SKINNER'S SALE: SEPTEMBER 19, 1992 Auction Report by Steven Price Lot 154, shown in color in the catalog, was listed as a mid-19th century Talish prayer rug, but neither the design nor the colors suggested this origin. Running a hand over the pile was enough to make me begin thinking it really might be a Talish, and examining the back showed the short supplementary wefts along the edges that are universally believed to be diagnostic of Talish rugs. It had excellent fleecy wool, colors that were clear and saturated (albeit a rather limited number of them), a completely believable mid-19th century attribution, good condition except for the selvages and some fraying at the corners, rarity and great aesthetic appeal. It sold for $9,900.

Perhaps the strongest single group in the sale was the Turkoman. Turkomaniacs were treated to as nice an assortment of the objects of their passions as any could hope for. There were no fewer than five ensis, and not a really bad one in the bunch. Lot 265, a Yomud ensi, had a beautifully abrashed field that was not quartered in the typical hatchli format, with a spacious and fluid pole tree design, and a striking lower elem with an unusual star motif. Catalogued as late 19th century, it looked older to me. It brought $3,520 against a conservative estimate of $1,500 to $1,800.

There were several very good torbas and a number of juvals. Lot 228, a Beshir torba, had long, lustrous wool that could have been mistaken for silk. With clear, vivid colors, it sold for $2,420 against an estimate of $1,200 to $1,500. Lot 91 1 was a mid-19th century Ersari torba or trapping with an unusual design (related to the large medallion kejebe) done in only four rich, deep colors -- wine red, reddish brown, brown, dark blue -- plus a rather large amount of white cotton. It was atypical of any Ersari weaving with which I am familiar in design, color and the amount of cotton in the pile, although if forced to attribute it to one of the major Turkoman tribes, Ersari would certainly be the only possibility. It sold for only $1,650 (estimated $1,800 to $2,200), perhaps reflecting collector hesitation to acquire pieces without published analogies.

Lot 230, a mid-19th century Saryk juval with a clear red ground, a luxurious handle and silk highlights, was estimated at $1,500 to $1,800, and did not sell. It had been reduced in width, the reduction affecting the shape of one of the three columns of guls, with disastrous results. I wonder if this piece might be more marketable if, instead of reducing the width, the short side was simply removed and a tattered edge created on the remaining large fragment.

Lot 258, a classical nine-gul Yomud juval with a plain elem, was in nearly mint condition. The flatweave back was intact and in good condition except for wear at the bottom of the bag and along the right edge. The pile face was very finely woven, with superb wool. Anyone unconvinced that the full complement of undecorated pile in the elem in such pieces is integral to visual impact should see this one. So should anyone believing that juvals always had the pile extend around the bottom and up the back for a few inches to better withstand the abrasion to which the bottom was subjected. In this juval, at least, there is a finely wefted red flat weave for about a quarter of an inch below the end of the pile portion of the skirt, then about an inch of the usual coarse brown flatwoven wool on the face that continues up the back. Catalogued as late 19th century, I see no reason why it could not have been attributed to the mid-19th century except that the condition is so good that it is hard to imagine that it is old. Estimated at $2,000 to $2,500, it sold at $2,750.

Some nice Yomud and Beshir carpets, a couple of tent band fragments, an ok-bash, two camel trappings and some mafrash rounded out the selection of Turkoman works.

The extensive selection of Caucasian rugs included the usual large number of more or less undistinguished, easily identifiable pieces that seem to attract enthusiastic buyers despite being neither rare nor especially good examples of their types. But a number of exceptional items were offered as well. Talish runners are not hard to find at major auctions, but how many rugs do you see that are less than seven feet long in typical Talish designs? This sale included two. Surprisingly, neither was sold.

A third piece, shown in color in the catalog, was listed as a mid-19th century Talish prayer rug (Lot 154), but neither the design nor the colors suggested this origin. Indeed, from the catalog photo the editor of this journal and I guessed Kuba and Moghan, respectively; we were both fairly certain that it was not a Talish. Running a hand over the pile was enough to make me begin thinking it really might be a Talish, and examining the back showed the short supplementary wefts along the edges that are universally believed to be diagnostic of Talish rugs. In my opinion, this was the star of the sale. It had excellent fleecy wool, colors that were clear and saturated (albeit a rather limited number of them), a completely believable mid-19th century attribution, good condition except for the selvages and some fraying at the corners, rarity and great aesthetic appeal. After one bidder dropped out at $6,500, a new bidder entered barely in time to beat the announcement of "sold" and finally acquired the piece for $9,900 (estimated $7,000 to $9,000).

Lot 161, an elegant Seichur vase rug with fine weave and wonderfully harmonious coloring, estimated very modestly at $6,000 to $8,000 was knocked down at $6,600. Lot 214, a northeast Caucasian soumak carpet, had extremely attractive colors and design and fine weave. It sold for $5,225, which seemed surprisingly low for so nice a piece, notwithstanding the estimate of only $3,000 to $4,000. A textbook example of a Lenkoran runner, Lot 164, was in very good condition. I thought the design was a little mechanical and the colors somewhat too vibrant. It sold for $8,800 (estimated at $8,000 to $10,000).

