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 2/5/2019.
This style of design with repeated "Memling Gul" polygons was woven in several regions of the Caucasus, mainly in the Kazak and Moghan districts. This piece is attributed to Karabagh based on its weave structure and border design. It is a most beautiful, open and striking piece with charming use of colour and space, the ivory ground clear and fresh offsetting the multicoloured polygons to their best effect.
In superb condition with full pile apart from one small area of very slight surface wear, original and complete ends, free of repair other than the side cords which have been expertly replaced. Raymond Benardout in his work Caucasian Rugs, London 1978, illustrates a similar example on p. 94 ("Kazak").
€7500
A beautiful, 26 year old DOBAG runner from a village where most women specialised in runners, an awkward and time consuming size for a single weaver. Now that the project has ceased functioning, old examples like this are collectible worldwide, the quality of the DOBAG rugs well documented and recognised. This attractive and charming runner is in perfect, original condition, full pile and no repairs, original label and certificate intact. Signed E.Y.
€2300
Apart from its high decorative merit, this runner is clearly an unusual example with a rarely encountered design. The ivory ground border lifts and frames the design very well and it has plenty of quirky elements you only see in 19th century examples. Slight overall wear, a few minor spots of re-piling and some minor restoration to the otherwise intact original side cords, all dyes natural. A striking, unusual Caucasian rug at a reasonable price.
€SOLD
This beautiful large wall bagface features a non-Turkoman design originally from Persia (known there as the Mina Khani). In its original form the tendrils are curvilinear whereas here they are straightened out in more regimented Turkoman tribal style, making it one of the rare floral designs of the Turkoman repertoire. Finely woven in excellent quality wool it also features several colours of silk in the central flowerheads - hence clearly designed for decoration rather than utilitarian tribal use.
Unusually large for its type, beautifully drawn with a particularly attractive lower panel. In very good condition it still has its original side cords, good pile and original lower end. The upper end has been rebound and there are a few minute spots of red dye run visible only from the back.
A similar example is illustrated in The Textile Museum, Washington, Turkmen tribal carpets and traditions, Pl 89.
€2900
This very smart rug was woven by one of the top DOBAG weavers whose rugs were much in demand among the half dozen DOBAG dealers around the world at the time. Finer than average, with a great feel for colour and design plus a very even, steady technique, her rugs always impressed. Now, after 17 years on the floor and carefully looked after, the rug has just been washed resulting in the characteristic glow of the lanolin rich pile. In perfect condition, signed and dated, with original documentation.
€SOLD
This short runner and a smaller rug # 9053 were originally sold to an Irish buyer in 2002. Having been well looked after and undergone a professional wash, both of them now look extremely well. Fatma Acarkoc was one of the best weavers in the Yunt Dag co-op, her rugs usually finer than average with exceptionally even, steady weave. She also understood the merit of leaving enough open space between motifs and how to achieve the best colour combinations. Signed and dated with original leather label present, in perfect condition.
€1450
A powerful, beautifully drawn carpet with stunning design, superb natural colours and thick, glossy wool pile. Early Bidjar pieces often display a great understanding of colour and design in order to achieve a pleasing impression. The busy inner field is beautifully calmed down by the open space corner spandrels, the contrasting natural colours combined to maximum effect.
In very good condition throughout, showing only small areas of very minor surface wear and some minor spots of old re-piling. The ends and sides are original and complete, the carpet set to survive for several generations to come - Bidjars are probably the most hard wearing of all Oriental carpets.
A great example of Persian carpet art deserving a much better image than seen here but its weight, and size, have temporarily limited my photo options.
€14500
Together with the Quashq'ai, the Khamseh group of tribes were the makers of some of the finest tribal rugs of all time. Genuine examples, woven while the tribes were still migrating, have not been woven since the early 20th C, the tribes long since settled into sedentary village life in Fars. The few surviving rugs are important evidence of an extraordinary tribal culture with weaving skills beyond our comprehension. Each rug was different to any other as the weavers worked entirely from memory, using only natural colours and hand spun wool.
This design is sometimes referred to as "mother-and-child boteh", featuring a large boteh form containing smaller ones of different sizes. All rugs of this period were unique, carefully woven pieces intended for dowry or highly valued gifts to the tribal leaders. They were never in daily use on the yurt floor, instead carefully kept in storage only to be displayed on special occasions.
This rare piece is in very good condition for its age, complete all around with original kilim ends and side cords, showing very slight surface wear in small spots and only a couple of minute spot repairs.
€5200
This is one of three DOBAG rugs recently brought back into stock, having been carefully looked after by its first owner and hence in perfect condition. This piece has a powerful star design on almost plain ground with a quirky star border. The pile is among the longest I have seen in a DOBAG, making it one of the heaviest I have handled. HIghly suitable for areas with heavy traffic, the rug can only improve with age with a life expectancy of several generations if looked after respectfully. Dated 2007 and the weaver has also signed it rather cleverly - take a moment and see if you can find it.
€1600
This wonderful rug features a finely knotted pile of silky "kurk" (lambs') wool, a beautifully composed design in a palette of soft, natural colours. The skills and time involved in making a rug of this quality is extraordinary - even if the weaver produced on average 5000 knots per day the weaving alone would have consumed almost 5 months. In addition you have the intricate design work (drawn separately by master designers), wool spinning, dyeing, polishing and finally cleaning. A very rare piece in today's global rug market.
€3200
Finely woven, small rugs around 1 meter square were woven by several Turkoman tribes. They are usually well above average in terms of quality, choice of wool and dyes, suggesting they were woven for a special purpose. The strongest theory is that they were given to the bride upon which she would sit, receive well wishers and accept dowry and gifts.
Several other examples are published, a very similar piece shown at the London exhibition by Bernheimer, Oriental Carpets and Textiles, 1987, plate 37. This example is in perfect, original condition throughout, incl kilims, side cords and full pile, free of repairs.
€2200
This is one of the first rugs Harald Boehmer put aside for his own collection and it has only recently become available. He was struck by the strong Caucasian influence in design, and colouring, particularly the ivory ground which offsets the other colours beautifully. Signed by four different weavers, in unused, unpolished condition, set to last for generations.
€SOLD
A very handsome and highly decorative antique Bidjar rug with a strong centre medallion design, skilfully offset by narrow borders and ivory corner spandrels. One look at the border and you can see it was woven freestyle, not to a rigid cartoon as later examples invariably are, showing the weaver's artistic skill and imagination. In superb condition with full pile, original side cords and only marginal loss of kilim strands each end. There are a small number of minute, re-piled spots of old moth damage, now all perfected, A beautiful, hard wearing rug with excellent natural colours and rich, glossy wool.
€3200
This piece is part of Dr Harald Boehmer' entire private collection of DOBAG rugs, recently acquired having been offered it by the Boehmer family following his passing in 2017. He founded the DOBAG project in 1981 and created an important piece of carpet history in the process - read more on the DOBAG page on this site.
You will find the entire Boehmer collection of DOBAG rugs and runners by selecting Current Stock, DOBAGs. I will only post a few examples under this Recent Acquisitions heading to avoid overload of DOBAGs amidst my acquisitions of Antique pieces. You will find further info on this example on the DOBAG section.
€3800
