SHIRVAN
Southeast Caucasian Antique Rug

(Connoisseur-Caliber) This jubilant expression of pride from the Caucasian Shirvan weaving group shimmers with the gentle patina of luminous mountain wool, deeply illuminating its richly hued field and captivatingly colorful border. The impact of the classic Shirvan hexagonal medallions with their distinctive stepped and textured outlines is immediate, their graphic complexity accentuated by the powerful simplicity of the dusky crimson serrated finials. Tiny glyph-like birds, gazelles, and four-legged louvered creatures share the delft blue field with spiky solar discs and talismans partially constructed and complete. These prized totemic animal forms are drawn with general intent in their locations, but the artistic impulse of spontaneity and innovative combinations was too strong to resist for this weaver. Its primary border frame houses a pattern of transmogrified rosettes with trumpet horn petals. Adjacent minor bands are adorned with a staccato ram’s horn motif that accentuates the larger scale central design and mid-scale border, greatly enhancing the sense of energetic visual tensions that makes this piece so immensely successful. Its condition remains superb for its age, with even medium pile height accentuating its crystal-clean lines.

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