"Lotto" carpet in a "kilim" style, second half 16th century, Western Turkey, Ushak Region, Ottoman Empire. Major Autumn Auction, 01. December 2007. Rippon Boswell & Co. International Auctioneers of Rare Carpets & Textiles. Sold for 60 000 euros. 110x170cm.

Previously sold for DM 49 560  at Rippon Boswell (20 May 1995), lot 147.

Most "kilim'-style Lotto rugs are of small format, but few are as well-drawn and as distinguished as this early example. Sadly the pattern has lost clarity, in part due to severe corrosion of the brown outlines separating the yellow designs from the red ground. The wide dark blue "ragged palmette' design borders are less affected and in this aristocratic version, dominate the field. Apart from those depicted in 17th century Dutch paintings, most small "kilim" style Lottos were either found in Transylvania or appear to have been exported from Turkey by the Transylvanian route to Hungary and from there to western Europe. Compared with this rug, the great majority are late, simple in design, uninspiring in colour and coarse in structure. Among the smaller number nearer the same age and type as the RB rug (and with the same main border) several have been found in Transylvania (Mus¬eum of Applied Arts, Budapest. inv.no. 14.433 & 14.432. in Batari, Ottoman Turkish Carpets, Budapest 1994. nos.9. 10; Evangelical Church. Rupea. and Brukenthal Museum. Sibiu. in Kertesz-Badrus. Turkische Teppiche in Siebenburgen, Bucharest 1985. figs.25. 26).