Antique Soumak Carpet, Daghestan/Kuba Region, Eastern Caucasus. ...
Item Ref
BM/FL2
A truly magnificent, decorative Soumak carpet with wonderful, saturated, natural colours, woven in the environs of Daghestan and Kuba in the eastern Caucasus, during the second half nineteenth century.
Carpets woven in the soumak technique don't come much better than this one!
Size: 2.85m x 2.21m (9' 4" x 7' 3").
Carpets woven in the soumak technique don't come much better than this one!
Size: 2.85m x 2.21m (9' 4" x 7' 3").
£7,500
Antique Flat-Weave / Kilim, Tribes of Avar, ...
Item Ref
BM2261
This striking flat-weave or kilim was woven by the weavers of Avar in the environs of Daghestan and dated 1939 in both the Solar and Islamic calendars in the top left and right areas of the blue field.
The glowing indigo-blue ground contains two vertical rows of what appears to be large zoomorphic shapes and surrounded by stylised birds and animals. What is particularly stunning is the main soft-cream border with its depiction of a continuous, powerful 'birds-heads' design in red.
The tiny inscription in the top border reads in Azeri 'ajam' which means 'hungry'!
The flat-weaves or kilims of Avar are rare and this fabulous piece is in excellent, complete condition.
Size: 3.05 x 1.55m (10' 0" x 5' 1").
The glowing indigo-blue ground contains two vertical rows of what appears to be large zoomorphic shapes and surrounded by stylised birds and animals. What is particularly stunning is the main soft-cream border with its depiction of a continuous, powerful 'birds-heads' design in red.
The tiny inscription in the top border reads in Azeri 'ajam' which means 'hungry'!
The flat-weaves or kilims of Avar are rare and this fabulous piece is in excellent, complete condition.
Size: 3.05 x 1.55m (10' 0" x 5' 1").
£4,500
Antique Kilim, Qashqa'i Tribes, Fars Province, South-West ...
Item Ref
BM2280
I think this has to be one of my favourite Qashqa'i kilims of all time! Bold yet with subtle, vegetable colours throughout, it has a huge presence.
Made circa 1870-1880, no later, the kilim comprises diagonal bands of golden-yellow, rose-red, aubergine and a band woven in white cotton.
In very good condition albeit with a few minor areas of restoration, this is a fantastic kilim and has to be seen to appreciate the beauty in the colours. I love it!
Size: 3.05 x 1.46m (10' 0" x 4' 10").
Made circa 1870-1880, no later, the kilim comprises diagonal bands of golden-yellow, rose-red, aubergine and a band woven in white cotton.
In very good condition albeit with a few minor areas of restoration, this is a fantastic kilim and has to be seen to appreciate the beauty in the colours. I love it!
Size: 3.05 x 1.46m (10' 0" x 4' 10").
£3,800
Antique Dining Sofreh, Baluch Salar Khani Tribe, ...
Item Ref
BM2273
This beautiful dining sofreh has a plain-weave, natural camel-hair central field, decorated with stylised trees in brocaded technique. This central field is surrounded by two minor ivory borders and a wide main border in knotted-pile. The skirts or 'elems' are woven in long, horizontal bands of slit-tapestry weave, making this late 19th century dining rug a truly remarkable weaving. Please take a look at the two detail photos taken of the lower left and right corners of the camel-hair ground where you will see the weaver had originally planned to leave the border in plain-weave but then started to insert knotted-pile! Charming!
My thoughts on which Baluch tribe made this sofreh suggest the Salar Khani tribe who occupy parts of northern Khorassan province in north-eastern Persia.
Rare, very collectible and in near-mint condition.
Size: 1.45 x 0.76m (4' 9" x 2' 6").
My thoughts on which Baluch tribe made this sofreh suggest the Salar Khani tribe who occupy parts of northern Khorassan province in north-eastern Persia.
Rare, very collectible and in near-mint condition.
Size: 1.45 x 0.76m (4' 9" x 2' 6").
£2,750
Antique Kilim, Shirvan Region, Eastern Caucasus.
Item Ref
BM2263
A most attractive small-size kilim, woven in the region of Shirvan in the eastern Caucasus at the end of the 19th century. The natural colours are stunning with the design of 'birds-heads' lozenges dominating the field of the rug in horizontal bands. In excellent condition.
Size: 1.89 x 1.10m (6' 2" x 3' 7").
Size: 1.89 x 1.10m (6' 2" x 3' 7").
£2,500
Antique Soumak Carpet, Lesghi Region, South Daghestan, ...
