Antique Half-Saddlebag, Shahsevan Tribes, Moghan Region, Azerbaijan. ...

Item Ref
BM/SH1

This striking half-saddlebag was woven in fine, slit-tapestry technique, often described as simply 'kilim weave', with a wonderful array of natural colours and a powerful depiction of two large ivory hexagons on a deep, indigo-blue ground.
Woven by Shahsevan tribes around the second half of the 19th century, the back comprises narrow horizontal bands of all the colours used in the face.
Size: 57cm x 46cm (1' 10" x 1' 6").
£750

Antique Prayer-Rug, Gendje, Eastern Caucasus.

Item Ref
BM2094

Gendje, known as Elizabethpol under the Tzars, but today, known as Kirovabad. It is situated between the Caucasian weaving areas of Kazak, Karabagh and Shirvan.
This beautiful little Gendje prayer-rug has a few 'typical' Gendje featurs such as the diagonal motifs in the field and the interesting main border design with its conjoined octagons. The colours in the main border are simply stunning as is the very unusual, relatively plain mihrab in ivory.
Made circa 1880, the rug is in good overall condition, albeit with evenly-low pile and a few minor reweaves.
Size: 1.45m x 0.82m (4' 9" x 2' 8").
£2,800

Antique Afshar Tribal Rug, Afshar Tribes, Kerman ...

Item Ref
BM2143

Wow! Look at all these lions in the border of this fantastic Afshar rug!
It is very unusual to find this stylised depiction of the Persian lion with the sun over its back symbolising the sun rising on the Persian Empire and more often seen in Persian city rugs. The rug is quite stunning in its own right but the use of the lion and sun border makes it quite unique and very desirable. The indigo ground contains three stylised flowers, bursting into life and I love the depiction of the two ivory trees on either side of the lower red flower. In very good condition albeit with some slight wool corrosion affecting the indigo-blue ground but only negligible.
Size: 1.73m x 1.20m (5' 8" x 4' 0").
£3,500

Antique Vanity-Bag, Afshar Nomads, Kerman Province, Southern ...

Item Ref
BM/AC1

This charming little 'chanteh' (vanity-bag) depicts what looks like a 'never-ending knot' in a beautiful shade of soft golden-yellow, on a pink-red central ground. Made by Afshar nomads during the early 20th century, the wool is soft and glossy on the front with a plain-weave back in un-dyed light-brown wool. The top-opening section is beautifully brocaded.
Size: 27cm x 21cm (11" x 8").
£550

Antique Afshar Tribal Rug, Neiriz Region, Kerman ...

Item Ref
BM/AF1

This early Afshar rug, probably second half 19th century, has an ivory ground comprising the 'dragon & phoenix' design in stylised form and symbolising the fight between good and evil.
The Afshar tribes originated in eastern Turkistan and arrived in Persia with the Ghuz migrations, sometime between the 11th and 15th centuries bringing their dragon symbolism with them.
This rug is in very good overall condition albeit with some excellent minor restoration in places which I had carried out in Iran.
Size: 1.50m x 1.10m (4' 11" x 3' 7").
£2,500