Antique Pink Shahsavan Zigzag Kilim, Transcaucus (19th Century)

This long kilim exudes vivid playfulness in both color and design. It was woven in the late 19th century by Shahsevan semi-nomads in the borderlands of Azerbaijan and northwest Persia.

Youthful and Bright, from One Century to Another

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 anchored on either end by a crenelated partial border in rich brown. The personality and creative faculties of its weaver are unmistakable, conveying a happy modernity that makes the rug a statement 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 (Hull and Luczyc-Wyhowska, Kilim: The Complete Guide, 1993, p. 208-09).