Item Ref
BM1987
A most attractive Soumak carpet in very good overall condition with just a few minor repairs.
Woven in the Lesghi area of South Daghestan in the eastern Caucasus around 1900, the simple use of natural reds and blues makes for a handsome and decorative carpet.
Size: 3.80m x 2.20m (12' 6" x 7' 3")
Woven in the Lesghi area of South Daghestan in the eastern Caucasus around 1900, the simple use of natural reds and blues makes for a handsome and decorative carpet.
Size: 3.80m x 2.20m (12' 6" x 7' 3")
£2,500
Antique 'Moj', Qashqa'i Tribes, Fars Province, South-West ...
Item Ref
BM2176
Illustrated in the 3rd edition of my book 'Tribal Rugs - Treasures of the Black Tent' on page 186, this beautiful 'Moj' (meaning 'wave') is a distinctive flat-woven cover, also referred to as 'jajim'. They were used in the black tents as bed covers and for covering the storage bags stacked around the circumference of the tent as can be seen in one of the photos attached.
Moj are woven in a technique referred to as balancedtwill-weave, made in two equal parts and then sewn together. The weaving process can be relatively quick, shared by two weavers and only taking several weeks to complete. Designs found in Moj consist of vertical stripes, concentric lozenges, chevrons and diagonal and rectangular lattices. The most exciting feature of the moj is the interplay of vegetable colours within the weave and it is this distinctive colour effect which gives this flat-weave its name.
This moj is a lovely small, square size whereas many are considerably larger in size.
Size: 1.83m x 1.70m (6' 0" x 5' 7").
Moj are woven in a technique referred to as balancedtwill-weave, made in two equal parts and then sewn together. The weaving process can be relatively quick, shared by two weavers and only taking several weeks to complete. Designs found in Moj consist of vertical stripes, concentric lozenges, chevrons and diagonal and rectangular lattices. The most exciting feature of the moj is the interplay of vegetable colours within the weave and it is this distinctive colour effect which gives this flat-weave its name.
This moj is a lovely small, square size whereas many are considerably larger in size.
Size: 1.83m x 1.70m (6' 0" x 5' 7").
£2,300
Antique Bread Sofreh, Afshar Nomads, Kerman Province, ...
Item Ref
BM/BUR
It might look modern but this stunning bread sofreh is nomadic woven art from circa 1900-1920.
These fabulous weavings were specifically made to knead dough and roll the dough into small balls before rolling each ball flat and then baking the bread on a hot plate as seen in the photo attached.
The weaver of these bread sofrehs was able to use her creative abilities to weave these remarkable artefacts and in this case, I see the symbolic representation of water in the 'zig-zag' pattern. Note the fabulous abrash in the natural madder-red where the weaver has skeins of mixed red-dye wool thus creating a wonderful movement in the ground. Also note the tiny 'zig-zag' pattern in the lower left border - maybe a signature of the weaver herself!
These dramatic sofrehs are some of my favourites and this is a truly great example of this lost art.
Size: 1.27m x 1.14m (4' 2" x 3' 9").
These fabulous weavings were specifically made to knead dough and roll the dough into small balls before rolling each ball flat and then baking the bread on a hot plate as seen in the photo attached.
The weaver of these bread sofrehs was able to use her creative abilities to weave these remarkable artefacts and in this case, I see the symbolic representation of water in the 'zig-zag' pattern. Note the fabulous abrash in the natural madder-red where the weaver has skeins of mixed red-dye wool thus creating a wonderful movement in the ground. Also note the tiny 'zig-zag' pattern in the lower left border - maybe a signature of the weaver herself!
These dramatic sofrehs are some of my favourites and this is a truly great example of this lost art.
Size: 1.27m x 1.14m (4' 2" x 3' 9").
£1,750
Antique Bread Sofreh, Afshar Nomads, Kerman Province, ...
Item Ref
BM/MAX10
This is pure tribal woven art!
The weaver must have had great fun making this bread flat-weave or sofreh, specifically woven for kneading dough to make the wonderful 'lavash' or flat-bread. But what is she depicting here? Well, it is my belief the this 'zig-zag' design represents flowing water - symbolically important in the daily lives of the nomadic tribes along with bread and salt.
Woven during the first part of the twentieth century by an Afshari woman in Kerman province, southern Persia, this sofreh was a utilitarian weaving which was never intended to be sold or even bartered. Imagine this amazing sofreh hanging on your wall, whether in an old or modern house, it would beat any Mondrian or Klee!!
Size: 1.00m (3' 3") square.
