Lot Nr.: 152

Description: KARAPINAR

Origin: Central Anatolia,
Konya region, ca. 1600
Size: ca. 530 x 142 cm
Estimate EUR: € 90,000
This rural type, formerly unknown in western collections as it was not exported at the time of production, has been attributed to Karapinar ever since May Beattie discovered some later examples in the city’s mosque and published her famous article in Oriental Art. The number of early examples dated to the 16th/17th centuries is very small: a fragment in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam (two medallions); a fragment in the Vakiflar Museum, Istanbul (one medallion); a fragment published by Herrmann (one medallion, now in the Wher Collection, exhibited at the Institut du Monde Arabe, Paris, in 1989); a fragment in the Wolf Collection, New York (published in Atlantic Collections); and the long, apparently complete carpet with three medallions in the Washington Textile Museum (incomprehensibly dated to the 19th century). Stylistically and with regard to the field and border designs, the last-mentioned example is closest to our piece, which is also complete, albeit heavily damaged, and has four medallions. Woven in glorious colours on a brown ground (like the Vakiflar fragment), the field design of our piece is entirely modelled on Ottoman court patterns, although these were adapted to a geometric, almost kilim-like style: tulips, carnations, hyacinths and pomegranates adorn adriatic blue and salmon-red lattice-like branches and crosses of flowers. Holes at the sides, various repiled and repaired areas.


Literature References:
Cf.: BALPINAR, BELKIS & HIRSCH, UDO, Teppiche des Vakiflar - Museums Istanbul. Wesel, 1988, pl. 34 +++ HERRMANN, EBERHART, Seltene Orientteppiche 10. Munich, 1988, no. 11 = INSTITUT DU MONDE ARABE (pub.), Tapis present de L'Orient A L'Occident. Paris, 1989, pl. p. 121 +++ YOHE, RALPH S. & McCOY JONES, H., Turkish Rugs. Washington D. C., 1968, no. 43 +++ DODDS, DENNIS & EILAND, MURRAY L., Jr. (eds.), Oriental Rugs From Atlantic Collections. Philadelphia, 1996, no. 26

JBOC Comments:

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