This antique kilim testifies to the diverse aesthetic influences among weaving societies on the northwest Persian frontier. Woven at a time when Ulysses S. Grant occupied the White House, its classical motifs and floor-ready condition evince the enduring appeal of quality craftsmanship.
Motifs Ancient and Classical
This large kilim is emblazoned with serrated star ornaments arranged in major bands of indigo and tomato red. Narrower bands in the same color scheme foreground smaller hexagons.
The rug’s defining stylistic element is its liberal use of a ‘running dog’ border motif, so named because of its similarity to a profile view of a sprinting hound. This motif traces its roots to classical antiquity, and it is also known as a running water motif. Its most reproduced form comes from ancient Greece. It is this association that lends the motif yet another label: a ‘meandering border’—a name that comes from the ancient Hellenic world's River Meander, now in eastern Turkey.
In a rug as well as vases and monumental architecture, the pattern evokes a series of infinitely crashing waves. Notably, the waves in this rug are echoed both in the cream primary border and in the red and brown waves that are created in the negative space that interlocks with it.
A Masterpiece Drawing on Multiple Stylistic Traditions
The rug blends the diverse stylistic influences of its origins in the northwest provinces of present-day Iran. However, the rug clearly borrows from Turkish weaving traditions. Among tribal kilims, early examples of this distinctive border pattern are encountered most often in Anatolian rugs (Tanovli, Persian Flatweaves, 2002, p. 130, 282-95). In addition, its color pallet emphasizing red and deep blue indigo is also common among rugs made by Turkish weavers.
A Persian origin remains most likely, however. Northwest Persia is a highway for the movements of weaving societies of ethnic Turkic origins, leading to the wider diffusion of motifs and techniques. Moreover, technical elements such as the use of reinforced selvedge cord and a densely braided fringe support a Persian origin, potentially linking the rug to Iran's large population of ethnically Turkic peoples (Petsopoulos, Kilims: Flat-woven Tapestry Rugs, 1979, p. 37).
The Bottom Line
This is a formal rug woven to exacting technical standards by skilled weavers using materials of the highest quality. It is, nonetheless, a playful kilim that exudes joy. It repays deeper examination—both for the remarkable silkiness of its wool and the tromp l’oeil effect of the wave motif that dominates.
Condition and Use
This rug is in good antique condition. The wool itself is in an excellent state of preservation, with a high lanolin content and exceptional smoothness. The braided end is in-tact. Some sections of weft-faced patterning have been lost, without affecting the stability—or appeal—of the rug.
This rug will withstand normal floor use. A rug pad is strongly recommended.