Kazaks were well represented. Lot 157, a classic Borjalu long rug, conservatively estimated at $8,000 to $10,000, brought $8,250. Lot 242, another large Borjalu with a most unusual and attractive field design, sold for $4,510 (estimated at $3,000 to $4,000). Lot 73 was a pinwheel Kazak in decent condition. The drawing, colors and wool were less than outstanding, but they required no apologies. Estimated at an astonishingly low $2,000 to $3,000, it sold for $5,500 -- pretty reasonable for a rare type that seldom brings less than $10,000. There were three Fachralo prayer rugs. Lot 16, strikingly simple in its design and in excellent condition, was dated 1905. Estimated at $2,000 to $2,500, it sold for $4,070.

Lot 159, a rare mid-19th century Aimaq, brought $6,600 (estimated $7,000 to $9,000).

The most interesting smaller Persian weavings included several Afshar bags, a number of Afshar and Qashqa'i rugs, some extremely nice mats and some pictorial rugs. Lot 122 was a charmingly drawn early 20th century northwest Persian pictorial rug showing a ruler and his entourage, with an attractive inscription. Lot 237 was an early 20th century Bijar with a Herati field and a large, lovely red flower filled medallion. Lots 122 and 237 were each estimated at $1,200 to $1,500 and sold at $1,980; the price seemed reasonable to me in both cases. Lots 43 and 45, both attractive late 19th century Afshar rugs were each estimated at $2,000 to $2,500. Lot 43 sold at $3,025; Lot 45, which seemed to me to be drawn somewhat stiffly, at $4,125. Lot 3, an early 20th century Khamseh with a colorful field of diagonal rows of boteh, sold at $1,760 (estimated $1,800 to $2,200). An elegant two-piece Kerman 19th century saddle cover, Lot 115, sold for $1,760 (estimated at $800 to $1,200).

Kilims, you say you came here looking for kilims? This was a good place to do it. There was a nice selection of pieces from Turkey, the Caucasus, south Persia, and even a Baluch. Lot 163, a Kuba with a red field dominated by three connected diamond-shaped medallions and alive with small motifs, in very good condition, sold for $3,300 (estimated at $3,000 to $4,000). Lot 98, a Shirvan laid out as a lattice of diamonds with attractive indigo, star-filled half-diamonds along the sides of the field and distinct borders (unusual in Shirvan kilims), brought $1,650 (estimated $1,500 to $2,000). Both were handsome pieces and the selling prices seemed reasonable. Lot 681, an early 20th century Qashqa'i with very lively colors and white cotton highlights, sold at $1,210 (estimate $1,200 to $1,500). A mid-20th century Balkan kilim in excellent condition, Lot 200, was bought for $10,450, about seven times the estimate of $1,200 to $1,500. It proved that at least some of the attenders at the sale were willing to pay top dollar for a highly decorative piece of superb quality, even though it was neither Asian nor even "semi-antique".

The carpets included several antique Heriz, five Chinese, one Indian, and many Persian workshop pieces. Lot 297, a Gerus Bijar with marvelous wool, sold for $10,450 (estimate $15,000 to $20,000). Although reduced in length, it was a luscious carpet that fairly begged to have shoes removed and toes wiggled in its pile. Lots 189 and 191 were both gorgeous turn-of-the-century Sarouks, each about 20 feet long. Lot 189, estimated at $3,000 to $5,000, sold for $15,400; Lot 191 brought $16,500 (estimated $4,000 to $6,000).

The 17 Andean pieces were novel items in an Oriental rug auction. Three were more or less intact pre-Columbian cocoa bags, (each estimated at $500 to $700). Lot 186, the most attractive of the three, brought $522.50; the other two did not sell. Those of us who know that there is no such thing as a tribal bagface that has survived from more than about 200 years ago might have to adjust our thinking in light of these pieces, a minimum of 500 years old. Most of the other 14 items were fragments of clothing of various kinds, some estimated to date to the period between 200 B.C. and 200 A.D., many still having good color. Of course, most of them were woven for funerary use and never subjected to wear or weather, but the conditions are still astonishing. To my eye, the Andean weavings don't approach those of the Asian tribes aesthetically, but those more educated to this genre found some of them very beautiful, indeed. The head of Skinner's textile section, Jo Kris, promises to include a dozen or so Andean pieces in each of the next few sales. Perhaps I will learn to appreciate their graphic power with repeated exposure. After all, like many others, I once thought all Turkoman weavings looked alike.

I cannot close without mentioning the strange outcome of the bidding for two of the four lots of early issues of Hali. Lot 28 contained the first four issues elegantly bound into one leather volume; it sold for $385 (estimate $800 to $1,200). Lot 31, consisting of only the first two issues, unbound, brought $440 against the estimate of $300 to $500.

NOTES