Description
D0269: Antique Karadja (Karadagh)
Dim: 26″ x 33″
Condition: Very Good
Wonderful Azerbaijan piece. It has a wool pile woven with the Turkish or symmetrical knot and a single wefted cotton foundation. This 110 year old rug is perfect for decorating in many different areas in your home: at the foot of a staircase, at the bedside, as a wall hanging, as a seat-cover, or as a small table cover. The possibilities are endless.
The rug is in very good condition. There is a small area of somewhat low pile (to be expected after over a century of use), but most of the rug has full pile, and there are NO worn spots. Ten different colors (or shades of color) of yarn were used in the rug’s composition. The dyes are vegetal, and over the years these colors have mellowed to lovely jewel-like tones. What is particularly appealing about this piece is that the various colors, in particular the blues and corals, complement each other so well and produce a very harmonious and elegant overall composition. The natural browns and charcoal colors have oxidized over the course of years and give the rug a slightly ‘carved’ appearance. This oxidation is a feature of the vegetal dies used and is highly prized by experts as proof of age and authenticity
In design, the rug is characterized by its multiple borders, including a ‘barber pole’, a variety of geometric elements in the main field and a central medallion consisting of an octagram with triple borders enclosing a dark blue central field populated by multi-colored florets.
References: Eiland, Oriental Carpets, a Complete Guide (2005) 93-94; Moheban, Encyclopedia of Oriental Carpets (2016) I.277-278.
