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Christie's (London)
Rugs and Carpets - Battilossi Tappeti d'Antiquariato
Wednesday, 11 February, 1998
Lot 50
A DRAGON SOUMAC RUG
EAST CAUCASUS, DATED AH 1252 (1836-7 AD), POSSIBLY EARLIER
The shaded brick-red field-red field with a clearly drawn version of the
dragon design comprising linked diagonal serrated ivory, sea-green and
mid-blue arms enclosing palmette panels and surrounded by and enclosing a
variety of floral motifs, stylised animals, birds, geometric motifs and six
date panels, in a sandy yellow border of polychrome stepped and crenellated
octagons between charcoal-black rosette stripes, outer running dog stripe,
braided ends, black severely corroded, some repairs in field.
9ft.2in.x6ft.1in. (279crn.x185cm.)
LITERATURE: HALI 56, April, 1991, inside front cover.
For a discussion of the entire group of Caucasian dragon soumac carpets see
Gough, Sean, 'Dragon Soumakhs', in HALI, Vol.6, no.3, 1984, pp. 246-53. This
article illustrates an example in the Wher Collection which is very similar
indeed to the present example. Not only are the main motifs of very similar
arrangement, but the border and many of the minor field motifs also match.
The Wher Collection
example is also published by Yetkin (Serare: Early Caucasian Carpets in
Turkey, London, 1978, Vol.II, pl. 159, p .39). It appears to be the earliest
dated example at AH 1222 (1806-7 AD), although there are a few pieces of
more archaic design which may well be earlier still, such as one sold in
these Rooms, 12 0ctober 1989, 1ot 107. A
third example which is also very
closely related to the present soumac is in the Textile Museum, Washington
(Ellis, Charles Grant: Early Caucasian Rugs, Textile Museum, Washington
D.C., 1975, p. 17).
Est.: Ј20,000-25,000, US$33,000-41,000
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