The blue ground Karabagh Sunburst Chelaberd (Chelebi or Chilebörd) rug, 19th century, Western Karabagh Region, Azerbaijan. Herrmann Collection. 4'11"x 5'10" , 150x178cm

Later

Christie's ‘Oriental Rugs and Carpets’ will take place 8 October 2013 in King Street London
LOT 24. A CHELABERD RUG, SOUTH CAUCASUS, LATE 18TH/EARLY 19TH CENTURY EST. £30,000 – £50,000

later

Lot 56 A CHELABERD RUG
SOUTH CAUCASUS, LATE 18TH/EARLY 19TH CENTURY

Price Realized £32,500 ($52,293)
Estimate
£20,000 - £25,000
($31,960 - $39,950)

Sale Information
Christies SALE 1556 —
ORIENTAL RUGS AND CARPETS
7 October 2014
London, King Street

Lot Description
A CHELABERD RUG
SOUTH CAUCASUS, LATE 18TH/EARLY 19TH CENTURY
Of 'sunburst' design, light even overall wear, a few reweaves with scattered associated cobbled repairs and repiling, re-selvaged, each end rewoven along part or all of the far outer minor stripe
6ft. x 4ft.10in. (183cm. x 147cm.)

Pre-Lot Text
THE PROPERTY OF AN ASIAN PRIVATE COLLECTOR

Literature
Eberhart Herrmann, Seltene Orientteppiche IX, Munich, 1987, no.25, p.66-67
Benjamin J. Fernandes, A Weaver's Ode to Joy, Singapore, 1998, p.6

Exhibited
Antichi Tappeti dell'Anatolia e del Caucaso, exhibition, Turin, 1987, reviewed Hali 33, January/March 1987, p.58
Dragons with Red Tails, exhibition, Singapore, 2000, reviewed Hali 112, September/October 2000, p.141

Lot Notes
This sunburst Kazak belongs to a rare group of well-documented late 18th and early 19th century rugs, of which this is the only known blue-ground example. The group represent a bridge in the design evolution of the sunburst carpets of 18th century Karabagh, to the ubiquitous Chelaberd rugs of the later 19th century. The known examples are:

1. The Victoria and Albert Museum sunburst rug (Hali, vol.3, no.2, fig.7, p.99)
2. The red Herrmann/Bortz/Fernandes (H/B/F) rug (Eberhart Herrmann, Seltene Orientteppiche IV, Munich, 1982, no.44, pp.146-7; Hali, vol.5, no.2, pl.7, p.208; The Bortz Collection, Sotheby's London, 29 May 1998, lot 13; Hali 112, September/October 2000, p.141)
3. The red starburst medallion rug formerly in the James D. Burns Collection sold in these Rooms, 18 October 2001, lot 277
4. The sunburst Kazak in the collection of the National Gallery of Prague (illustrated in 'Exhibitions in Brief', Hali 149, November 2006, p.99)
5. The Richardson sunburst medallion rug, current whereabouts unknown (Through the Collector's Eye, ; Oriental Rugs from New England Private Collections, Rhode Island, 1991, fig.4, p.18)
6. The Liambei rug, sold in these Rooms, 7 October 2010, lot 97 ('APG', Hali 167, p.157).

Whilst the present rug is unique amongst the rest of the red-ground examples, it is most closely related to the rug in the Victoria and Albert Museum. Both share a beautiful archaic border and have charming animal and bird details in the field design.