Antique Lesghi Rug, Lesghistan, Eastern Caucasus.

Item Ref
BM/MA3

This beautiful little rug has three 'Lesghi stars' on a turquoise central field and is framed by five beautiful borders. Rugs made by Lesghians are more commonly found with red or blue central fields but to find turquoise, is rare. The rug, made at the end of the 19th century, is finely knotted and in very good condition albeit with a few very minor repairs on the selvedges.
Size: 1.42m x 1.04m (4' 8" x 3' 5").
£4,500

Antique Bijov Rug, Bijov, Shirvan Region, Eastern ...

Item Ref
BM1915

I love the indigo-blue ground in this small, square nineteenth century Bijov rug from the eastern Caucasus incorporating a stunning array of natural colours throughout.
Looking closely at the design, there are 'birds-heads lozenges, floral motifs and zoomorphic bird-like creatures. The main ivory border with its continuous vine symbolising the eternal cycle of life, is a popular border in this part of the eastern Caucasus.
The pile, which was originally cropped short to give a beautifully defined pattern to the symbols, is now evenly-low all over. This is a great, collectible rug.
Size: 1.68m x 1.39m (5' 6" x 4' 7").
£3,500

Antique Kuba Rug, Kuba, Eastern Caucasus.

Item Ref
BM1984

I love the deep indigo-blue field of this handsome rug, made in the Kuba region of the eastern Caucasus around 1900. The blue field is filled with small shrubs with stylised birds nesting on either side in beautiful natural colours. The ivory main border is protected by an inner and outer blue border, each containing the 'S' symbol or stylised dragon. The rug is in excellent condition.
Size: 1.57m x 1.12m (5' 2" x 3' 8").
£2,750

Antique Armenian Long Rug, Armenia.

Item Ref
BM1883

Dated 1919 and inscribed in Armenian 'May', the weaver of this rare and unusual rug has used a mixture of natural red wool skeins which creates wonderful movement throughout the field. In a way, it looks like a sunrise or sunset, where the lower dark red area of the field depicts the earth and the lighter shades of red at the top shows the light of the sun either rising or sinking in the month of May!
Two quadrupeds are depicted in the lower half and below them, two birds, symbolically the cariers of the soul from the earthly world to the realms of the spirits, observing a tiny star just above them!
The powerful main border contains large 'botehs' - purported to be either pine-cones or flame symbols.
The rug has an evenly-low woollen pile but certainly strong enough to use on the floor with underlay in a quiet space.
Size: 2.53m x 1.37m (8' 4" x 4' 6").
£2,750

Antique Armenian Corridor Carpet, Armenia.

Item Ref
BM/JS3

Stunning sky-blue dominates the field of this handsome corridor carpet, made in Armenia around 1900. The overall knotted pile is evenly low, but still hard wearing enough to place on the floor in a hallway. A very attractive carpet.
Size: 3.15m x 1.24m (10' 4" x 4' 1").
£1,750

Antique Karachov Rug, Karachov, Kazak Mountains, South-West ...

Item Ref
BM/K1

Ranking as one of the very best of the highly collectible Karachov rugs, this magnificent rug displays a beautiful pea-green field with standard Karachov large, central, octagonal gul and two smaller guls at each end containing '8-pointed stars'. The stunning madder-red main border contains the continuous vine pattern, symbolising the eternal cycle of life.
Made in the Karachov region of the Kazak Mountains in the south-western Caucasus around 1860 -1870, the rug is in excellent overall condition albeit with good, evenly-low pile.
Size: 1.93m x 1.44m (6' 4" x 4' 9").
SOLD

Antique Karachov Rug, Kazak Mountains, South-West Caucasus. ...

Item Ref
BM/K1

This magnificent, mint condition rug was made in Karachov in the Kazak Mountains, south-west Caucasus during the last quarter of the nineteenth century. The classic Karachov design in this fabulous rug has been knotted in soft, lustrous natural-dye wool. It is certainly one of the best Karachovs I've laid my eyes on.
Size: 2.80m x 1.78m (9' 2" x 5' 10").
SOLD

Antique Soumak, Kuba Region, South-Eastern Caucasus.

Item Ref
BM1770

Carpets woven in the soumak technique don't come much better than this one!
Acquired from a private English house where it had been hanging on a wall for over 60 years, the overall condition is excellent. Woven in the Kuba region of the south-eastern Caucasus during the last quarter of the nineteenth century, this is an unusually large size as most soumaks made in this area were a good bit smaller. You have to look closely at the overall symbolic representation and particularly interesting is the upper-most blue lozenge with its depiction of two men standing above what might presumably be horses! Note also, horses depicted in the outer field as well as other stylised creatures and birds scattered throughout.
This is an amazing and highly collectible carpet which would provide a fantastic floor covering.
Size: 3.60m x 2.26m (11' 10" x 7' 5").
SOLD

Antique Soumak Carpet, Daghestan/Kuba Region, Eastern Caucasus. ...

Item Ref
BM2029

A magnificent large-size Soumak carpet from circa 1880 and woven in the region of Daghestan or Kuba, in the eastern Caucasus. The beautiful, saturated natural madder-red ground contains three large indigo-blue lozenges with the depiction of human figures on their own and some riding horses. The carpet is in amazing condition bar two small nicks in one of the borders, easily repairable.
This is a wonderful and highly collectible Soumak carpet which would look amazing on a wood floor.
Size: 4.10m x 2.35m (13' 6" x 7' 9").
SOLD

Antique Perepidal Rug, Perepidal Region, Eastern Caucasus. ...

Item Ref
BM/MI2

This is a most unusual Perepidal rug with its two floral symbols in the central, glowing, indigo-blue field. Around the large flowers are very stylised birds which can be seen in the close-up photos. Other than this rare field design, the borders are typically from the region of Perepidal and the natural colours, including the fabulous sky-blue, are just magnificent.
This rug probably dates to the last quarter of the 19th century and is in excellent condition.
Size: 1.95m x 1.40m (6' 5" x 4' 7").
SOLD

Antique Prayer-Rug, Gendje, South-Western Caucasus.

Item Ref
BM1681

Sold in the early 1990s and illustrated in all three editions of my book 'Tribal Rugs - Treasures of the Black Tent', I have acquired it back. However, I have seen it again and again over the years, hanging in a house where it was well-loved.
Made in the area of Gendje in the south-western Caucasus around 1870, this charming little prayer-rug with its very subtlety woven prayer-niche, contains a field of diagonal bands with small symbols often found in the Caucasus and amongst the Shahsevan nomads. The main ivory border is powerfully drawn and frames the field. In very good overall condition, this is a highly collectible and rare example of this area.
Size: 1.32m x 0.91m (4' 4" x 3' 0").
SOLD

Antique 'Sewan' Kazak, South-Western Caucasus

Item Ref
BM754

This magnificent 'Sewan' Kazak has an archaic yet simplicity of design. Its powerful central cruciform is beautifully drawn and the fabulous main border with its zoomorphic 'birds' gives symbolic protection to the central field. A truly fabulous rug, earlier in age to many in private collections.
2.57m x 1.65m (8' 5" x 5' 5").
SOLD