Antique Kuba Konagkend rug, mid 19th century or earlier,  Southern Mountainous Kuba Region, North East Azerbaijan. 104 x 180 cm (3'5" x 5'11")

The characteristic Konaghend field design is a repeat pattern of conjoined hexagons. These typical designs vary greatly in complexity, however, usually as a result of the rug's age - the more recent mid-i9th century or earlier designs are generally more static, and less interesting. Ian Bennett graphically illustrates this regression through eight examples in Oriental Rugs: Vol. 1, Caucasian} Only one of his examples is a prayer 0.91 x 1.50m (3 'o* x 4'n") rug, but the field composition is identical in both prayer and secular examples.

Konaghend prayer rugs from before 1850 are extremely rare. The rugs shown in plates 45 and 46, both in the collection of Jim Dixon, are contemporaneous. It is unusual for one collection to possess two such similar examples of a rare type. Both share so many features - the blue tracery outlined in white, the abstract animal shapes, the light blue inner ground borders, the shape of the niches, and so on - that the likelihood of them having been woven by one extended family is quite strong.

Pre-1850 Konaghend prayer rugs nearly always have red fields. In addition, early pieces feature 'Kufic' borders and five of the seven known examples; after 1850 this usually changes the pattern of linked diamonds similar to that found in Kuba and Chichi rugs.

Technical Structure:

Warp: white wool; Z4S; 18 threads per inch (72 per dm)

Weft: white cotton; Z3S; between 2 and 4 shoots, 11 knots per inch (44 per dm)

Pile: symmetrical knot: 99 knots per sq. inch (1584 per sq. dm)
Sides: 2 cords, each of 2 threads, overcast with white cotton; white wool used in places.

Dixon Collection.

published at Ralph Kaffel's Caucasian Prayer Rugs. plate 45