cleaned repeatedly without risk of colour running or fading. This image does not do the piece justice, other images supplied if requested.
€3600
This is a very beautiful, softly coloured and laid back piece, stunning natural colours and an unusually open handle of design. It really looks its true age but is in excellent condition, the only minute issue is the loss of 2 knot rows at the lower short end, now secured.
€2600
A great example of the famous DOBAG rugs, woven at a time when the project was still going strong. Today only a very small number of rugs are woven and only a small number of families are still involved. This beautiful DOBAG illustrates how great they once were - great, open design, good proportions and a great eye for colour harmony on part of the weaver who has signed and dated it 2001. Having been in daily use for 16 years and lovingly looked after, the rug has been professionally hand washed, now glowing like a jewel with beginnings of the patina seen in great rugs from centuries past. In perfect, original condition.
€SOLD
At first glance this highly decorative rug is clearly a Baluch weaving, until you look more closely at certain weave, dye and design features. Kurdish and Baluch groups lived and migrated in close proximity in this area and often "borrowed" rug design ideas from each other. Kurdish features in this rug include the use of brown wool and goats' hair in the structure, the very elaborate kilim ends usually seen around the Kurdish rugs from Quchan, plus the subtle use of a lovely green colour rarely seen in true Baluch rugs. In very good condition showing only slight, overall wear plus some minute repairs to the kilim ends.
€1900
A nice, funky Baluch rug with a dramatic main border and lovely "abrash" of sky blue across the field. The rug has been kept on a wall by previous owners and hence it remains in good condition - only very slight, even wear, no field repairs bar one minute reweave to lower left corner, original side cords and no loss at short ends other than the original kilim.
€1650
A handsome and decorative early 20th C carpet with good wool and natural colours - the design with a higher number of more densely placed "guls" but still showing a degree of spontaneity around the borders. The carpet has slight but even wear but only a few minute spot repairs, the original sidecords still present and no loss at the short ends except for the original kilims. Perfect size for a set of dining room furniture!
€4400
This beautiful carpet features a style of design known as "islimi", more often referred to as "vase" design, a concept of carpet design going back to the Safavid dynasty in the 16th-17th C. It is in my view one of the most attractive all-over designs ever found in the Persian carpet repertoire, scrolling gracefully across the field with a wonderful sense of scale and proportion. It is also an example of the "endless repeat" format, self explanatory if you look at the opposite ends of the field.
Originally this carpet was sold at the Adams sale in 2006, then described as Tabriz which can be explained by the weaving technique using symmetrical knot and the Tabriz side cord. However the glossy wool and the range of natural colours, especially the cochineal ground, confirms that this is one of those very fine Meshed examples using "imported" weavers from Tabriz, hence the name "Turkbaff" (Turkish knot).
There are a couple of very minor, old spot repairs but generally the carpet is in excellent condition for its age, in near full pile throughout without loss of ends or sides.
€POA
A charming, quirky rug with plenty of character and spontaneity, clearly woven without cartoons or written design guidance. Instead the weaver has worked from memory in a style inherited from previous generations of family weavers. The superb colours are all natural and fast, meaning the rug can be washed repeatedly without fear of colour running which is a huge problem in contemporary rug production. Note the two human figures at the top end, indicating this was probably woven as a gift, or dowry. In excellent, original condition, with full, lustrous pile, only one or two minute spot repairs.
€2400
This is one half of an double "khorjin" saddle or storage bag, both fronts with knotted pile originally connected by plain flat weave forming the back. The front halves were usually highly decorative in tribal nomadic culture and as such they were common dowry and wedding gifts. These bags were rarely utilised but carefully stored away, perhaps only to be displayed on anniversaries or other celebrations and eventually, generations later, be offered for sale.
This is a very pretty and somewhat unusual example of Jaf work, the main field motifs normally all of similar, smaller size arranged diagonally. Beautiful natural colours, great wool and highly decorative on a wall or placed on furniture. A bargain piece of a long gone tribal art culture.
€490
Runners like this magnificent example are very rare on international markets. Most examples on offer would have wear, plenty of repairs, reduction in size, etc. This beauty is totally original with its ends and sides intact and only minimal spots of slight surface wear.
