19th-Century Zigzag Shahsavan, Transcaucus

This kilim exudes vivid playfulness in both color and design. Belonging to the Shahsavan group, it originates in the multi-cultural borderlands of Azerbaijan and northwest Persia, dating to the late 19th century.

The rug is divided into four bands of nested zigzag motifs, alternating between steel blue, coral pink, indigo, dun, butterscotch, cream, and chocolate brown. The bands are bounded on either end of the long rug by a crenelated partial border that draws the eye back to the center. The personality and creative faculties of its weaver are unmistakably present, and they convey a happy modernity that makes the piece suitable for a range of uses in contemporary settings.

Its zigzag motif is also seen, with crenelated edges, in the kilims of the Lurs.[1]