The weaver must have had great fun making this bread flat-weave or sofreh, specifically woven for kneading dough to make the wonderful 'lavash' or flat-bread. But what is she depicting here? Well, it is my belief the this 'zig-zag' design represents flowing water - symbolically important in the daily lives of the nomadic tribes along with bread and salt.
Woven during the first part of the twentieth century by an Afshari woman in Kerman province, southern Persia, this sofreh was a utilitarian weaving which was never intended to be sold or even bartered. Imagine this amazing sofreh hanging on your wall, whether in an old or modern house, it would beat any Mondrian or Klee!!
Size: 1.00m (3' 3") square.
£1,500
Antique Wheat-Sack ('Tacheh'), Luri-Bakhtiari Tribes, The ...
Item Ref
BM/RP1
This stunning 'tacheh' or wheat-sack was once used for containing wheat but has now been opened-up to show the complete weaving for wall-hanging purposes. Made by Luri-Bakhtiari nomads in the Chahar Mahal region of western Persia circa 1900, the tacheh contains a central, knotted-pile bottle-shape in the centre and what appears to be a large red/green flower. Each tacheh has a different knotted-pile design which relates to the family that made it. The last woven tachehs survived into the 1940s but when plastic sacks and gunny sacks arrived in the bazaars of Iran from the West, there was no longer a need to make them! This one and the others on my website are amongst the last remaining survivors of this lost art.
Size: 1.04m x 1.07m (3' 5" x 3' 6").
Size: 1.04m x 1.07m (3' 5" x 3' 6").
£1,500
Antique Bread Sofreh, Kamo, North-Central Persia.
Item Ref
BM/Kamo
The bread sofrehs from the Kamo region are unique and simplistic in design and examples from the 19th century through to the early 20th century are now pretty scarce and rare.
This sofreh is woven entirely in undyed sheep wool and camel-hair and exudes a powerful presence. Made circa 1900, this sofreh would have been extensively used for kneading dough to make the flat-bread (lavash) and because of their hard, daily use, few of this age would have survived.
Size: 1.10 x 0.94m (3' 7" x 3' 1").
This sofreh is woven entirely in undyed sheep wool and camel-hair and exudes a powerful presence. Made circa 1900, this sofreh would have been extensively used for kneading dough to make the flat-bread (lavash) and because of their hard, daily use, few of this age would have survived.
Size: 1.10 x 0.94m (3' 7" x 3' 1").
£1,400
Antique Bread Sofreh, Afshar Tribes, Kerman Province, ...
Item Ref
BM2087
Searching through uninteresting rug auction sites and being offered so many boring commercial rugs these days, what a joy it is, very occasionally, to find an exciting antique rug, bag or a magnificent bread sofreh like this one! This is what I love about 'the find'! It doesn't happen every day, week or month, but when it does, it makes me very happy.
I found this stunning flat-weave sofreh - originally used by the nomads for kneading dough on to make the delicious flat-bread - in a tiny little, mainly modern rug store in Istanbul recently. Not a shop I would have normally entered but a quick glance into the shop revealed this beautiful weaving displayed on the wall!
I had to have it and a deal was done! As much as I'd like to keep it, I can't keep everything so here it is.
The spontaneous drawing and mix of blues, reds and yellow in the zig-zags and the charming little stars around the outside, remind me of the night sky.
Made by Afshar nomads in Kerman province, south Persia circa 1910-1920, all the colours are natural and it is complete with beautifully brocaded ends.
The overall condition is very good albeit it has a very slight stain and an old repair near the centre.
Oh well, at least I can enjoy it while it lasts!!
Size: 1.25 x 1.15m (4' 1" x 3' 9").
I found this stunning flat-weave sofreh - originally used by the nomads for kneading dough on to make the delicious flat-bread - in a tiny little, mainly modern rug store in Istanbul recently. Not a shop I would have normally entered but a quick glance into the shop revealed this beautiful weaving displayed on the wall!
I had to have it and a deal was done! As much as I'd like to keep it, I can't keep everything so here it is.
The spontaneous drawing and mix of blues, reds and yellow in the zig-zags and the charming little stars around the outside, remind me of the night sky.
Made by Afshar nomads in Kerman province, south Persia circa 1910-1920, all the colours are natural and it is complete with beautifully brocaded ends.
The overall condition is very good albeit it has a very slight stain and an old repair near the centre.
Oh well, at least I can enjoy it while it lasts!!
Size: 1.25 x 1.15m (4' 1" x 3' 9").
£1,250
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