Woven on wool foundation it has glorious natural colours, impervious to light and water, meaning it won't fade and the colours won't run. If you have a large, cold corridor or hall way in need of warming up, this runner will do it in one blow, and it will last for generations to come. It will also "work" in contemporary as well as classical interiors.
€6400
The distinctive Joshagan carpets have been woven for over two centuries, the style of design having remained clearly identifiable although some nearby weaving towns like Kashan have occasionally tried to mimic them. They are robustly made, heavy and durable pieces, double wefted with thick, hand spun wool pile and, until around 1940, superb natural colours.
This great carpet is a perfect example of the higher grade of Joshagans with a knot count of over 140 pr sq inch. Since this golden era the quality has fallen steadily and the few Joshagans still woven today are about half the fineness using terrible synthetic colours. This is a carpet set to last for generations with a design that lends itself both to traditional and contemporary settings. In perfect condition throughout, full pile and free of repairs.
€7800
With their curvilinear designs, tight knotting and fine wool, Tafresh rugs differ from the main style of Hamadan rugs. This example feature the oldest and most commonly found design in the region with an elaborate 16-foil medallion repeated in the corners. Tafrish also feature a different range of colours including an apricot and pale sky blue as seen in this rug. Apart from a few minute spots of slight wear and some oversewing of the side cords, the rug is in very good condition throughout.
€2400
This charming, original tribal weaving represents a long lost lifestyle and rug weaving tradition. At this time, rug weaving was a integral part of nomadic life, each piece woven entirely from the weaver's memory. The wool and the natural dyes were all sourced within the tribe, each rug totally original and impossible to replicate as nothing was written down or recorded. With the gradual settlement of these tribes their ancient craft was lost - plainly obvious when you compare with the pre-designed, sterile and synthetically dyed commercial "tribal rugs" woven in factories today for tourism and export, This piece has the classical "Yuruk" colour palette with thick, lustrous wool in most areas. The side cords have been sympathetically rebound and there are no other repairs.
€2700
Kashan carpets of this period were often among the most elegant and classically drawn of all Persian city carpets. At this time most of the better qualities were still employing naturally dyed yarns of the highest quality, the designs drawn by very experienced masters who fully understood the merits of good design and perfectly harmonising colours. This carpet would immediately transform a dull, soulless space into a highly sofisticated, elegant and luxurious drawing room. The carpet is in near perfect condition with only a few tiny areas of slight spot wear - most of it retains its full pile. A beautiful carpet for a special room.
€14750
This is one of my favourite DOBAG designs, and it's weavers - I have an almost identical piece woven by Sehriye in 1997 in my personal collection. DOBAGs of this quality are virtually impossible to source as the project has shrunk to a fraction of what it was 20 years ago. Although this example has been in use for 17 years it has been well looked after and now, given all those years of polish plus a recent state-of-the-art wash, it has turned into a glorious and internationally collectible rug. Signed S.A. and dated 2000.
€3100
This beautiful, and unusual, Tekke "Bokhara" rug has spent most of its life to date on the wall - on this image you can see the stitch for the back webbing along the top kilim end. Probably never walked on, it is in totally original, untouched condition throughout with full pile, original side cords and complete kilims, woven on a warp of wool and goats' hair, free of repairs. A rare feature is the variance in design along the top and bottom end border, something you normally associate with the "ensi" group of Turkoman tribal rugs. A gem!
€2850
This is a curiosity whose exact origins are up for debate. The weave is Kurdish (brown wool warps), the colouring and design highly reminiscent of rugs and kilims woven around Sanadaj, yet there's a distinct Avshar feel to it. Without elaborating here, suffice it to say it is a beautiful, quirky and endearing rug with lovely natural colours and great wool, in very good condition. The side cords have been oversewn and the upper short end reduced by 1-2 knot rows, now secured.
€1800
Rug weaving in Abadeh is merely over a century old, inspired by the weavings traded in the bazaars by the various tribal groups passing through. Old examples were well made with good, natural colours and properly spun wool. The design seen here is known as "Zil-i-Soltan", a complex all over composition featuring vases filled with exotic flowers. In excellent condition throughout.
€1600
